Lakewood, CO Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt group
- Approved syringe exchange participants
- State authority
- C.R.S. § 25-1-520
- Pre-search disclosure
- Blocks arrest and prosecution
- Paraphernalia fine (non-exempt)
- Up to $150
Summary
In Lakewood, Colorado (Jefferson County), the drug paraphernalia code exempts participants in a state-approved syringe exchange program and gives police-contact amnesty for hypodermic needles voluntarily disclosed before a search.
A person shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter if he or she is participating as an employee, volunteer, or participant in an approved syringe exchange program created pursuant to Section 25-1-520, C.R.S. ...If a hypodermic needle or syringe is on the person...and the person...alerts the officer of that fact prior to the search...the peace officer shall not arrest or cite the person pursuant to this section for the hypodermic needle or syringe for any minuscule, residual controlled substance that may be present in a used hypodermic needle or syringe.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 14 | Zoning Ordinance: ?).
Full Breakdown
In Lakewood, Colorado, Jefferson County's largest city, Municipal Code § 9.44.040 exempts employees, volunteers, and participants of an approved syringe exchange program under C.R.S. § 25-1-520 from the city's drug paraphernalia offenses. A related amnesty in § 9.44.030(B) protects anyone who tells a peace officer or EMT about a hypodermic needle or syringe before a search or treatment begins: police may not arrest or cite, and the City Attorney may not prosecute, for the needle itself or minuscule residual controlled substance on it. The code does not separately regulate sharps disposal or harm-reduction facility siting.
Violations & Fines
No penalty applies to exchange-program participants or to anyone who discloses a needle or syringe to an officer or EMT before a search; disclosure blocks arrest, citation, and prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to carry used syringes in Lakewood, CO if I'm in a needle exchange program?
What if I tell police I have a needle before they search me?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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