Denver's Local Minimum Wage Ordinance (DRMC §58) sets a citywide wage of $18.81/hour in 2025, indexed to CPI. It covers any employee performing at least four hours of work per week within Denver city limits.
Denver was the first Colorado municipality to enact a local minimum wage after HB19-1210 lifted state preemption in 2020. DRMC Chapter 58 sets a citywide wage that exceeds the Colorado statewide rate and is adjusted each January for the Consumer Price Index. The 2025 rate is $18.81 per hour for non-tipped workers and $15.79 for tipped employees, who must still average the full minimum after tips. The ordinance covers any employee working at least four hours per week within Denver, including remote workers physically located in the city. Denver Labor (within the Auditor's Office) enforces the law, recovers unpaid wages, and assesses fines and treble damages.
Underpaying Denver minimum wage triggers Denver Labor investigations, restitution of unpaid wages plus interest, fines up to $5,000 per violation, and treble damages for willful nonpayment.
See how Denver's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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