Fort Collins, CO

Fort Collins has formally adopted Appendix BB Tiny Houses of the International Residential Code in full, giving tiny homes on foundations their own building-code path rather than…

Fort Collins allows only one extra kitchen inside a single-family dwelling, and only through a minor amendment approval under Transitional Land Use Code Section 3.5.2(H). Before a…

Fort Collins caps every lot at one accessory dwelling unit under City Code § 5-30's adoption of 2024 IRC Appendix BC. An ADU must sit inside an existing single-family detached home or…

Fort Collins charges capital expansion impact fees on accessory dwelling units before a building permit issues, billed on a discounted "Multifamily/ADU" square-footage tier under City…

Fort Collins exempts small storage sheds from a building permit only if the shed is one story, 120 square feet or less, no taller than 8 feet, holds no more than 10 gallons of…

Fort Collins requires every dog or cat owner to license their pet within 14 days of taking possession, under Municipal Code § 4-31. The license comes from the City or the Larimer…

Fort Collins allows hens and female ducks without a farm-animal zoning designation, but caps flock size by lot size, bans roosters and drakes, and requires a Humane Society permit…

Fort Collins does not require microchipping for ordinary pets. Microchipping is mandatory only for animals under a Dangerous Animal Permit, where a licensed veterinarian must implant…

Fort Collins allows backyard beekeeping but caps colony counts by tract size, requires flyway barriers near property lines, and lets the City Manager inspect apiaries and destroy…

Feeding songbirds, squirrels, ducks, geese or any other wildlife inside a City natural area is unlawful without a Natural Areas Department permit, under Municipal Code § 23-193(d)(11)…

Fort Collins has no breed-specific ban; instead, Municipal Code § 4-96 bars owning any "dangerous animal" unless the Humane Society or Municipal Judge has issued a permit, based on the…

The entire City of Fort Collins is a designated wild bird sanctuary, and it is unlawful to shoot, capture, trap, or otherwise harm wild birds, their nests, eggs or young without a…

Fort Collins has no citywide mandatory spay/neuter law for ordinary pets. The only spay/neuter mandate applies narrowly to animals under a permanent Dangerous Animal Permit, which must…

Fort Collins requires every small animal veterinary clinic or hospital to operate inside a fully enclosed, soundproof building, hold noise to 65 decibels at the property line, and…

Fort Collins bars retail stores from selling, adopting out, or giving away cats and dogs on their premises, an adoption-only rule that lets stores host rescue and shelter animals…

Fort Collins doesn't issue a dedicated wildlife-rescue permit; it treats a wildlife rescue and education center as a zoning use requiring discretionary approval. In the Urban Estate…

Fort Collins requires every pet animal except birds to be kept under restraint at all times, and it is unlawful for an owner to let one run at large in the City under Municipal Code §…

Fort Collins sets no fixed numeric cap on dogs or cats; instead, Municipal Code § 4-116 bars keeping more pet animals than can be "properly maintained in a healthy condition" without…

Fort Collins bans keeping or feeding a specific list of wild and exotic animals under Municipal Code § 4-73, including bears, non-domestic cats, skunks, venomous reptiles, raccoons…

Fort Collins caps liquefied petroleum gas storage at 2,000 gallons per installation within the district limits set by the fire code adoption ordinance, under a 2024 International Fire…

Fort Collins regulates fire pits and outdoor fireplaces under a 2024 International Fire Code amendment, City Code § 9-2, adopting Section 307.4.3. Portable or fixed fire pits…

Fort Collins requires listed smoke alarms meeting UL 217 in dwellings under a 2024 International Fire Code amendment, City Code § 9-2, Section 907.2.11. Adding or creating a sleeping…

Fort Collins bans open burning and undesignated open fires citywide at all times under City Code § 9-23, with limited exceptions that require a permit from Larimer County or the Fire…

Fort Collins declares its wildfire hazard zones by adopting the state's 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code wholesale. Under § 5-370, the City Council is the authority having…

Fort Collins bans nearly all fireworks under a 2024 International Fire Code amendment, City Code § 9-2, adopting Section 5601.1.3. The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling…

Larimer County's Wildfire Resiliency Code requires defensible space around structures, organized into ignition zones: 0-5 ft (immediate), 5-30 ft (intermediate) and 30-100 ft…

Fort Collins does not use a strikes system for short term rentals; a single revocation locks the dwelling out for a full year. Sec. 15-649(c) bars the property from getting a new…

Every short term rental license in Fort Collins is conditioned on compliance with the Land Use Code's parking standard for the use. City Code Sec. 15-644 folds Land Use Code Section…

Short term rental hosts in Fort Collins must hold sales, use, and lodging tax licenses before they can get a rental license under City Code § 15-644(a)(2). The City's lodging tax runs…

Fort Collins will not license a short term rental until the owner proves liability insurance covering renter injuries. City Code Sec. 15-644 sets this as a minimum licensing…

A short term primary rental license in Fort Collins can only go to the owner of a dwelling that is actually that owner's own home. Sec. 15-644(a)(1) demands documentation proving both…

No one may rent out a Fort Collins dwelling for stays under 30 days without a City license. City Code § 15-642 requires the license before any short term primary or non-primary rental…

Fort Collins requires every licensed short term rental to have a responsible person on call. City Code § 15-644(a)(7) makes the applicant name at least one person able to reach the…

A Fort Collins short term rental license is conditioned on following the City's Nuisances chapter, and that chapter fixes hard decibel ceilings by zoning district and time of day. Sec…

Fort Collins does not cap the number of guests an STR can host by ordinance; instead it regulates building occupancy classification. A short term rental inside a multi-unit building…

Larimer County sets no per-night annual cap on how many nights a licensed STR may rent. Instead, it caps the total number of licenses in the Estes Valley residential zone districts at…

When the Fort Collins City Manager declares a snow emergency, parking is banned on every street designated a snow emergency route in the City's Snow Removal Handbook. Vehicles left on…

Fort Collins lets neighborhoods inside a defined management area petition the City Manager for a residential parking permit zone, restricting on-street parking to permit holders. At…

Fort Collins doesn't ban overnight street parking citywide; Section 1215 only kicks in on streets specifically signed to prohibit all-night parking, where no vehicle may sit longer…

Fort Collins bans painting house numbers on public street curbs without a City Engineer permit. Vendors who get the permit must disclose it is a private service, not a City project…

Fort Collins caps how long a vehicle may sit in a marked loading zone: three minutes in a passenger-loading zone under Traffic Code Section 1216, and thirty minutes in a…

Fort Collins bars parking an unsheltered RV, trailer or boat trailer in a residential yard unless it sits on an improved, bordered surface with direct garage access, or is screened…

Fort Collins lets a resident without off-street parking charge an electric vehicle at the curb by draping a cord across the public sidewalk, but only under strict Article VI…

Fort Collins bans parking unsheltered vehicles, trailers or RVs in residential yards unless the surface is paved, gravel or bordered hardscape, or the vehicle sits behind a six-foot…

Fort Collins treats a vehicle as abandoned after 24 hours unattended on private property without the owner's consent, or 48 hours on any public street or right-of-way, under Traffic…

Fort Collins' core on-street parking rule, Traffic Code Section 1204, bans stopping, standing or parking on sidewalks, crosswalks, intersections and within 5 feet of any driveway, plus…

Fort Collins bars parking any vehicle over 6,000 pounds empty weight or 20 feet long, plus any motor coach, RV, trailer or truck tractor, anywhere on a public street or right-of-way…

Colorado's Towing Bill of Rights, C.R.S. 40-10.1-405, governs only nonconsensual ("predatory") tows that PUC-permitted towing carriers pull from private property and common parking…

Fort Collins bans letting an animal make unreasonable noise or disturb the peace by barking, whining, howling or similar sounds under Municipal Code § 4-94, whether the animal is on or…

Fort Collins caps outdoor sound at 50 dB(A) between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in residential zones under Municipal Code § 20-23, five decibels below the 55 dB(A) daytime ceiling…

Fort Collins's noise ordinance exempts domestic power tools and lawn and garden equipment, including leaf blowers, from the citywide noise limits only when run between 7:00 a.m. and…

Fort Collins's local noise ordinance does not reach aircraft. Section 20-25(3) exempts 'the operation of aircraft or other activities which are subject to federal law with respect to…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Section 17-129 bans making or knowingly permitting unreasonable noise, and directs Police Services to weigh whether amplification equipment was used when…

Construction, drilling, earthmoving, excavating and demolition equipment is exempt from Fort Collins' general noise limits only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and only if the…

Fort Collins bans unreasonable vehicle noise under Traffic Code Section 1418, covering loud stereos, revving engines, tire squeal and modified exhausts. Officers weigh time of day…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Section 20-23 sets maximum sound levels by zoning district and time of day, from 50 dB(A) at night in low-density residential zones up to 80 dB(A) daytime…

Fort Collins protects a homeowner's right to keep an odor-controlled compost bin no matter what an HOA's covenants say. Municipal Code § 12-122 makes unenforceable any restrictive…

Colorado law bars homeowner associations from blocking water-wise yards. Under C.R.S. § 38-33.3-106.5(1)(i.5), enacted by Senate Bill 23-178 (2023) and covering single-family detached…

Removing, cutting or pruning a tree in a Fort Collins street right-of-way, sidewalk area or other City-owned property requires a free written permit from the City Forester under Code §…

Fort Collins doesn't ban artificial turf, but it also doesn't shield it from an HOA's rules the way it protects real xeriscaping. Municipal Code § 12-120 defines "Xeriscape…

Fort Collins' 2024 International Plumbing Code amendments at City Code § 5-126 delete IPC Section 1303, Nonpotable Rainwater Collection and Distribution Systems, 'in its entirety.'…

Fort Collins property owners must keep trees, shrubs and other woody vegetation on their land trimmed so branches clear 8 feet over a public sidewalk and 14 feet over a street or alley…

Fort Collins caps weeds and lawn grass at nine inches on any developed property under Municipal Code § 20-42, and the excess growth is declared a public nuisance. Ornamental grasses…

Fort Collins bans wasting treated water on landscaping under City Code Sec. 26-166: irrigation that pools onto streets, sidewalks or storm drains is unlawful, as is a hose without a…

Fort Collins doesn't require a building permit for a fence 6 feet or shorter. City Code Section 5-30 amends the adopted 2024 International Residential Code so that Section R105.2…

Fort Collins does not have an ordinance splitting the cost of a shared boundary fence between neighbors. Instead, Municipal Code § 20-32 makes a structurally unsound fence or wall a…

Fort Collins bans barbed wire, other sharp-pointed fencing, and electrically charged fencing in every zone district under Section 3.8.11(B) of its Transitional Land Use Code…

Fort Collins exempts retaining walls up to 4 feet tall from a building permit, but only if the wall does not support a surcharge; taller walls, or any wall carrying extra load, need a…

Fort Collins caps fences at four feet in the front yard and along the front property line, six feet in required side and rear yard setbacks, and 42 inches inside a visual clearance…

A Fort Collins home occupation cannot post any exterior advertising beyond the single residential sign Section 3.8.7.1(D)(5)(a) allows: one optional sign per street-facing building…

A child care center approved to operate inside a Fort Collins residential dwelling loses that zoning approval if it sits idle for twelve straight months: Section 3.8.4(B) of the…

Fort Collins limits home occupation client and customer visits to 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, under Section 3.8.3(1) of the Transitional Land Use Code. That…

Fort Collins lets residents run a home occupation only inside the dwelling, with no more than one outside employee, client hours capped at 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and…

Colorado lets you bake, jar and dehydrate for sale out of your own kitchen with no license, no plan review and no routine inspection. C.R.S. § 25-4-1614, the Colorado Cottage Foods…

Colorado has no microenterprise home kitchen permit and no exemption that lets you cook meals to order at home for the public. The state food code closes the question from both…

Fort Collins requires a permit before building, altering, or repairing any residential swimming pool, spa, or aquatic recreation facility. The city administers pool construction under…

Pool barrier gates in unincorporated Larimer County must open outward, be self-closing and self-latching. If the latch release is on the outside and not self-locking, it must be at…

Fort Collins requires touch-free exit doors on public toilet facilities tied to food service, banning knobs, levers, or latches you must touch to leave, with a narrow exception letting…

Fort Collins adopted its own green building chapter, Chapter 36 Sustainable Building Construction Practices, which forces construction waste recycling on remodels and new buildings…

Fort Collins requires an automatic residential fire sprinkler system in every new two-family dwelling, going beyond the model code's one-and-two-family standard, though additions or…

Fort Collins requires a building permit for construction work unless it falls on an 18-item exemption list adopted under the 2024 International Building Code, covering things like…

Fort Collins requires every elevator, dumbwaiter and escalator to be maintained in compliance with ASME A17.1 under City Code § 5-47, which amends Section 606.1 of the 2024…

Fort Collins requires outdoor play area at any child care center that has one: 1,200 square feet for centers with 15 or fewer children, or 75 square feet per child covering a third of…

Fort Collins requires a permit before any electrical system covered by the National Electrical Code is installed, enlarged, altered, repaired, or replaced in the city. The 2023 NEC, as…

Fort Collins runs plumbing work under the 2024 International Plumbing Code, locally amended so a permit is required for new plumbing and drainage work except for a short, specific list…

Fort Collins requires carbon monoxide alarms to new-dwelling standards whenever a permitted alteration, repair, or addition occurs, or a bedroom is added, in an existing home, and the…

Fort Collins' Municipal Code, Section 5-27, has the Community Development and Neighborhood Services building official inspect a project before a certificate of occupancy issues, and it…

Secondhand dealers in Fort Collins need a $100 annual license from the Financial Officer, plus a Chief of Police background check. Every transaction requires ID and a fingerprint, and…

Fort Collins doesn't issue a stand-alone "tobacco retailer license," but Municipal Code § 12-96 zones a store selling tobacco or e-cigarettes as a "retail tobacco business" only if it…

Fort Collins confines adult-oriented businesses to zone districts that specifically allow them under Article 4 and bars them within 1,000 feet of any residential district, dwelling…

Fort Collins flatly excludes vehicle repair, servicing, detailing and towing from the list of businesses a resident can run as a home occupation. Section 3.8.3(10)(g) of the…

Pawnbrokers in Fort Collins must hold a City license, currently $300 a year, and post a $2,500 surety bond. The Chief of Police investigates every applicant and manager, and licenses…

Fort Collins lets residents block door-to-door solicitors two ways: post a No Solicitation or No Trespassing sign, or register the address on the City's no-solicitation list…

Anyone doing commercial door-to-door solicitation in Fort Collins must first get a permit from the Financial Officer and pay a nonrefundable fee. Every solicitor working under it must…

Every mobile food truck operating in Fort Collins needs an outdoor vendor license under Chapter 15, filed at least five business days before starting. Licenses run through December 31…

Fort Collins bars any outdoor vendor's cart, table or truck from sitting on a public sidewalk within a marked crosswalk, within ten feet of a building entrance, or anywhere on a…

Fort Collins mobile food trucks can only vend on lots or legal parallel-parking streets in non-neighborhood zone districts, never on Linden Street, and never within 200 feet of a K-12…

Fort Collins targets loitering specifically around schools: Sec. 17-123 bars lingering on or within 100 feet of school grounds with intent to disrupt classes or endanger children, but…

Fort Collins bans depositing human waste anywhere in the city that isn't a toilet or urinal. Sec. 17-103, Bodily Waste, covers public and private property alike and reaches excrement…

Fort Collins bans smoking and vaping in every public place in the City, on all City-owned property including parks and trails, throughout the Downtown Smoke-Free Zone, and within 20…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Section 17-191 prohibits consuming recreational marijuana openly and publicly, and bans medical marijuana use in plain view of or in a place open to the…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Section 17-141 bans carrying an opened container of alcohol or drinking on any street, sidewalk, alley or public place, in a vehicle, or on school and…

Fort Collins doesn't ban random midblock crossings citywide, but Traffic Code Section 803 requires any pedestrian who crosses outside a marked or intersection crosswalk to yield to…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Section 17-132 holds a host criminally liable when a private social gathering of five or more people becomes a nuisance gathering under Section 17-131…

Skateboarding is banned in Fort Collins's natural areas except on a roadway or designated trail, per § 23-193(a)(8). In City parks and recreation areas it is allowed only on a…

A Fort Collins tenant can trigger a City inspection of a rental unit just by asking. Municipal Code § 5-296 lets the Building Official inspect any registered rental based on a tenant…

Every long-term residential rental unit in Fort Collins, except owner-occupied units and mobile homes in a mobile home park, must be registered annually with the City. Registered units…

Fort Collins adopted the state's 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code but stripped out every base-code section that would have mandated defensible-space vegetation clearance. Section…

Fort Collins bans dumping pollutants or contaminated water into streets, watercourses or the storm drainage system under City Code § 26-498. The Utilities Executive Director enforces…

Fort Collins requires a Stockpiling Permit before fill dirt is placed on property that isn't already covered by an approved development plan, and the City Engineer reviews every…

Fort Collins requires the lowest floor and all mechanical equipment of new construction, additions, substantial improvements, and redevelopment in a mapped flood hazard area to sit…

Fort Collins requires a floodplain use permit from the Utilities Executive Director before any construction or development begins in a designated flood hazard area, under City Code §…

Fort Collins prohibits valet trash collection citywide under its 2024 International Fire Code amendments. Multifamily properties cannot contract door-to-door nightly trash pickup from…

Depositing dirt, debris or construction waste onto a Fort Collins street or right-of-way is a straight-up misdemeanor, not a civil infraction. Municipal Code § 20-62 bans the tracking…

Every owner and occupant in Fort Collins whose property produces refuse must arrange collection service sufficient to keep the property clean, and can only hire a solid waste collector…

Fort Collins requires refuse and recycling containers to stay screened from view except on collection day, and even then they can only reach the curb up to 12 hours before scheduled…

Fort Collins enrolls every eligible residential unit in its own residential waste collection program under Section 12-28, using a single City-contracted hauler, unless a home is…

Fort Collins bans certain materials from ordinary trash under City Code § 12-22, Required Recycling. Electronic equipment and recyclable cardboard cannot go into a poly-cart, dumpster…

Fort Collins requires every licensed solid waste collector to give residential customers free curbside recycling under City Code § 15-413. The program must include at least an…

Fort Collins requires every licensed solid waste collector to give residential customers curbside yard trimmings pickup under City Code § 15-414. Service runs at least once a week from…

Fort Collins food stores that throw out more than 96 gallons of food scraps a week must subscribe to a licensed food-scrap collection service under Section 12-23. A store can seek a…

Fort Collins requires new commercial buildings, expanding commercial buildings, and buildings with a change of use to build a masonry-enclosed, screened area sized for their dumpsters…

Large items like mattresses, appliances, furniture, electronics, and tires are accepted at the Larimer County Landfill for per-item fees. Mattresses and box springs cost $40 each…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Article IX (Sec. 20-110 et seq., general code) lets code enforcement officers declare a public nuisance, including violations of the International Property…

Vacant, undeveloped land in Fort Collins gets a taller weed allowance than built lots: twelve inches instead of nine, under Municipal Code § 20-42(e). The same nuisance and refuse…

Fort Collins property owners and occupants have 24 hours after snow or ice accumulates to clear the sidewalk abutting their lot under Municipal Code § 20-102. Miss the deadline and the…

New development in Fort Collins had to cap outdoor light color at 3000 Kelvin, use anodized poles to cut glare, and skip mercury vapor lamps entirely under Section 3.2.4 of the…

Fort Collins capped how much light a development could throw across its own lot line, from zero footcandles into natural habitat buffers up to 0.8 footcandles in the densest downtown…

Fort Collins Code Sec. 26-168(b) voids any HOA covenant, deed restriction or clause that forces a resident to maintain lawn or turf in a way that conflicts with the City's…

Before a Fort Collins condo association can sue over construction defects, § 5-353 forces its board to get majority owner consent and give sixty days' advance notice spelling out the…

Fort Collins makes it illegal to gut a condo declaration's mandatory arbitration clause for construction defect disputes without the builder's consent. Section 5-354 also forces any…

Under the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act, C.R.S. § 38-33.3-316, an association has a statutory lien for unpaid assessments. After HB22-1137 (2022) it may foreclose only once…

Colorado law entitles any unit owner in a common interest community to examine and copy the association's records without stating a reason. C.R.S. § 38-33.3-317 bars boards from…

Colorado bars homeowners associations from effectively prohibiting six specific energy efficiency devices: a retractable clothesline, evaporative cooler, garage or attic fan…

Colorado law limits how homeowners' associations regulate yard landscaping, but the strongest protections in C.R.S. § 38-33.3-106.5(1)(i.5) apply only to single-family detached homes…

Colorado's flag protection applies only inside common interest communities, HOAs, condos, and co-ops governed by the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act, not to every property…

Colorado's Common Interest Ownership Act sets statewide due-process and dollar limits on how condo and homeowner associations fine owners and collect delinquent accounts, with one…

A Colorado association's assessment lien attaches automatically the moment the declaration is recorded, but foreclosing it has become the hardest remedy in the association's toolkit…

Commercial film production is legally one of Fort Collins's listed types of 'special event,' but Sec. 23.5-3(b)(5) carves out an exemption from the full permit: a shoot only needs a…

Restaurants that want to serve food or drinks on a Fort Collins sidewalk, plaza or parking space need an encroachment or obstruction permit that complies with the City's Outdoor Dining…

A restaurant or bar that wants to convert an adjacent parking space into outdoor seating gets a Parklet obstruction permit under City Code Sec. 23-61(c), which lets the space stay…

Fort Collins requires a special event permit before staging a parade, race, festival or similar event that affects a public right-of-way, under Chapter 23.5. Small parades of 50 or…

A street fair in Fort Collins is a "special event" under Municipal Code § 23.5-2, so the organizer must get a special event permit from the Permitting Authority before setting up, per…

Fort Collins defines a block party as a residential-street gathering of neighbors, barbecues and games included, and treats it as a special event: Sec. 23.5-3 requires a permit filed…

Gathering 100 or more people, or holding any activity that separately qualifies as a Chapter 23.5 special event, inside a Fort Collins city park or recreation area requires a…

Fort Collins requires a special event permit before any commercial film production closes or obstructs a public street, sidewalk or right-of-way. Productions that stay off closed…

A commercial film crew shooting on a Fort Collins street, plaza or City-owned outdoor property, without needing exclusive use or a road closure, doesn't need a full special event…

Fort Collins protects culturally significant sites and structures through landmark designation under City Code Chapter 14, not a separate 'cultural monument' label. A resource…

Placing a building, fence, barrier or post inside Fort Collins-owned property, a street, sidewalk or public right-of-way requires a written encroachment permit under Sec. 23-81. The…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Section 17-128(b) bars anyone without legal privilege from obstructing a sidewalk, street, building entrance or public fixture such as a bench, trash can or…

Fort Collins puts the duty to keep an abutting sidewalk, curb and gutter in repair on the adjacent property owner. If the owner does not fix a hazard the City orders repaired, the City…

Fort Collins doesn't operate a right-to-farm nuisance shield; instead its Transitional Land Use Code treats agriculture inside city limits as a licensed zoning use. Section…

Colorado's Right to Farm Act under CRS 35-3.5-102 shields agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits when they follow generally accepted practices and predate complaints.

Fort Collins requires developers to preserve any "significant" tree, one measuring six inches or more in diameter, found within a project's Limits of Development or a natural habitat…

Fort Collins makes it unlawful to plant, prune or remove any tree within a street's public right-of-way, including the parkway strip, without a written permit from the City Forester…

In the Low Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood District, Fort Collins caps residential density at nine dwelling units per gross acre, but Section 4.5(D)(1)(b) of the Transitional Land Use…

New buildings in Fort Collins' Downtown District must follow prescriptive design standards set out in Transitional Land Use Code Division 4.16, and structures inside the locally…

Fort Collins's nuisance code bans growing any of dozens of named noxious weed species regardless of height. Municipal Code § 20-41 defines 'Weed' with an exhaustive list, from Canada…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Section 17-128 makes it unlawful to obstruct a sidewalk or entrance, and defines unreasonably inconvenient obstruction to include sitting, kneeling or lying…

Fort Collins Municipal Code Section 17-181 makes it unlawful to camp or pitch a tent on any public property in the City, defining camping to include sleeping, dwelling temporarily, or…

Fort Collins Traffic Code Section 2002(12) sorts electrical assisted bicycles into three classes by top assisted speed. Class 1 and Class 2 top out at 20 mph, Class 3 at 28 mph, and…

Fort Collins Traffic Code Section 1013 bars drivers from parking in a designated bicycle lane and from entering or crossing one except to turn, or to reach the highway edge or a…

Shared electric scooters cannot legally operate in Fort Collins unless the operator has signed a services contract with the City under Chapter 8, Article IV. Contracted fleets are…

Fort Collins Police Services operates an Automated Vehicle Identification System (AVIS) that photographs vehicles running red lights at signalized intersections and speeding through…

Colorado runs two separate regimes. A low-speed electric vehicle is a motor vehicle under C.R.S. § 42-1-102 (58)(a), so it is titled, registered, plated and driven on a licence, and…

In most Fort Collins residential zones, each residential story is capped at 12 feet 8 inches from average grade to the eave or wall-plate line under Section 3.8.17(A)(2)(d) of the…

In Fort Collins' Low Density Residential (R-L) District, the City's standard single-family zone, homes must sit back at least 20 feet from the front lot line and 15 feet from the rear…

Fort Collins exempts barbecue grills and food smokers from its general limits on burning solid fuel outdoors under City Code § 20-1. While most outdoor solid-fuel fires are barred…

Charcoal and wood grilling counts as a small cooking fire, allowed when contained and under 3 feet wide and 2 feet high, but banned during fire restrictions. Propane and gas grills…

Fort Collins requires every owner of a long-term residential rental dwelling unit to register it with the City before leasing it out, under Municipal Code § 5-283. Owner-occupied units…

Fort Collins rental housing must meet the minimum standards of its amended Property Maintenance Code, including a mandatory 68°F heat requirement in every habitable room, bathroom, and…

Before filing an eviction for nonpayment of rent, a Colorado landlord must serve a standard residential tenant with 10 days' written notice to pay or quit under Colo. Rev. Stat. §…

Colorado HB23-1171 created a statewide for-cause eviction standard requiring landlords to cite specific statutory grounds, such as nonpayment or lease violations, before terminating…

Colorado caps residential late fees at the greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due rent. No late fee may be charged until rent is at least seven days late, and only if disclosed in…

To end a no-fault tenancy, Colorado requires written notice scaled to the tenancy length under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-107: 21 days for a month-to-month tenancy, 28 days for…

Colorado prohibits rent control statewide. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-301 declares rent control a matter of statewide concern and bars any county or municipality from enacting an…

For residential tenancies with no written agreement (including month-to-month), a Colorado landlord must give at least 60 days' written notice before raising rent. Statewide, a…

Colorado caps residential security deposits at two months' rent. Landlords must return the deposit, with an itemized written statement of any deductions, within 30 days of lease…

Colorado's general adverse possession period is 18 years of open, continuous, hostile possession under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-41-101. The period shrinks to 7 successive years where the…

Fort Collins keeps medical marijuana stores away from places children and vulnerable residents gather. City Code § 15-475 bars a store location within 1,000 feet of any school…

Fort Collins keeps retail marijuana stores out of most residential zones. City Code § 15-615(a)(4) blocks a store from the RUL, UE, RF, RL, LMN, MMN, OT, and HMN zone districts, from…

Colorado constitutionally permits adults to grow marijuana at home but caps the total plants per residential property regardless of how many adults live there, preempting higher local…

Fort Collins bans billboards outright, digital or otherwise, along with all permanent off-premises signs, under Section 3.8.7.1(G)(2). A business can still add an electronic message…

Fort Collins treats political yard signs the same as any other temporary yard sign: the Sign Code is expressly content-neutral, so message content never factors into approval. Section…

A Fort Collins window sign under six square feet needs no sign permit as long as it covers no more than 25 percent of the window it's in and 25 percent of the property's overall sign…

Small temporary signs like garage-sale signs are generally exempt from a permit under Section 10.5 of the Larimer County Land Use Code, but it is unlawful to post any sign in a public…

Fort Collins allows graywater reuse only for toilet flushing, and only on properties where both the water and wastewater providers have consented in writing, under a City permit issued…

Fort Collins guarantees homeowners the right to replace a turf-grass lawn with xeriscaping. Municipal Code § 12-122 voids any restrictive covenant clause that requires part of a lot to…

Fort Collins requires every structure and exterior property to stay free of rodent harborage under Section 302.5 of its locally amended Property Maintenance Code. Once rodents are…

City parks, golf courses and designated trails in Fort Collins close to the public between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. under Sec. 23-203(d)(1) of the Municipal Code. Entering or staying…

Most solar installations in Fort Collins go through routine zoning compliance, but Section 3.8.32(F) of the Transitional Land Use Code pulls small- and medium-scale ground-mounted…

This is a statewide protection against private restrictions, not a local mandate: Colorado voids any deed, contract, or HOA covenant blocking a renewable energy device wherever one…

Fort Collins caps garage and yard sales of your own used property at five weekend periods per calendar year before you're treated as a secondhand dealer who needs a City license. City…

Fort Collins levies a 3% excise lodging tax on any lodging accommodation rented for less than 30 consecutive days, on top of city sales tax. Providers, including short-term rental…

Commercial drone operations in Colorado are governed almost entirely by FAA Part 107, with limited state additions covering wildlife, critical infrastructure, and privacy that apply…

Colorado allows local governments to adopt minimum wages above the state rate under CRS 8-6-101, with statewide minimums adjusted annually for inflation.

Colorado requires paid sick leave under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act and offers paid family medical leave through the FAMLI program funded by payroll premiums.

Colorado requires a concealed handgun permit issued by the county sheriff to carry a concealed firearm in public, with training and background check requirements.

Colorado repealed firearms preemption in 2021, allowing cities and counties to enact local gun regulations stricter than state law in most circumstances.

Colorado generally permits open carry of firearms by adults without a license, though local jurisdictions may impose restrictions in specific areas after the 2021 preemption repeal.

Colorado allows adults legally able to possess a firearm to carry a handgun in a private vehicle for lawful protection without a permit under CRS 18-12-105.5.

Colorado's constitution confines all commercial casino gaming to the historic commercial districts of Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek: nowhere else in the state is a casino…

Colorado bars all lotteries and games of chance except licensed bingo and raffles run by charities. The Secretary of State issues bingo-raffle licenses only to religious, charitable…

Colorado's criminal code doesn't reach purely social gambling. C.R.S. section 18-10-102(2)(d) carves any game, wager, or transaction incidental to a bona fide social relationship out…

Colorado legalized sports betting statewide in 2020 under C.R.S. section 44-30-1505, but the state issues a "master license" only to holders of an existing retail gaming license -- the…

Colorado never passed a law creating sobriety checkpoints. The word "roadblock" does not appear anywhere in the Colorado Revised Statutes, and "checkpoint" appears in the statutory…

Colorado is one of the few states that put the right to film officers into its own sentence of statute. C.R.S. § 16-3-311(1) says a person "has the right to lawfully record any…

Colorado writes the demand into statute and then declines to punish the refusal. C.R.S. § 16-3-103 lets a peace officer who reasonably suspects you of a crime stop you and require your…

Colorado is one of a small group of states that requires the advisement out loud. Under C.R.S. § 16-3-310, before a peace officer may conduct a consensual search of a vehicle, of a…

Colorado banned single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam containers statewide under the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, fully effective in 2024.

Colorado prohibits retail food establishments from using expanded polystyrene foam containers for ready-to-eat food and beverages under the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act.

Colorado prohibits the sale and furnishing of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine vapor products to anyone under age 21 statewide under CRS 18-13-121.

Colorado permits four categories of extra forward lighting and caps each at two lamps: spot lamps, fog lamps, auxiliary passing lamps and auxiliary driving lamps, under C.R.S. §…

Colorado has no statute naming dash cameras and no list of permitted windshield attachments, so two general rules decide where one may go. Section 42-4-201 (4) requires the driver’s…

Riding between lanes of traffic is illegal in Colorado. C.R.S. § 42-4-1503 (3)(a) forbids driving a motorcycle or autocycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows…

Colorado writes its plate-cover ban around machine readability. C.R.S. § 42-3-202 (2)(b) makes it unlawful to operate a motor vehicle with an affixed device or substance that causes…

A passenger-car driver in Colorado may use a radar detector. Nothing in title 42 regulates one: the word "detector" does not appear anywhere in the Vehicles and Traffic title. What…

Colorado puts no calendar on studded tires. C.R.S. § 42-4-228 (3) lets single-tired passenger vehicles, and other single-tired vehicles rated up to and including three-fourths of a…

Colorado sets a single light transmittance figure for every window except the windshield. Under C.R.S. § 42-4-227 (1)(a)(I) no window other than the windshield may allow less than…