Business Licensing & Operations in Arvada, CO (2026)
5 verified business licensing & operations rules for Arvada, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Arvada bars adult businesses within 750 feet of a church, school, child care facility, public park, or residential property, and within 1,000 feet of another adult business or massage parlor. Operators need a Type A or Type B license from the city clerk, each costing $500.00, plus police fingerprinting and background review.
Arvada Adult Business Spacing and License Rules
Significant RestrictionsArvada City Code § 22-51 (Location of adult businesses)
"(b)It shall be unlawful to operate or cause to be operated an adult business within 750 feet of a:(1)Church;(2)School or child care facility;(3)Public park;(4)Residential property.(c)It shall be unlawful to cause or permit the operation of an adult business within 1,000 feet of another adult business or a massage parlor as defined in section 22-163. The distance between any two such businesses...
Massage Establishments
Arvada requires every massage parlor to hold a city license from the massage parlor licensing authority, made up of the sitting city council with the mayor as chair, before opening. Operators pay a $500 nonrefundable application fee, submit to police fingerprinting and a background investigation, and must locate at least 750 feet from any church, school, park, or residential property under City Code §§ 22-165, 22-166, and 22-173.
Arvada Massage Parlor License Requirements
Significant RestrictionsArvada City Code § 22-165
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a massage parlor within this city unless such person shall have first obtained a massage parlor license from the city.(b)Such license shall be prominently displayed at all times upon the premises for which the license was issued.
Pawnbrokers
Arvada requires a city license before anyone can operate as a pawnbroker, backed by a $50,000 bond and a $1,000 nonrefundable application fee under City Code §§ 22-202, 22-204, and 22-207. Licensees pay a $5,000 annual fee, may only do business between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., cannot charge more than ten percent annual interest, and must keep a computerized customer register open to police inspection.
Arvada Pawnbroker Licensing and Bond Rules
Significant RestrictionsArvada City Code § 22-202
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to act as a pawnbroker within the city without first obtaining a license to conduct such business pursuant to this chapter.(b)All requirements specified in C.R.S. § 12-56-101 et seq., shall control and are hereby incorporated by reference in the event that inconsistent requirements are set forth in this article.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Arvada's Land Development Code flatly bars repairing or painting cars, motorcycles, trailers, or boats as a home occupation, no matter how small the operation. The prohibition sits alongside bans on vehicle sales, welding shops, and towing dispatch, all listed as uses that can never qualify as a business use of the home.
Arvada Bars Home-Based Auto Repair Businesses
Heavy RestrictionsArvada Land Development Code § 3-1-5-1(B)
B.Prohibited Business Uses of the Home. The following uses, regardless of whether they meet the standards of this Section, are not permitted as business uses of the home:1.Veterinary offices or clinics, animal hospitals, or kennels;2.Equipment rental;3.Funeral homes or mortuaries;4.Medical or dental clinics;5.Repair or painting of automobiles, motorcycles, trailers, boats, or other vehicles;6.R...
Towing Companies
Arvada police, public works parking enforcement, and other chief-of-police designees may impound and tow a vehicle for 15 specific reasons under Sec. 54-213, using a city-designated tow contractor, and Sec. 54-214 gives the owner a 10-day window to demand a hearing before fees are due.
Arvada Non-Consent Vehicle Towing Rules
Significant RestrictionsArvada City Code §§ 54-213, 54-214
(a)Grounds for removal, impound, or tow. Members of the police department, or any employee of the city, or any public works parking enforcement team member or designee, or other person designated by the chief of police, may remove, impound, or tow...a vehicle from any street, highway, right-of-way, or public way or place to the nearest place of safety or to an impound facility designated by the...
Looking for Jefferson County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Arvada city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Jefferson County →