Denver's Volume-Based Trash (Pay As You Throw) program requires purple/green/black Denver-issued carts only. Bins must be stored out of public right-of-way except on collection day per DRMC §27-127.
Denver switched to a Volume-Based Trash program in January 2024 via Denver Recycles. Residents receive three carts: black (trash, monthly fee by size — small $9, medium $13, large $21), purple (recycling, free weekly), and green (compost, $9.75/month optional). Only Denver-issued carts may be used for curbside collection. Denver Revised Municipal Code §27-127 requires carts to be stored out of the public right-of-way between collection days — behind the house, inside a garage, or on the side yard screened from the street. Carts may be placed at the curb no earlier than 6 PM the day before collection and must be removed from the curb by midnight on collection day. Lids must close fully; overflow is not collected. HOAs may impose stricter storage rules (opaque screening, behind fences).
Cart at curb outside allowed window: warning, then $25 to $150 fine. Contaminated recycling: rejection and fee. Non-Denver cart: no collection.
Denver County, CO
Denver DRMC Chapter 36 sets quiet hours 11 PM–7 AM in residential zones. Residential limit is 55 dBA daytime, 50 dBA nighttime. Violations can reach $5,000/day.
Denver County, CO
Denver has no outright ban on leaf blowers but phases in restrictions on gas-powered commercial landscape equipment. DRMC Chapter 36 noise limits apply, and ...
Denver County, CO
Denver requires driveways to meet setback and width standards. Blocking the public sidewalk is prohibited. Curb cuts require a permit from DOTI.
Denver County, CO
Denver limits large commercial vehicle parking on residential streets to 2 hours. A 2023 ordinance expanded restrictions citywide. Trucks used for active wor...
Denver County, CO
Denver requires a zoning permit for fences between 4–6 feet. Over-height (6+ ft) fences require an additional over-height fence permit. Historic properties r...
Denver County, CO
Colorado's Good Neighbor Fence Act (C.R.S. §35-46-112) applies. Denver does not mandate cost-sharing, but neighbors may negotiate. Disputes over boundary fen...
See how Denver County's trash bin storage rules stack up against other locations.
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