Denver, CO Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- Current NEC, as modified by Colorado
- Permit agency
- Community Planning and Development
- Governing sections
- DRMC §§ 10-16 through 10-18
- Coverage
- Citywide: consolidated city and county
Summary
Denver adopts the current National Electrical Code as modified by Colorado for all wiring work, and anyone building, altering, or repairing electrical systems must pull a permit through Community Planning and Development.
The current National Electrical Code, as currently adopted by the State of Colorado or as is from time to time modified, re-enacted or re-adopted by the State of Colorado is hereby adopted as the electrical code of the City and County of Denver.
(Ord. No. 363-04, § 3, 6-1-04; Ord. No. 316-11, § 1, 6-13-11; Ord. No. 377-18, § 1, 5-7-18; Ord. No. 1325-18, § 1, 12-3-18; Ord. No. 628-19, § 1, 7-22-19)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 10-17 adopts the current National Electrical Code, as adopted or modified by the State of Colorado, as the electrical code of the City and County of Denver. Under § 10-16, a Building Code Permit Application covering construction, alteration, repair, or equipment installation must be submitted electronically to the Department of Community Planning and Development through the city's web-based permitting portal before work begins. Denver is a consolidated city and county, so this permit requirement and the adopted NEC apply citywide: there is no separate unincorporated area exempted. Skipping the permit process or violating the adopted code is itself a code violation.
Violations & Fines
Violating the adopted electrical code or any building official's enforcement order is unlawful under DRMC § 10-18; CPD can red-tag unpermitted work, require correction, and refer chronic violations for prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Denver write its own electrical code?
Who issues electrical permits in Denver?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Denver
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