Pop. 157,393 · Jefferson County
Lakewood requires every short-term rental licensee to carry liability insurance covering use of the premises as a short-term rental, in an amount not less than $500,000, with proof submitted as part of the LMC Chapter 5.55 license application.
Lakewood Municipal Code Chapter 5.55 bans whole-home short-term rentals of less than 30 days; only home-share rentals of individual rooms inside the owner's primary residence are allowed, which structurally limits guest counts.
Lakewood requires short-term rental operators to obtain a license and comply with safety and zoning requirements. A sales tax license is also required.
Lakewood treats carports as detached accessory structures under the Lakewood Zoning Ordinance Article 5 (Sec. 17.5.5): rigid carports over 120 sq ft need a building permit, must sit behind the front edge of the primary residence, and must meet zone-specific setback and lot-coverage standards.
Lakewood allows Accessory Dwelling Units in certain residential zones. ADUs must meet size, setback, and design standards. A building permit is required.
Lakewood allows garage conversions with a building permit. Converted space must meet residential standards and parking requirements must be addressed.
Lakewood allows sheds with setback requirements. Sheds over 200 square feet generally require a building permit.
Lakewood allows recreational fire pits with restrictions. Fire pits must be at least 15 feet from structures and attended at all times. All fires are banned during fire restriction periods.
Lakewood bans all consumer fireworks within city limits. Only licensed professional displays are permitted. Colorado law allows limited consumer fireworks but cities may restrict further.
Lakewood prohibits open burning within city limits. Burning trash, leaves, and yard debris is not permitted. Only contained recreational fires are allowed with restrictions.
Colorado adopts NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code by reference under CRS 8-20-232, applying uniform propane storage, container, and installation rules to all jurisdictions statewide.
Colorado HB23-1273 directs the state Wildland-Urban Interface Code Board to adopt minimum statewide WUI building and defensible space standards under CRS 24-33.5-1226 that local jurisdictions must meet or exceed.
Lakewood permits construction from 7 AM to 9 PM Monday through Saturday. Sunday and holiday construction in residential areas is restricted.
Lakewood addresses barking dogs under its nuisance and animal control ordinances. Persistent barking that disturbs neighbors constitutes a nuisance violation.
Lakewood regulates noise under Title 9, Chapter 9.80 of the Municipal Code. Unreasonable noise that disturbs others is prohibited, with stricter enforcement during nighttime hours from 10 PM to 7 AM.
Aircraft noise in Colorado is governed almost entirely by federal aviation law, and state and local governments cannot directly regulate flight operations, though airport proprietors have limited authority.
Colorado treats unreasonably loud amplified music as a public nuisance enforceable statewide under the Noise Abatement Act, while leaving venue licensing and event permits to local control.
Colorado fixes industrial noise ceilings at 80 decibels daytime and 75 decibels nighttime statewide under the Noise Abatement Act, with stricter local rules permitted but state minimums universal.
Lakewood allows beekeeping in residential areas with conditions including setbacks, hive limits, and water source requirements.
Lakewood restricts exotic animal ownership. Wild and dangerous animals are prohibited as pets. Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulates certain species.
Lakewood may allow backyard chickens with limits. Roosters typically banned in residential areas. Livestock requires agricultural zoning or minimum lot size.
Lakewood does not have breed-specific legislation. No breeds are banned. Dogs are classified as dangerous based on individual behavior.
Lakewood requires dogs to be on a leash when off the owner's property. Off-leash dogs are only permitted in designated dog parks.
Colorado criminalizes animal hoarding under the cruelty statute when conditions cause suffering. The law applies uniformly statewide regardless of municipal animal limits.
Colorado prohibits feeding big game wildlife including deer, elk, and bears under Parks and Wildlife regulations. The ban applies statewide and preempts permissive local practices.
Lakewood restricts RV and boat parking in residential areas. Recreational vehicles and boats must be stored on the owner's property, not on public streets for extended periods.
Lakewood restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential areas. Heavy commercial vehicles cannot be stored overnight in residential zones.
Lakewood requires driveways to meet city standards. A permit is needed for new or modified driveways. Vehicles must not block sidewalks.
Lakewood regulates street parking with time limits and restrictions. Vehicles may not be parked in the same location for more than 72 hours on public streets.
Colorado defines and regulates abandoned vehicles under a uniform statewide statute that controls tow authorization, owner notice, auction procedures, and lien recovery for towing operators.
Colorado law prohibits HOAs and common-interest communities from banning electric vehicle charging stations and protects owners' rights to install them on their property.
Lakewood requires property owners to maintain grass and weeds at a reasonable height. Vegetation exceeding 12 inches is a code violation.
Lakewood follows Denver Water guidelines for outdoor watering. Watering restrictions may apply during drought, including day-of-week schedules.
Lakewood may require review for significant tree removal in certain planned development areas. Routine removal on residential property is generally allowed.
Lakewood property owners may trim trees on their property. Trees in the public right-of-way are managed by the city. Trimming near power lines requires coordination with Xcel Energy.
Colorado law universally permits residential rooftop rainwater collection up to two rain barrels totaling 110 gallons, overriding the state's strict prior-appropriation doctrine that historically forbade private capture.
The Colorado Noxious Weed Act requires every landowner, including municipalities and private property owners, to manage designated noxious weeds on their property under uniform state classifications and county enforcement.
Lakewood limits residential fence heights to 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards under the Zoning Ordinance.
Lakewood generally requires a permit for new fence construction to ensure compliance with height, setback, and material requirements.
Lakewood follows Colorado property line rules. Fences must be on the owner's property. Shared fences require neighbor agreement.
Colorado defers residential swimming pool barrier standards to locally adopted International Codes, but state law requires public and semi-public pools to meet uniform CDPHE health and safety regulations statewide.
Lakewood prohibits exterior signs for home-based businesses. Home occupations must not alter the residential character of the property.
Lakewood allows home occupations in residential zones with conditions. The business must be secondary to residential use with no exterior evidence.
Lakewood Municipal Code Title 17 (Zoning) permits home occupations with no more than one customer/client visit at a time and no more than four customer visits per day; signage, parking, and employee limits also apply.
The Colorado Cottage Foods Act lets home producers sell certain non-potentially-hazardous foods directly to consumers without commercial licensing, preempting most local health department permit requirements.
Colorado requires state licensing for any home caring for more than a small number of unrelated children, with uniform health, safety, and capacity rules that override local zoning prohibitions.
Lakewood pools require safety features including compliant drain covers, depth markers, and GFCI-protected electrical systems.
Above-ground pools in Lakewood must meet barrier requirements. Pools with 48-inch walls and lockable ladders may use walls as barriers.
Lakewood requires all swimming pools to be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates.
Colorado requires state plan review and permits for public swimming pools through the Department of Public Health. Residential pools follow local building codes throughout Colorado.
Lakewood participates in the NFIP and regulates development in flood zones along Bear Creek, Lakewood Gulch, and other waterways. Structures must be elevated above the base flood elevation.
Colorado administers stormwater discharge permits statewide through the Colorado Discharge Permit System, requiring construction sites and industrial activities to obtain coverage before discharging runoff to state waters.
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 uniformly statewide.
Recreational drone operation in Colorado is governed primarily by FAA rules with state restrictions on harassment of wildlife, hunting interference, and law enforcement use that apply uniformly statewide.
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 has no statewide predictive scheduling law but permits local governments to adopt fair workweek and advance notice scheduling ordinances for employers.
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 does not require private employers to use E-Verify and repealed the prior employment eligibility affirmation form in 2016 under HB 16-1114.
Colorado law limits state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement under HB 19-1124, restricting ICE detainers, courthouse arrests, and information sharing statewide.
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 most residential tenancies.
Colorado statute prohibits counties and municipalities from enacting ordinances that control rent on private residential property, making rent control unenforceable statewide except where the legislature carves out specific exceptions.
Colorado counties zone agricultural lands under state planning laws while preserving farm operations through Right to Farm protections and local agricultural overlays.
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.
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 does not ban plastic straws statewide, but allows cities to restrict distribution and many require straws only upon customer request.
Colorado prohibits HOAs from banning solar energy devices and limits aesthetic restrictions. The protections apply to all common interest communities throughout Colorado uniformly.
Colorado caps solar permit fees and prohibits restrictions on solar access easements. The law preempts local efforts to block residential solar installations across all Colorado.
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 does not impose a statewide flavored tobacco ban, but home rule cities and counties may prohibit flavored vape and tobacco product sales locally.
Colorado requires retailers selling cigarettes, vapor products, and other tobacco items to obtain a state retail tobacco license and follow strict point-of-sale rules.