Aurora, CO Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing instrument
- Aurora Unified Development Ordinance
- Size trigger
- Exempt under 15,000 sq ft
- Max required (retail/office)
- 3 loading spaces
- Screening
- Required near residential/right-of-way
- In force as of
- Ord. 2026-03, Feb. 23, 2026
Summary
Aurora's UDO requires off-street loading spaces sized to gross floor area for most commercial and retail buildings over 15,000 square feet, with docking, screening, and location standards.
A. Number of Required Off-Street Loading Spaces. The minimum number of off-street loading spaces, plus areas required for access and maneuvering, shall be provided pursuant to Table 4.6-6. ... B. Exemptions. ... 1. Any use with less than 15,000 square feet of gross floor area. ... D. Design and Use of Off-Street Loading Areas. 1. Location. ... b. Trucks parked in a loading area shall not encroach into required parking spaces or building setbacks. c. Parked trucks loading or unloading materials shall not block travel lanes in parking lots or fire lanes.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Aurora's Unified Development Ordinance sets minimum off-street loading spaces by use: office, lodging, personal service, repair, and retail uses need 1 space per 50,000 sq ft of gross floor area (up to 3 spaces), while other non-residential uses need 1 space per 50,000 sq ft (up to 2 spaces). Any use under 15,000 sq ft is exempt, as is any lot in Subarea A or in the MU-FB, MU-TOD, MU-R districts, or the MU-OA-MS subdistrict. Trucks can't block travel lanes, fire lanes, parking spaces, or setbacks, and loading areas with more than two docks can't sit next to a Residential zone district.
Violations & Fines
Trucks blocking fire lanes or travel lanes, docking areas built next to residential zoning without required screening, or new/expanded buildings over the size threshold skipping required loading spaces can draw code enforcement action and hold up certificate-of-occupancy sign-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do small Aurora businesses need a loading dock?
Can delivery trucks block a fire lane while unloading in Aurora?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado parking rules overview
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Loading Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle loading zones.