Aurora, CO Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Retail store cap
- 24 citywide, 4 per ward
- School buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Hospital buffer
- 500 feet
- Cultivation/mfg buffer
- 300 feet from residential
- Opt-out status
- Not opted out
Summary
Aurora, Colorado has not opted out of retail marijuana: stores are licensed and capped citywide, but the UDO bars them near schools, hospitals and residential zones.
No retail marijuana store shall be licensed if located within 1,000 feet of a pre-K-12 public or private elementary, vocational, or secondary school. ... No retail marijuana store shall be licensed if located within 500 feet of a hospital or substance abuse treatment center. ... There shall be no more than 24 retail marijuana store licenses issued by the City. The city shall issue no more than four retail marijuana store licenses for each ward.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Aurora's Unified Development Ordinance sets locational standards for marijuana establishments under UDO § 146-3.3.5.S: retail marijuana stores cannot be licensed within 1,000 feet of a pre-K-12 school or within 500 feet of a hospital or substance-abuse treatment center, while cultivation, manufacturing, testing and transporter facilities must stay 300 feet from residential uses, Residential/POS zone districts, or public parks. Marijuana membership clubs, vapor lounges, off-premises storage and outdoor cultivation are prohibited outright citywide. Separately, City Code § 6-310 caps the city at 24 retail marijuana store licenses total, no more than four per ward, confirming Aurora allows, but tightly rations, retail marijuana rather than banning it.
Violations & Fines
Operating a marijuana business in Aurora without a city license is unlawful under City Code § 6-316(h); the finance director may fine, suspend or revoke a license for zoning or code violations under § 6-318.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Aurora banned marijuana businesses?
How close can a marijuana store be to a school in Aurora?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado cannabis regulations overview
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Dispensary Zoning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle dispensary zoning.