Boulder County, CO Ordinances (2026)

Boulder County has no breed-specific dog ban. Colorado state law (C.R.S. 18-9-204.5) regulates dangerous dogs by behavior, not breed, and C.R.S. 18-9-204.5(5)(b) bars any local…

Boulder County residents may not intentionally feed big game or bears. Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulation and C.R.S. 33-6-131 make it illegal to intentionally feed big game (deer…

Boulder County limits livestock by 'animal units' per acre set in the Land Use Code zoning tables. Agricultural (A) land allows up to four animal units per acre without Special Review…

Boulder County Land Use Code 4-516.D permits accessory beekeeping by right in the F, A, RR, ER, SR, LI, GI, and MI zones. It is an Open Agricultural use. In the Suburban Residential…

Boulder County has no separate 'hoarding' ordinance, but Ordinance 2022-8 makes it unlawful to fail to provide any livestock or domestic animal with minimum care, or to neglect…

In unincorporated Boulder County, dogs off the owner's property must be under leash, voice, or electronic control. Ordinance 2022-8 makes it unlawful to let any dog run at large; a dog…

Boulder County's leash and at-large rules apply only to dogs, not cats. Cats are, however, covered by the mandatory rabies rule: Ordinance 2022-8 requires every dog, cat, and ferret to…

Boulder County does not require pet owners to spay or neuter their animals. Its Animal Control Ordinance No. 2022-8 instead doubles the fine for an unneutered or unspayed dog caught…

In unincorporated Boulder County, setbacks are set by the Land Use Code Article 4 zoning table. For example, Agricultural (A) requires 35' front, 7' side, 15' rear; Suburban…

In unincorporated Boulder County, residential structures on land platted before August 29, 1994 may reach 35 feet; on other land the maximum is 30 feet, and in no event may any…

Rather than a flat lot-coverage percentage, unincorporated Boulder County caps Residential Floor Area per parcel, generally the larger of the neighborhood median or a set…

Boulder County's Land Use Code (Article 13) does not exempt garage-sale signs generally; temporary signs must meet the zoning district's size and setback rules and may never be placed…

In unincorporated Boulder County, political and other noncommercial signs are allowed anywhere a commercial sign is allowed and are regulated content-neutrally under the Land Use Code…

Apply online through Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting. The application must include proof of insurance, ownership, primary residence (if applicable), a parking plan…

Occupancy is capped at eight individuals, or the occupancy limit of the approved on-site wastewater (septic) system, whichever is fewer. That number is the maximum people allowed on…

License fees are $350 (short-term) or $500 (vacation) for a two-year term. Operators must remit all applicable state and local sales and use taxes and hold a Colorado sales tax license…

Applicants must submit a parking plan and provide satisfactory on-site parking. Short-term rentals need two on-site spaces; vacation rentals need two spaces or one per four occupants…

Short-Term Rentals must be the owner's or tenant's primary residence, occupied more than six months per year, though the host may be absent up to 45 nights annually. Whole-home…

Ordinance 2023-02 sets no separate decibel standard, but each rental must provide guests county Good Neighbor Guidelines and a Local Manager who responds within one hour. Colorado's…

Every licensed rental must have a Local Manager available whenever the premises is occupied who can respond to a renter or complainant within one hour in person. The owner may serve as…

There is no cap on short-term rental licenses, but a host may be absent only up to 45 nights per year. Whole-home Vacation Rentals are capped at a combined 3.5% of housing units, set…

Yes. Applicants must show a certificate of insurance with adequate liability and property limits insuring at least $500,000 in liability and reflecting rental exposure. Coverage must…

Backyard fires, campfires and warming fires are "Open Fires" under county ordinance and are allowed only when no fire ban is declared. During High Danger Conditions or a Stage 1/Stage…

Under Ordinance 2023-1, the Board or Sheriff can ban all open fires including the sale and use of fireworks. During any fire ban or High Danger Conditions, no fireworks of any kind are…

Propane/LP-gas tanks in unincorporated Boulder County follow the adopted 2021 International Fire Code. Tanks up to 500 gallons must be at least 10 feet from buildings and property…

In Wildfire Zone 1 (West County) and Wildfire Zone 2 (East County), Boulder County requires full defensible space around structures whenever you build, add over 200 sq ft, or add a…

Unincorporated Boulder County is divided into three Wildfire Zones. Building or expanding in Zone 1 (West County) or Zone 2 (East County) triggers wildfire mitigation code…

Boulder County bans all open fires, including campfires, charcoal grills, and wood pellet grills, whenever the Sheriff or Board declares High Danger Conditions, and requires a permit…

Boulder County sets no blanket ban on storing your own RV, trailer, or boat on your private lot, but you cannot live in an RV, and on public roads an RV left over 72 hours is towable…

On unincorporated county roads you may not park within 5 feet of a driveway or junction, within 10 feet of a fire hydrant, in a bus stop, or where a sign prohibits it. Otherwise…

There is no flat overnight parking ban on unincorporated Boulder County roads, but a vehicle left in one location for more than 72 continuous hours becomes an abandoned vehicle that…

Boulder County's parking ordinance sets no special weight or size ban aimed at commercial trucks on county roads; the same abandoned-vehicle, sign, driveway, and hydrant rules apply…

You may not park within 5 feet of any public or private driveway or junction on an unincorporated county street. New driveways and access points must also meet county multimodal design…

Boulder County controls parking through official signs, painted areas, and other parking control devices. Only the County Engineer may authorize their placement, and you must obey them…

In a county loading zone you may load or unload only briefly: up to 3 minutes in a passenger loading zone and up to 30 minutes in any other loading zone, unless a posted sign says…

Boulder County treats any vehicle left on public property without the owner's consent for more than 72 straight hours as abandoned, and a vehicle missing current plates, wrecked, or…

A building permit is required to build a fence over 6 feet high in unincorporated Boulder County, and for a fence of any height inside a 100-year floodplain. Over-6-foot fences must…

Boulder County requires all fence components, including footings, to sit on the fence owner's own property, and bans fences from the road right-of-way. The county does not enforce…

In unincorporated Boulder County a retaining wall over 48 inches (4 feet), measured from bottom of footing to top, requires a building permit. Retaining walls are not counted as fences…

Boulder County fences must sit entirely on the owner's property, stay out of the road right-of-way, and not interfere with the sight triangle at intersections. Floodplain fences need a…

Standard fences in unincorporated Boulder County have no county-mandated material palette, but floodplain and masonry fences do. Floodplain fences must follow open-design specs…

Unincorporated Boulder County exempts leaf blowers, lawnmowers, snowblowers, and other hand or power tools of 5 horsepower or less from noise limits when used between 7 a.m. and 10…

Boulder County's noise ordinance does not regulate aircraft. Section 1.01.060(G) exempts "operation of aircraft or other activities which are subject to federal law with respect to…

Non-vehicle noise in unincorporated Boulder County residential areas is capped at 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., dropping to 50 dB(A) overnight, under Ordinance No. 92-28 Sec…

Boulder County caps vehicle noise on unincorporated roads at 80 dB(A) (84 dB(A) above 35 mph) for most vehicles, with higher ceilings for heavy trucks and older motorcycles, under…

Boulder County's decibel-based noise ordinance, No. 92-28, caps residential sound at 55 dB(A) by day and 50 dB(A) at night under Section 1.01.050(C), but Section 1.01.060(I) expressly…

Construction noise in residential areas of unincorporated Boulder County is capped at 80 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and drops to 75 dB(A) overnight, under Ordinance No. 92-28 Sec…

Every vehicle operated in unincorporated Boulder County must run a muffler in constant operation and properly maintained, under Ordinance No. 92-28 Sec. 1.01.070. Cutting out…

Boulder County treats amplified music from a parked or non-moving vehicle as noise from a fixed source, measured 10 feet from the property line, and caps residential noise at 55 dB(A)…

Gas and charcoal grills are legal in unincorporated Boulder County when no fire ban is in effect, but the ordinance classifies charcoal and wood-pellet grill fires as "Open Fires."…

Boulder County Parks & Open Space bans campfires outright and allows charcoal fires only in grills or fireplaces the department provides, or in a visitor's own portable grill or stove…

Boulder County does not require a permit to trim your own trees. In Wildfire Zones 1 and 2, the county requires vegetation thinning and defensible space around structures under its…

On residential lots of 2.5 acres or less, brush, shrubs, grasses, and weeds must generally be kept under nine inches. Growth over nine inches that causes a nuisance violates Land Use…

A pool, spa, or hot tub in unincorporated Boulder County must be enclosed by a barrier meeting 2021 ISPSC Section 305. The barrier must be at least 48 inches high measured from the…

A building permit is required to build a swimming pool, spa, or hot tub in unincorporated Boulder County. Any structure holding water over 24 inches deep is a regulated pool and must…

The Boulder County Land Use Code lets a home occupation operate as an accessory use to a residence, provided it stays clearly subordinate to the dwelling and does not change the…

A home occupation in unincorporated Boulder County may display only a small identification sign. The Land Use Code limits it to a non-illuminated sign of two square feet or less, and…

A family child care home is treated as a residential use for zoning, so it is generally allowed in unincorporated Boulder County homes, and child care is specifically exempted from the…

Article 14 of the Boulder County Land Use Code bans rubbish, junk, garbage and inoperable vehicles on unincorporated land when they cause a public hazard or nuisance. The county can…

On residential lots of 2.5 acres or less in unincorporated Boulder County, weeds and brush over nine inches that create a nuisance must be removed under Land Use Code Article 14…

Uncontained trash, junk, and garbage on unincorporated land can be a nuisance violation under Land Use Code Article 14. Waste haulers licensed under Ordinance 2019-3 supply the…

Under the Waste Hauler Ordinance (2019-3), haulers must provide curbside single-stream recycling in many regions and, in denser areas, curbside organics (food and yard waste)…

Boulder County uses private licensed haulers, not county trucks. Ordinance 2019-3 requires all haulers to be licensed and to offer Pay-As-You-Throw trash pricing plus curbside…

Dumping trash on public or private land is illegal statewide under Colorado's littering law (C.R.S. 18-4-511), a class 2 petty offense with mandatory fines from $20 up to $1,000. On…

In unincorporated Boulder County a one-story detached storage shed 120 square feet or smaller (200 sq ft for an agricultural loafing shed) needs no building permit if it is under 12…

Unincorporated Boulder County allows accessory dwelling units by right in most residential districts under the Land Use Code (Article 4-516). An ADU must stay in common ownership with…

Converting a garage into living space, or into an accessory dwelling, requires a building permit and must comply with the Boulder County Land Use Code. A detached garage designed with…

Boulder County has no separate tiny-home category. A permanent tiny house on a foundation is regulated as a dwelling or accessory dwelling under the Land Use Code and building code; a…

Boulder County's Land Use Code (Article 7-1600) requires all outdoor light fixtures to be located, aimed, or shielded to minimize stray light trespassing across property boundaries…

Boulder County has strong dark-sky lighting rules in Article 7-1600 of the Land Use Code. All outdoor lighting on new or permitted development must be fully shielded so light projects…

Boulder County Parks & Open Space areas are open for daytime use only, between sunrise and sunset, except certain named trail corridors and connecting spurs that are open 24 hours…

Smoking of any kind, including e-cigarettes, is banned on every acre of Boulder County Parks & Open Space land under Resolution No. 2023-024, Rule 14. The Sheriff's Office enforces the…

Consuming marijuana or any marijuana derivative anywhere on Boulder County Parks & Open Space land is illegal under Rule 15 of Resolution No. 2023-024, the same Rules and Regulations…

Boulder County Parks & Open Space allows possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages under Rule 16 of Resolution No. 2023-024, as long as users follow every other park rule and…

Groups of 25 or more need a Special Use Permit before gathering on Boulder County Parks & Open Space land under Rule 20 of Resolution No. 2023-024. Applicants must detail group…

Boulder County bars electric and low-powered scooters from all Parks & Open Space areas unless a specific area is designated and posted to allow them, under Rule 9(a) of its Rules and…

Boulder County bans gas and electric-assisted bicycles and unicycles on all Parks & Open Space land except where an area is specifically designated to allow them, under Rule 8 of its…

Taking off, landing, or operating a drone anywhere on Boulder County Parks & Open Space land is illegal without the Director's written permission under Rule 24(d) of Resolution No…

Boulder County bans overnight camping, tents, and occupying a vehicle or trailer overnight on any Parks & Open Space land, under Rule 6 of its Rules and Regulations (Resolution No…

Boulder County only lets a licensed towing carrier haul a vehicle off public property without the owner's consent, and that carrier must hold a valid Public Utilities Commission towing…

Boulder County bars adult entertainment establishments from operating within 1,000 feet of any church, school, daycare, or residence, limits nude entertainment to 4 p.m. to midnight…

Boulder County Public Health bans discharging anything but stormwater into the county's storm drainage system or watercourses, and bans illicit connections to that system outright…