Denver, CO Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Denver requires anyone operating a child care establishment, child care centers, small and large child care homes, specialized group centers, and residential facilities, to hold a city license before opening, under DRMC Chapter 11. The Department of Public Health and Environment inspects each facility and endorses approval or denial to the Director of Excise and Licenses, who issues the license. The health department also sets binding rules on sanitation, facility adequacy, staffing, and wooden play structures to limit children's exposure to arsenic. Operating unlicensed, or violating any rule adopted under the chapter, is a punishable offense under the Code's general penalty section.