A Resident's Guide to Centennial's Local Ordinances

Centennial is a mid-sized city in Arapahoe County, Colorado, with about 108000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 86 ordinances across 31 categories that affect daily life in Centennial.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Centennial bars home-based businesses from posting or installing any sign to advertise the business: a business run from a house cannot have exterior signage of any kind..

Also covered: Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate), Home Daycare (moderate), Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate). See the full home business guide for Centennial for details.

Public Conduct

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions: Centennial bans smoking anywhere inside Centennial Center Park and the Parker Jordan Centennial Open Space, trails, picnic areas and playgrounds included, under park rules enforced separately from the city's indoor Clean Indoor Air ordinance..

Also covered: Public Marijuana Use (restrictive), Aggressive Panhandling (restrictive), Public Alcohol Use (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Centennial for details.

Parking Rules

Street Parking Limits: In designated Residential Parking Permit Districts near high schools, state parks, or major venues, Centennial requires a City-issued permit to park on the street at all, under Sec. 8-2-100..

Also covered: Driveway Rules (moderate), Abandoned Vehicles (restrictive), EV Charging (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Centennial for details.

Property Maintenance

Snow & Sidewalk Clearing: Centennial requires non-residential property owners to clear sidewalk snow and ice within 24 hours after a storm ends once accumulation reaches four inches; single-family and manufactured homes are exempt from this specific duty..

Also covered: Property Blight (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Centennial for details.

Noise Ordinances

Barking Dogs: Centennial caps barking at ten minutes by day and five minutes at night before it becomes a code violation. Sec.

Also covered: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Construction Hours (moderate), Decibel Limits (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Centennial for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Centennial's Land Development Code caps garage sales at 3 events and 9 total days per calendar year in the AG, RS, RA, and NC residential zoning districts, per LDC Table 12-2-502..

Landscaping Rules

Weed Ordinances: Centennial caps weeds and grass at eight inches; violators get a written notice and seven days to cut before the City mows and bills the property owner..

Also covered: Artificial Turf (moderate), Tree Trimming (moderate), Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Centennial for details.

Animal Ordinances

Exotic Pets: Centennial bans owning wild animals and canid/felid hybrids anywhere in the city, with only a narrow exception for birds held under a valid state or federal wildlife permit..

Also covered: Chickens & Livestock (restrictive), Wildlife Feeding (restrictive), Pet Limits (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Centennial for details.

Special Events & Permits

Park Event Permits: Centennial requires a City permit for facility rentals and larger group gatherings in city parks, prioritizes resident bookings, bases fees on City costs, and requires insurance for groups over 75..

Also covered: Street Fair Rules (moderate), Parade Permits (moderate), Block Party Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Centennial for details.

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Camping on any City-owned property in Centennial, rights-of-way, sidewalks, trails, parks, floodplains and open space, is unlawful unless the City specifically authorizes it, though a warning must be given before a citation issues..

Building Safety

Electrical Permits: Centennial adopts the 2023 National Electrical Code for all electrical design, installation, and inspection; no building may be wired or altered without meeting NEC standards..

Also covered: Plumbing Permits (moderate), Carbon Monoxide Detectors (moderate), Building Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Centennial for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Centennial bans barbed wire, sharp or scrap materials, and street-facing chain link on residential fences, while restricting chain link to interior side and rear yards..

Also covered: Height Limits (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Centennial for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Placing a private improvement in a Centennial public right-of-way requires a City Manager-issued encroachment license before construction, and the standard for approval is purely discretionary..

Also covered: Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Centennial for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Occupancy Limits: Centennial caps short-term rental occupancy at two renters per bedroom, with a hard maximum of 8 renters per property regardless of bedroom count. Children under 16 are exempt from the per-bedroom count.

Also covered: Taxes & Fees (moderate), Short-Term Rental Permits (moderate), Insurance Requirements (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Centennial for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Centennial makes it unlawful to dump construction materials, debris, landscape waste, snow or ice on public property, and to let such material spill from private property onto sidewalks or streets..

Also covered: Dumpster Rules (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Centennial for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Centennial measures building height from the average grade at the front building line to the roof's highest midpoint or top parapet; maximum heights range from 30 ft. in most NC districts up to 70 ft.

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Centennial for details.

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Centennial's Residential Agriculture Overlay District lets qualifying properties keep farm animals as an accessory use, from one animal-equivalent-unit per acre to unlimited small fowl, with unlimited hens but no roosters over six months..

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Zoning & Siting: Centennial classifies data centers and server farms as Light Industry, permitted outright in the I district and allowed as a limited use in the BP and EC-LI districts under LDC performance standards..

HOA Rules

CC&R Enforcement: Centennial's review of subdivision CC&Rs is limited to provisions tied to LDC compliance and conditions of approval; the City won't intervene in purely private CC&R disputes between owners..

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Centennial's Land Development Code allows roof-mounted solar panels on any building in every zoning district, but ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays must meet accessory-building setbacks and grid-tied systems need a signed interconnect agreement before hookup..

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Centennial makes it a strict-liability offense for anyone under 18 to be on a street, alley or public establishment after 11 p.m. on school nights, midnight on weekends, or before 5 a.m.

Also covered: Park Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Centennial for details.

Accessory Structures

Shed & Carport Rules: Centennial lets sheds up to 120 square feet and 10 feet tall sit anywhere in a side or rear yard, but sheds within two feet of the property line need a five-foot opaque screen or a hedge that reaches three feet within 18 months..

Also covered: ADU Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Centennial for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Adult Entertainment: Centennial restricts sexually oriented businesses to a narrow Industrial-zoned strip between I-25, Havana Street, Costilla Avenue, and Arapahoe Road, and bans them within 1,000 feet of schools, homes, parks, churches, child care centers, and each other..

Also covered: Pawnbrokers (moderate). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Centennial for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: Centennial bans new residential and non-residential construction in mapped floodplains outright, and allows any other floodplain development only if it won't restrict channel or drainage capacity..

Also covered: Erosion Control (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Centennial for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Centennial has opted out of commercial cannabis entirely: marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, testing, retail sales, and clubs are prohibited on every parcel in the city, so there is no zoning district where a marijuana business may locate..

Sign Regulations

Garage Sale Signs: Garage sale signs in Centennial are regulated as Yard Signs: no permit or cap on quantity, but each sign is capped at 6 square feet, 5 feet tall, and set back 5 feet from property lines..

Also covered: Digital Billboards (moderate), Holiday Displays (permissive), Window Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Centennial for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Centennial adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code by reference as its own Swimming Pool and Spa Code, so the model code's drain-cover, entrapment-protection, and alarm standards apply directly to every pool and spa built or used in the city..

Also covered: Pool Permits (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Centennial for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Dark Sky Rules: Centennial's Land Development Code sets outdoor lighting standards city-wide to curb glare and light pollution, requiring shielded fixtures, illuminance caps, and dimming tied to the property's Lighting Zone..

Also covered: Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Centennial for details.

Fire Regulations

Outdoor Burning: Centennial prohibits burning of trash, rubbish, construction materials, yard debris, leaves, or recyclable materials at all times. Recreational fires in approved fire pits (no larger than 3 ft diameter, 2 ft flame height) are permitted when no burn ban is in effect.

Also covered: Wildfire Zones (moderate), Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Centennial for details.

Water Use Rules

Turf Replacement Rebates: Centennial's Land Development Code limits where artificial turf and decorative non-functional turf are allowed, but exempts single-family homes and ADUs entirely..

Drone Rules

Park Drone Restrictions: Centennial bans operating remote control or control-line devices, including drones, in the air or on the ground at Centennial Center Park and Parker Jordan Centennial Open Space, with no permit exception..

What to Do With This Information

This overview covers the big picture, but the details matter. Each ordinance page for Centennial includes the full text, violation penalties, and frequently asked questions. Use those pages when you need specifics.