Animal Ordinances in Arvada, CO

If you live in Arvada or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Arvada has 12 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Breed Restrictions

Arvada declares a dog or other animal "dangerous" by conduct, not breed: causing bodily injury, menacing a person, killing another animal off its owner's property, or attacking someone lawfully on the owner's property. City Code Section 14-51 lets an animal management officer destroy a dangerous animal immediately, without notice, if needed to protect public safety, subject to a narrow unlawful-entry defense.

Key details: Governing section: Arvada City Code § 14-51. Basis: conduct-based, not breed-specific. State law: C.R.S. § 18-9-204.5 bars breed bans. Officer power: immediate destruction without notice if necessary. Max fine: $2,650.00 (§ 1-5).

A dangerous-animal violation is prosecuted under Section 14-7, capped at the Section 1-5 general penalty: up to $2,650.00 in fines, up to 364 days in jail, or both. The municipal court may add special sanctions under Section 14-6(b), including mandatory secure-enclosure construction, spay or neuter, $100,000.00 liability insurance, or a ban on owning animals, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense.

Compared to other cities, Arvada takes a harder line on breed restrictions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Dog Leash Laws

Arvada makes it unlawful for the owner or custodian of a dog, or almost any other animal, to let it run, go, or be at large on a street, public place, or another person's property without written permission. City Code Section 14-54 also bans tethering an animal on someone else's property without consent, with a carve-out for the city's designated off-leash dog parks.

Key details: Governing section: Arvada City Code § 14-54. Applies to: all animals except cats. Off-leash exception: designated dog parks/training sites, sunrise-sunset only. Max dogs off-leash: 3 per owner or custodian. Max fine: $2,650.00 (§ 1-5).

Running an animal at large is punished under Section 14-7's reference to the Section 1-5 general penalty: up to $2,650.00 in fines, up to 364 days in jail, or both. A third or subsequent running-at-large violation by the same owner within one year lets the city hold the impounded dog under a court hold until a municipal judge orders its release.

Exotic Pets

Arvada bans owning, having custody of, selling, or trafficking a list of wild and exotic species citywide. City Code Section 14-91 names venomous snakes and snakes over six feet, nonhuman primates, non-domesticated felines, bears, crocodilians, raccoons, skunks, foxes, wolves, and coyotes, with any animal of uncertain status presumed prohibited until the owner proves otherwise.

Key details: Governing section: Arvada City Code § 14-91(a). Banned species: venomous snakes, primates, wild felines, bears, more. Burden of proof: disputed animal presumed prohibited, owner must rebut. Exceptions: licensed wildlife rehabilitators, falconers, vet hospitals. Max fine: $2,650.00 (§ 1-5).

Keeping a prohibited animal is punished under Section 14-7's Section 1-5 general penalty: up to $2,650.00 in fines, up to 364 days in jail, or both, with each day of continued possession chargeable as a separate offense. Because Section 14-91(b) presumes a disputed animal is prohibited until the owner proves otherwise in municipal court, the owner carries the burden of showing the animal qualifies for an exception.

This is one of the stricter rules in Arvada's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Wildlife Rescue Permits

Arvada's ban on owning wild and exotic animals does not reach a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, falconer, or scientific collection permit holder. City Code Section 14-91(c) exempts anyone currently licensed by Colorado's wildlife agency, and a state-licensed veterinary hospital, from the prohibited-animals list in Section 14-91(a), as long as they still comply with all other city Code and zoning provisions.

Key details: Governing section: Arvada City Code § 14-91(c)(1). Who qualifies: state-licensed wildlife rehabilitator, falconer, or collector. Condition: must comply with city Code and zoning rules. Related provision: § 14-55(c) nuisance wild animal release path. Max fine if lapsed: $2,650.00 (§ 1-5).

A person who keeps a prohibited wild animal without a qualifying state license, or who lets their rehabilitator or falconry license lapse while still possessing the animal, is exposed to the same Section 14-7 penalty as any other prohibited-animal violation: up to $2,650.00 in fines under Section 1-5, up to 364 days in jail, or both, with continued possession chargeable day by day.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Arvada gives residents more flexibility on wildlife rescue permits.

Pet Store Rules

Arvada doesn't ban pet stores from selling dogs or cats, but every pet shop, kennel, animal hospital, or shelter must keep facilities sanitary, properly heated and ventilated, and appropriately spaced for each animal, and may release for sale, trade, or adoption only animals free of disease or injury, under City Code section 14-174. Commercial sellers also need a city kennel license.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 14-174, Care of animals. License required to sell: Kennel license from city clerk, § 14-127. Sale condition: Only disease/injury-free animals releasable. License revocation: Up to 6-month suspension or revocation. Appeal path: District Court under Colo. R.C.P. 106(a)(4).

Selling animals from an unsanitary facility, without adequate space or veterinary care, or without a required kennel license violates Chapter 14. Violations carry Arvada's general penalty under section 1-5: a fine up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or both. A kennel license can also be suspended for up to six months or revoked by the municipal court after a hearing.

Beekeeping

Arvada allows residential beekeeping but caps hive box size and colony count by lot size under Section 38-403, from two colonies on a quarter acre up to eight on more than an acre, plus a 25-foot setback from property lines.

Key details: Max colonies, quarter acre or less: 2 colonies. Max colonies, over 1 acre: 8 colonies. No-limit exception: Hives 200+ feet from all property lines. Hive setback: 25 feet from adjoining property. Max frames per hive box: 10 frames.

Keeping bees outside Section 38-403's hive, density, or setback standards is unlawful under Section 38-403(a), and Section 38-405 punishes any violation of the beekeeping article by a fine, imprisonment, or both, up to the citywide general limits in Section 1-5, currently $2,650.00 and 364 days. Section 38-404 separately lets the city manager summarily destroy or remove an abandoned colony, a non-compliant hive box, or a nuisance swarm after 24 hours' written notice, billing abatement costs to the owner on top of any fine.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Arvada requires every pot-bellied pig to be registered with the animal management office within 14 days of acquisition, with male pigs castrated and female pigs spayed before they reach four months old. Pigs must also be tattooed and tagged before four months and harnessed whenever outside the home. Pigs over 70 pounds are declared a nuisance outright, and no other pet species faces a citywide spay or neuter mandate under Chapter 14.

Key details: Registration deadline: 14 days of acquiring the pig. Spay/neuter deadline: Before 4 months of age. Tattoo and tag deadline: Before 4 months of age. Weight limit: 70 pounds, else declared a nuisance. Enforcing agency: Arvada animal management office.

Keeping an unregistered, unaltered, or over-70-pound pot-bellied pig is a Chapter 14 misdemeanor. Under the citywide general penalty at Code section 1-5, an adult convicted of a violation faces a fine up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or both, and each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense. Animal management officers may enter and inspect where they have probable cause of a violation.

Chickens & Livestock

Arvada lets chickens and turkeys be kept in every zoning district, but outside the RA and RN-32.5 agricultural districts they must stay 35 feet from any neighboring dwelling, out of front setbacks, and capped at five hens or three hens plus two turkeys per household. Roosters and toms are banned citywide outside those two districts under City Code sections 14-92 and 14-123(4).

Key details: Zoning reach: Chickens/turkeys allowed in every district. Distance from neighbor's home: 35 feet minimum, section 14-123(4)a. Max hens outside RA/RN-32.5: 5 hens, or 3 hens plus 2 turkeys. Roosters and toms: Banned outside RA and RN-32.5. Setback rule: No poultry in front yard setback.

Keeping poultry within 35 feet of a neighbor's home, in a front setback, over the five-hen cap, or keeping a rooster or tom outside RA/RN-32.5 is a Chapter 14 misdemeanor. Arvada's general penalty at section 1-5 authorizes a fine up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.

Microchipping

Arvada requires every cat to wear an identification tag on its collar or harness, or to carry a surgically implanted microchip, or a similar form of ID, under City Code Section 14-43(b). The tag or microchip must list the current owner's name, address, and phone number, a separate requirement from the dog-license tag rule in the same section.

Key details: Governing section: Arvada City Code § 14-43(b). Accepted ID: collar tag, microchip, or similar ID. Must show: owner's name, address, phone number. Cat licensing: not required, unlike dogs. Max fine: $2,650.00 (§ 1-5).

Failing to identify a cat under Section 14-43(b) is punishable under the chapter's general penalty, Section 14-7, capped at the Section 1-5 limits: up to a $2,650.00 fine, up to 364 days in jail, or both. Each day the cat goes without a tag, microchip, or comparable ID can be charged as a separate continuing offense under Section 1-5(d).

Pet Limits

Arvada caps ownership at three dogs, four cats, or four dogs and cats combined per household under City Code section 14-126, with a separate two-pig limit for pot-bellied pigs. On top of those caps, households may keep no more than a combined 15 other animals such as chickens, turkeys, or miniature goats, regardless of age.

Key details: Max dogs: 3 dogs over 4 months old. Max cats: 4 cats over 4 months old. Combined dog/cat cap: 4 total in any combination. Max pot-bellied pigs: 2 pigs over 4 months old. Other animals cap: 15 total, any age or combination.

Exceeding the three-dog, four-cat, or 15-other-animal caps is unlawful under Chapter 14 and enforceable by Arvada's general penalty at section 1-5: a fine up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or both, for each offense. Because accumulation is a continuing condition, animal management can treat each day over the limit as a separate offense.

Cat Rules

Arvada's running-at-large law does not apply to cats. City Code Section 14-54(a) bans letting a dog or almost any other animal run loose on a street, public place, or someone else's property without permission, but the section expressly carves cats out of that requirement, so a roaming cat does not by itself violate the ordinance that binds dog owners.

Key details: Governing section: Arvada City Code § 14-54(a). At-large exemption: cats excepted from running-at-large ban. ID still required: tag or microchip under § 14-43(b). No cat licensing: only dogs must be licensed (§ 14-42). Trespass remedy: property owner may humanely restrain a cat.

Because Section 14-54 exempts cats, a roaming cat alone draws no running-at-large citation. A cat can still trigger enforcement under other Chapter 14 sections, such as the identification-tag requirement (Section 14-43) or the nuisance and property-damage provisions (Sections 14-53 and 14-55), each punishable under the Section 1-5 general penalty of up to $2,650.00, up to 364 days in jail, or both.

Arvada is more permissive than most cities when it comes to cat rules. That said, there are still limits.

Wildlife Feeding

Arvada makes it unlawful to feed, provide food to, or help feed wildlife or any wild animal in, from, or upon a city park or golf course, under Code section 14-128. The only carve-out is a bird feeder placed with prior written approval from the city's parks manager or the North Jeffco Metro Park and Recreation District.

Key details: Where it applies: City parks and golf courses only. What's banned: Feeding or assisting feeding of wildlife. Exception: Bird feeders with prior written approval. Who approves feeders: City parks manager or North Jeffco district. Adopted: Ordinance No. 4110, April 21, 2008.

Feeding wildlife on a park or golf course without an approved bird feeder is a Chapter 14 misdemeanor. Arvada's general penalty at section 1-5 applies: a fine up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense that animal management can cite.

Compared to other cities, Arvada takes a harder line on wildlife feeding. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Arvada is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 12 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Arvada, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Arvada's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.