Arapahoe County, CO Ordinances (2026)

Unincorporated Arapahoe County requires a Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control (GESC) permit before any regulated land disturbance begins. The permit, issued under the county's GESC…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County requires a minimum two feet of freeboard above the 100-year base flood elevation for the lowest floor of substantially improved structures in a…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, every detention pond, bioretention facility, sand filter, grass swale and major drainageway built as part of a development must be designed, planted…

Every structure in unincorporated Arapahoe County must keep a noncombustible buffer: gravel or crushed rock at least two inches thick beneath decks and around the foundation, extending…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, engine idling at a permitted Oil and Gas Facility must be minimized at all times, and between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. it is hard-capped at 10…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County bars new construction, fill and other development inside an adopted regulatory floodway under LDC § 4-3.5.D unless a Colorado-licensed engineer certifies…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County confines sexually-oriented businesses to B-4, B-5, I-1 and I-2 zoning under Land Development Code § 3-3.7.B, and bars them within 1,000 feet of churches…

Colorado Amendment 64 and C.R.S. §18-18-406 permit adults 21+ to grow up to 6 plants per adult (12 max per household, only 3 flowering). Aurora City Code §94-370 caps at 12 per…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County prohibits marijuana land uses outright under Land Development Code § 3-3.5.B. The sole exception is a grandfathered class of Commercial Marijuana Stores…

Landscape plans in unincorporated Arapahoe County can't use noxious plant species. Land Development Code § 4-1.4.4.a.i.6 prohibits any plant listed as noxious by Arapahoe County Weed…

Commercial and multi-family dumpsters in unincorporated Arapahoe County must follow the setback, screening, and enclosure standards in the property's approved Development Plan and stay…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County limits a residential trash cart to the front setback for no more than 24 hours around pickup day, requires it stay covered at all times, and caps…

A construction roll-off or temporary dumpster in unincorporated Arapahoe County cannot sit in the public right-of-way, must go in the least-visible spot the site allows, and has to…

An accessory dwelling unit in unincorporated Arapahoe County cannot be used as a short-term rental unless the underlying parcel is nine acres or larger. Below that acreage threshold…

An owner of record must live in either the principal dwelling or the ADU on any Arapahoe County parcel with an accessory dwelling unit. The Planning Division Manager can waive this for…

Arapahoe County reviews ADU compliance at the building permit stage, and requires a recorded deed restriction before it will issue a certificate of occupancy. The principal dwelling…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, any accessory building over 120 square feet or taller than 10 feet must meet the same yard setbacks and height limits as the zone district's…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County requires off-street loading areas that face a public right-of-way to be screened from street view. The Land Development Code's parking and loading…

Arapahoe County Code Section 12 and CRS 42-4-1803 authorize removal of abandoned vehicles. Vehicles left on public roads over 72 hours or inoperable vehicles visible from the street on…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, an EV charging facility can be an accessory use almost anywhere or a stand-alone principal use only in the A-E, A-1, R-2-B, and O zone districts…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County lets a resident lawfully park an ordinary commercial vehicle at or near their own home on a public street or right-of-way, but Land Development Code §…

Driveway regulations in unincorporated Arapahoe County are governed by the Land Development Code Chapter 4 development standards. Access permits are required for driveways connecting…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County treats an animal hospital or veterinary clinic as a Special Exception use in its agricultural and residential zone districts, requiring Board of…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County allows agricultural animals by right in the A-E, A-1, RR-A and RR-B zone districts. There's no cap on numbers in most of those districts, but RR-B…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County caps household pets by zone under Land Development Code § 3-3.2.E. Most residential districts, RR-C through R-2-B, PUD residential and R-M, allow three…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County allows backyard hives on single-family residential lots under Land Development Code § 3-3.2.I.2, scaling the number of hive boxes to lot size and fixing…

Arapahoe County's Land Development Code flatly prohibits keeping wild or exotic animals, poisonous animals, or any constrictor snake or reptile over three feet long as pets anywhere in…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County requires dogs to be under physical or voice control at all times per Animal Services Resolution No. 25-140. Dogs not under control are considered 'at…

A licensed 'day care home' is a permitted home occupation in unincorporated Arapahoe County under LDC § 3-3.12.B.1, capped at six children at once if the provider has no school-age…

Colorado Cottage Foods Act CRS 25-4-1614 allows producers in unincorporated Arapahoe County to sell up to $10,000 per product annually of non-potentially hazardous foods directly to…

Arapahoe County allows home occupations as an accessory use on unincorporated residential land without a separate license, but only if the business stays entirely inside the house, is…

Home occupations in unincorporated Arapahoe County get no signage at all. LDC § 3-3.12.A.2 flatly requires that there 'shall be no visible advertising of the home occupation on the…

A home occupation in unincorporated Arapahoe County can't generate traffic that changes the neighborhood's residential character or draw crowds. LDC § 3-3.12.A.2 restricts deliveries…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County regulates trees and shrubs planted in county rights-of-way and medians under LDC § 4-1.4.F. Right-of-way landscaping tied to a residential project must…

Colorado CRS 38-30-168 and HB 23-1233 protect homeowners' rights to install solar panels. HOAs in Arapahoe County cannot prohibit rooftop solar and must approve reasonable…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, a freestanding sign facing an Arterial/Freeway frontage is capped at one sign per right-of-way access point on parcels under 10 acres, rising to two…

Arapahoe County's Land Development Code bans exposed 'light bulb strings and exposed tubing', festoons, strings of bulbs, and neon or gaseous light tubing, as exterior lighting…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, signs placed in or on a window or the glass part of a door don't need a sign permit, but all such signage together can't cover more than 25 percent…

Billboards are banned outright in every zoning district of unincorporated Arapahoe County, and that ban extends to digital versions: the Land Development Code specifically bars…

Arapahoe County's Land Development Code treats political and campaign signs the same as any other temporary sign: no separate category or content review exists. On residential land, a…

A fair or carnival on unincorporated Arapahoe County land can't run more than 30 days in one calendar year. LDC § 3-3.13.B sets that flat cap, and the use still needs a Temporary Use…

Outdoor festivals, concerts, and assembly events on unincorporated Arapahoe County land need a Temporary Use Permit and are capped at four events per property per year under LDC §…

Arapahoe County's A-E and A-1 agricultural zone districts exist to preserve a rural, agriculture-based economy in unincorporated eastern Arapahoe County, and the LDC ties new…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County bans new residential and other noise-sensitive development inside the 65-Ldn and 60-Ldn airport noise zones around Centennial Airport, Buckley Space…

Oil and gas facilities approved by Use by Special Review in unincorporated Arapahoe County cannot emit more than 60 dBA or 65 dBC measured at the nearest property line with an occupied…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, a dog that barks, howls, yelps or whines audibly beyond its own property for more than 20 consecutive minutes by day or 10 minutes at night is a…

Arapahoe County's Land Development Code caps turf on any new or redeveloped lot in unincorporated Arapahoe County. Kentucky bluegrass and other high-water turf needing more than 18…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County requires a building permit before anyone erects, constructs, reconstructs, alters, or changes the use of any building or structure, or moves a structure…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County ties every electrical permit to whichever edition of the applicable electrical code is in effect on the day the permit is applied for. LDC § 1-7.D…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County sets minimum yard setbacks by zoning district in Table 4-1.1 of the Land Development Code. Agricultural districts A-E and A-1 require a 100-foot front…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, Table 4-1.1 of the Land Development Code caps residential structure height at 50 feet in the A-E and A-1 agricultural districts, 35 feet in the RR-A…

Development landscaping in unincorporated Arapahoe County must use weed-free seed, gravel or fill dirt, and any plant on the Colorado Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weed lists is…

Arapahoe County encourages xeriscape and native plant landscaping. Colorado HB 19-1050 and SB 23-178 prohibit HOAs from banning drought-tolerant landscaping. Resource Central and…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County permits artificial turf on residential property without a permit when installed at grade. Colorado HB 19-1050 protects artificial turf as a…

Arapahoe County's Land Development Code limits when automatic sprinklers can run on new and redeveloped landscaping in unincorporated Arapahoe County. Under Section 4-1.4.4.i.iv…

Unincorporated Arapahoe County bars removing any tree of 2-inch caliper or larger from a property in the six months before filing a qualifying development application, unless a…

Proposed Arapahoe County STR regulations cap occupancy at 2 guests per bedroom plus 2 additional guests, with a hard limit based on bedroom count. Listings must state the maximum, and…

Proposed Arapahoe County STR regulations require operators to provide a parking plan to renters. A minimum of one parking space is required for studio or one-bedroom units and two…

As of early 2026, unincorporated Arapahoe County does not have an STR licensing or registration requirement. STRs are currently allowed by right in residential areas. The county is…

The proposed Arapahoe County STR regulations require that amplified music and noise from short-term rentals not exceed levels allowed by Colorado Revised Statutes. State noise limits…

Short-term rentals in unincorporated Arapahoe County are subject to the 3.9% Colorado state accommodations tax. There is no county-level lodging tax currently. Proposed STR licensing…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, a retaining wall over four feet high, measured from finished grade on the low side, must be designed and sealed by a Colorado-licensed structural…

Arapahoe County Land Development Code §5-2 regulates fence materials by zoning district. Wood, vinyl, wrought iron, chain-link, and tubular steel are generally permitted. Barbed wire…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, a fence in front of a building is capped at three feet. Side and rear yard fences of any class can run up to six feet, excluding hedges, but a…

No one may erect, build, enlarge, alter or move a fence in unincorporated Arapahoe County without first getting a fence permit from the PWD Building Division. The Division won't issue…

Arapahoe County limits how much light can spill onto a neighboring lot: measured at the property line, 5.5 feet above grade, aimed in a direct line of sight to the brightest fixture…

In unincorporated Arapahoe County, any outdoor light fixture emitting more than 900 lumens must be fully shielded from view of neighboring properties and public rights-of-way under the…

Colorado HB 24-1098 established statewide just-cause eviction protections for most residential tenants. Arapahoe County follows state law: landlords need a statutory reason to…

Arapahoe County cannot enact rent control. Colorado Revised Statute 38-12-301 preempts local rent control ordinances on both private residential property and mobile home lots…

Commercial drone operators in Arapahoe County must hold FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. DIA, Centennial Airport, and Buckley SFB create complex controlled airspace requiring…

Arapahoe County's western foothills and Cherry Creek drainage are in designated Wildland-Urban Interface zones. Defensible space (100-foot reduced-fuel zone) is required per local fire…

Fireworks stands are banned from residential zoning districts in unincorporated Arapahoe County and can't operate before June 15 or after July 7. LDC § 3-3.13.G requires a permit…

In the A-E and A-1 rural districts, Arapahoe County lets a cluster-subdivision applicant earn discretionary density bonuses, up to 20 percent each for central water, central sewer, or…