Animal Ordinances in Denver, CO (2026)
11 verified animal ordinances for Denver, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Denver requires a livestock or fowl permit for any chickens, ducks, goats, or other livestock; a restricted license allows up to eight chickens or ducks combined and two goats, with roosters and intact male goats banned.
Denver Permit Required for Chickens, Livestock
Significant RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 8-91(b)
A restricted livestock or fowl license is required for the keeping of up to eight (8) ducks or chickens combined, and up to two (2) goats. Such license shall allow the keeping of the animals by the licensee on a specific property and shall be personal to the licensee and non-transferable. The license shall be valid indefinitely. A fee shall be charged for each new license. The following require...
Dog Leash Laws
Denver dog owners must prevent their dog from running at large; violators can be impounded, with an exception for supervised off-leash enclosures.
Denver Dog Leash Law
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 8-16
It shall be unlawful for any owner or keeper of any dog to fail to prevent the same to run at large.(b)It shall be the duty of the chief of police, and all other police officers and all animal protection officers, to see that a dog found running at large is taken up and impounded in the Denver Animal Shelter, and such dog may be so taken up without the necessity of filing a complaint and shall ...
Breed Restrictions
Denver bans owning or keeping a pit bull without a breed-restricted permit from Denver Animal Protection, capping households at two permitted pit bulls and requiring microchipping, rabies proof, and incident reporting.
Denver Requires Pit Bull Breed Permit
Significant RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 8-67
It shall be unlawful for any person to own or keep any pit bull within the city without first obtaining a breed-restricted permit satisfying the conditions set forth in this section.
Beekeeping
Denver limits residential lots to two honeybee hives, set in the rear third of the yard with a 5-foot setback from side and rear lines and a 6-foot screening barrier bees must clear before leaving the property.
Denver Caps Backyard Beehives at Two Per Lot
Some RestrictionsDenver Zoning Code § 11.8.5.1.A
2 hives per zone lot; Hives must be in rear 1/3 of zone lot with a 5 foot setback from side and rear zone lot lines; Hives must be screened so that the bees must surmount a 6 foot barrier, which may be vegetative, before leaving the property; No outdoor storage of any bee paraphernalia or hive materials not being used as a part of a hive.
Exotic Pets
Denver outlaws owning, keeping, or selling venomous reptiles, monitor lizards, large snakes, crocodilians, venomous spiders, scorpions, and nearly all non-domestic mammals within city limits, with only narrow exemptions for approved organizations.
Denver Bans Wild and Hazardous Animals as Pets
Heavy RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 8-72
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, keep, maintain, feed, harbor, transport or sell within the city any living wild or hazardous animal... Wild or hazardous animal...shall mean and include any and all species of the following: (1) Poisonous or venomous reptiles; (2) Monitor lizards and Tegu lizard; (3) Non-venomous snakes with a length greater than six (6) feet; (4) Crocodilian...
Pet Limits
Denver does not have a standalone hoarding ordinance, but DRMC chapter 8 pet limits combined with Colorado C.R.S. 18-9-202 cruelty to animals reach hoarding cases. Denver Animal Protection investigates with police support and may seize animals.
Animal hoarding addressed via DRMC 8 and Colorado cruelty law
Heavy RestrictionsC.R.S. 18-9-202
18-9-202. Cruelty to animals - aggravated cruelty to animals - service animals - short title. (1)(a) A person commits cruelty to animals if he or she knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence overdrives, overloads, overworks, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beats, allows to be housed in a manner that results in chronic or repeated serious physical h...
Cat Rules
Denver requires every cat over six months to be licensed, but exempts microchipped or tattooed cats from wearing the tag, while mandating spay/neuter unless the owner holds an annual intact permit.
Denver Cat Licensing and Tag Requirements
Significant RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code §§ 8-46, 8-48(c)
It shall be unlawful for any person who owns any dog or domestic cat over the age of six (6) months in the city to fail to have such dog or cat licensed. Dogs or cats over the age of six (6) months purchased, obtained, or otherwise acquired shall be licensed within thirty (30) days after such acquisition... The license tag shall be attached to each licensed cat at all times when it is off the p...
Microchipping
Denver does not require microchips for ordinary pets, but a potentially dangerous animal permit and a pit bull breed-restricted permit both require the animal to be microchipped before the permit issues.
Denver Microchip Rule for Restricted Dogs
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 8-64(b)(6)
The owner or keeper of the potentially dangerous animal shall microchip such animal and shall provide proof of implantation and registration of the microchip at the time of the permit application.
Pet Store Rules
Denver pet shops cannot sell, deliver, barter, or otherwise dispose of a dog, cat, or rabbit. Retail sales are banned outright: stores may only host approved animal adoption or humane organizations to place animals on-site.
Denver Bans Pet Shops Selling Dogs, Cats
Heavy RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 8-104
(a)It shall be unlawful for a pet shop to sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, broker, or otherwise transfer or dispose of a dog, cat, or rabbit.(b)It shall not be a violation of subsection (a) for a pet shop to allow an approved animal adoption or humane organization to display, sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, broker, or otherwise transfer or di...
Pet Groomer Rules
Denver requires anyone operating a pet grooming shop to hold a license from the director of excise and licenses, with the department of public health and environment reviewing and inspecting the business.
Denver Pet Grooming Shops Need a License
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 8-111
It is unlawful for any person or business entity to operate or engage in business as an animal shelter, kennel, pet grooming shop, pet hospital, or pet shop, as defined by this article, without first obtaining a license from the director of excise and licenses as provided for in this article and chapter 32.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Denver's zoning code classifies veterinary practices into two separate use types: clinics serving only household or domestic pets, and full-service operations that also treat, board, or kennel other animals.
Denver Zoning Splits Veterinary Clinics by Pet Type
Some RestrictionsDenver Zoning Code § 11.12.4.7.B
1. Animal Sales and Services, Household Pets Only An establishment engaged in any of the following: a. The retail sale, grooming, care, or boarding of domestic or household animals only, and which may include overnight accommodations. The retail sale of domestic animals (e.g., pet store) is permitted. b. The maintaining, raising, harboring and/or boarding of 4 or more dogs, or 6 or more cats,...