101 local rules on file · Pop. 88 · Adams County
Showing ordinances that apply to Watkins CDP (part), Adams County, Colorado, CO
Watkins CDP (part), Adams County, Colorado is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 88 in Adams County, Colorado. Because Watkins CDP (part), Adams County, Colorado is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Adams County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Adams County may have different rules.
Unincorporated Adams County permits one ADU per single-family home in any zone district. Minimum 500 sq ft; detached units cap at 1,500 sq ft, up to 25 ft tall. A building permit is required and the ADU cannot be sold separately.
Sheds and other accessory structures in unincorporated Adams County must sit at least 10 feet behind the home's front line and meet zone-district side and rear setbacks (10 feet in the A-3 zone). Maximum height for dwellings and accessory structures is 35 feet.
A carport is an accessory structure in unincorporated Adams County and must meet the same setback and 35-foot height limits as other accessory buildings. On a manufactured-home lot, one garage or one attached carport is expressly allowed as an accessory use.
Adams County has no separate garage-conversion ordinance, but converting a garage into living space is a building-permit-required change. If it creates a second dwelling it must meet the county's ADU standards, and off-road parking still has to be provided.
A single manufactured or tiny dwelling may serve as a single-family home on an individual lot in any residential zone that allows single-family homes, but it must be no more than 5 years old at siting, at least 864 sq ft, and installed on a permanent foundation.
Unincorporated Adams County, Colorado does not have a short-term rental ordinance and requires no county STR permit or license. Hosts must still hold a Colorado sales tax license and collect state-administered taxes. Inside Commerce City, Thornton, Northglenn or other cities, the city's own STR rules apply.
Colorado taxes furnished rooms and accommodations rented for less than 30 consecutive days. Under CRS 39-26-104, stays of 30+ days are exempt. Adams County sales tax is collected by the state; a county lodging tax is possible only if voters approve one under CRS 30-11-107.5.
Unincorporated Adams County has no short-term-rental-specific parking requirement. Guest parking is governed by the general Development Standards and Regulations (zoning off-street parking) and county right-of-way rules. Cities within the county may set their own STR parking minimums.
Unincorporated Adams County places no cap on the number of nights a home may be rented short-term each year, because it has no STR ordinance. Any stay under 30 consecutive days is taxable, but the county sets no annual rental-night limit. Some cities do cap nights.
Unincorporated Adams County sets no short-term-rental-specific occupancy limit. Maximum occupancy is governed instead by the adopted building code, on-site wastewater (septic) capacity, and general safety rules. Cities within the county may impose their own guest caps.
Adams County runs a voluntary business registration program, not a mandatory short-term rental registry. There is no required county STR registration for unincorporated properties. Hosts should still register a sales tax account with the Colorado Department of Revenue, which handles all county sales tax collection.
Adams County has no short-term-rental-specific noise rule. Guest noise is governed by Colorado's state noise statute, CRS 25-12-103, limiting residential zones to 55 dB(A) during the day (7am-7pm) and 50 dB(A) at night, measured 25 feet beyond the property line.
Unincorporated Adams County does not require short-term rental hosts to carry a specific liability insurance amount, because it has no STR ordinance. Hosts should still secure short-term-rental or commercial liability coverage, as standard homeowners policies often exclude rental activity.
Unincorporated Adams County does not require a short-term rental to be the host's primary residence. Because there is no county STR ordinance, non-owner-occupied and investor-owned short-term rentals are not prohibited on that basis. Some Adams County cities do impose primary-residence limits.
Unincorporated Adams County imposes no host-presence or local-contact requirement for short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. Unhosted (whole-home) rentals are not restricted on that basis. Some Adams County cities require a 24/7 local responsible-agent contact.
Adams County unincorporated sets no separate construction-hours ordinance. Under CRS 25-12-103, construction is held to the industrial-zone noise limits (80 dB(A) day, 75 dB(A) night) for the permitted construction period.
Adams County sets no specific leaf-blower ordinance for the unincorporated area. Leaf-blower noise falls under the general Colorado noise statute (CRS 25-12-103): 55 dB(A) daytime / 50 dB(A) night residential, measured 25 feet beyond the property line.
There is no county outdoor-music ordinance. Outdoor and backyard music must stay within Colorado's residential noise limits (CRS 25-12-103): 55 dB(A) daytime / 50 dB(A) night, measured 25 feet beyond the property line.
Unincorporated Adams County has no separate noise ordinance; the Colorado state noise statute applies. In residential zones, noise measured 25 feet beyond your property line may not exceed 55 dB(A) daytime (7am-7pm) or 50 dB(A) at night.
Unincorporated Adams County has no standalone amplified-sound ordinance. Amplified music is limited by CRS 25-12-103: it may not exceed 55 dB(A) daytime / 50 dB(A) night in residential zones, measured 25 feet beyond the property line.
Industrial noise in unincorporated Adams County is capped by CRS 25-12-103 at 80 dB(A) daytime and 75 dB(A) at night for industrial zones, and 70/65 dB(A) for light industrial, measured 25 feet beyond the property line.
Adams County's Animal Control Code makes it unlawful for a dog to bark, howl, or yelp audible beyond the premises for more than 20 consecutive minutes during the day (7am-9pm) or 10 minutes at night (9:01pm-6:59am).
Adams County uses Colorado's statewide decibel limits (CRS 25-12-103), measured 25 feet beyond the property line: Residential 55/50, Commercial 60/55, Light industrial 70/65, Industrial 80/75 dB(A) (day/night).
Adams County has no unincorporated-area vehicle-noise ordinance. Vehicle noise is governed by Colorado's statewide muffler law (CRS 42-4-225), which requires a working muffler and prohibits amplified exhaust or cutout devices.
Adams County cannot regulate aircraft noise; airspace and aircraft operations are exclusively governed by the FAA under federal law. Denver International Airport and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan traffic overfly parts of the county.
In unincorporated Adams County, inoperable or unlicensed vehicles may not be stored or parked outdoors, and never on a public right-of-way for any period. Under Colorado law, a vehicle left unattended outside a city for 48 hours is deemed abandoned and may be towed. Report abandoned or junk vehicles to
In unincorporated Adams County, storing a commercial vehicle accessory to a home requires a permit. An Administrative Review Permit allows one commercial vehicle of 16,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight or less on RE, A-1, A-2 or A-3 land of at least one acre. Larger fleets or heavier trucks require a
Unincorporated Adams County caps how many vehicles you may store outdoors by lot size: two total on lots under one acre, or two per acre up to a maximum of five on lots of one acre or more. Oversized units like motor homes, boats and fifth-wheels count, must sit on
Unincorporated Adams County has no blanket overnight street-parking ban for ordinary vehicles. The binding limits are the 24-hour cap on RVs and trailers and the total ban on unlicensed or inoperable vehicles on the right-of-way. A vehicle left unattended outside city limits for 48 hours is deemed abandoned under Colorado
In unincorporated Adams County, RVs, boats, boat trailers, campers, fifth-wheels and motor homes may be stored on residential lots but must sit on an approved asphalt or concrete surface, never in the back yard or a landscaped area. On public rights-of-way an RV or trailer may park only 24 hours.
On public rights-of-way in unincorporated Adams County, recreational vehicles and trailers are limited to 24 hours, and unlicensed or inoperable vehicles may not be parked there for any period. General passenger-car street parking is otherwise governed by Colorado traffic law and the Sheriff. Inside Brighton, Commerce City, Thornton and other
Adams County provides public EV charging stations at county facilities and reviews commercial charger installations through a Commercial EV Charger Submittal Checklist. The county sets no dedicated residential EV-charging quota; a home charger is installed under building and electrical permits following the Colorado-adopted electrical code. Inside cities, that city's building
In residential zone districts of unincorporated Adams County, all storage of vehicles must sit on an approved hard surface of asphalt or concrete, and no parking is allowed in the back yard or any landscaped area. Agricultural (A-1) zones may use gravel or recycled asphalt in the rear and side
Adams County has no ordinance letting a resident paint a curb to reserve parking or create a no-parking zone. Curb colors, red zones and street striping on public roads in the unincorporated county are set and installed by the road authority, not by property owners. Request a marked no-parking area
There is no county rule governing loading zones for a single-family home in unincorporated Adams County. Off-street loading is a commercial and industrial site-plan requirement under the Adams County Development Standards & Regulations, applied when a business is built or expanded. Homeowners are not required to provide loading spaces; check
Recreational fire pits are allowed at homes but must be small—no more than 3 ft wide and 2 ft tall—and kept at least 25 feet from anything combustible. Rules are set by your local fire protection district.
Adams County has no separate propane ordinance; residential LP-gas storage follows the state-adopted International Fire Code and NFPA 58. Setback distances scale with tank size, and larger installations may require permits and inspection.
Open burning of piles, slash, or trash requires a permit from your fire district and is restricted by state air-quality rules. In the Denver metro (including Adams County) burning is prohibited each winter, and all open burning stops during Sheriff fire restrictions.
Adams County (Denver plains) has no mapped mountain wildland-urban-interface zone. Grass-fire risk is managed through the Sheriff's staged fire restrictions, which ban open burning and fireworks when conditions are hot, dry, and windy.
Colorado bans all aerial and explosive consumer fireworks statewide. Only "permissible fireworks" (fountains, sparklers, ground spinners) are legal, and even those become illegal in unincorporated Adams County during Sheriff-ordered fire restrictions.
Colorado's Noxious Weed Act requires every landowner to manage noxious weeds that could damage neighboring land. Adams County's 1997 weed policy makes control of designated noxious weeds mandatory in the unincorporated area.
Colorado law requires working carbon monoxide alarms within 15 feet of every sleeping room in homes with fuel-fired appliances, fireplaces, or attached garages. Smoke alarm placement follows the state-adopted building and fire codes.
Small backyard recreational fires are allowed when kept under 3 ft by 2 ft and 25 feet from anything flammable, but are completely prohibited during Sheriff-ordered fire restrictions. Charcoal and propane grills at homes remain exempt.
Intentionally feeding big-game wildlife (deer, elk, pronghorn, mountain lions, bears and others) is illegal statewide in Colorado, carrying a $100 fine. Adams County's animal code covers pet animals, so wildlife-feeding is enforced under state wildlife law.
Adams County does not ban any dog breed. Colorado state law bars counties from regulating dangerous dogs "in a manner specific to breed," so the county's rules target behavior and owner responsibility, not breed.
Adams County's Animal Control Code does not regulate beekeeping, and Colorado has no statewide hive registration. Whether you may keep hives depends on your zone district (agricultural zones are permissive) and any city or HOA rules.
Chickens and livestock are allowed as farming/agricultural uses in Adams County's agricultural zone districts. The county's Animal Control Code excludes livestock from "pet animal," so numbers are set by zoning and lot size, not a pet cap.
Adams County defines livestock as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, horses, mules and donkeys used in farm or ranch production. Livestock is excluded from the pet code and is instead governed by county agricultural zoning and Colorado's right-to-farm protections.
Adams County's Animal Control Code covers only "pet animals" kept for companionship and excludes wildlife, feral cats, and livestock. Keeping wild or exotic animals is governed mainly by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and state law, not a county exotic-pet permit.
Adams County does not require cat licensing, but every cat must be vaccinated against rabies. Off the owner's property, a cat must wear its current rabies tag, and cats causing damage or running at large may be impounded.
In unincorporated Adams County, dogs must stay on the owner's property or under a person's control. A dog off-property and not under control is "running-at-large" and may be impounded by an Animal Management Officer.
The Adams County Animal Control Code sets no numeric limit on the number of dogs or cats a household may own in unincorporated areas. Instead, it requires licensing, rabies vaccination, and control, with a hoarding backstop through cruelty/neglect rules.
Neglecting, abandoning or mistreating animals is unlawful in Adams County under its Animal Control Code and Colorado's cruelty statute. Officers may impound neglected animals, and hoarding conditions are addressed through these cruelty and neglect provisions.
Colorado law lets Adams County residents collect rooftop rainwater in up to two rain barrels with a combined capacity of 110 gallons. It is limited to single-family and small multi-family homes (four units or fewer), and the water may only be used outdoors on the same property.
Unincorporated Adams County Code Compliance treats tall, overgrown grass, weeds, and brush of about 12 inches as environmental blight subject to abatement. Inside Commerce City, Thornton, Brighton, and other incorporated cities, the city's own weed ordinance controls.
Adams County does not prohibit or mandate native plants for private residential yards. County landscape standards encourage preserving existing valuable vegetation on development sites and Colorado law protects xeriscaping, so homeowners are free to plant drought-tolerant and native species.
Adams County has no countywide ordinance banning or specifically regulating artificial turf on private residential yards in unincorporated areas. Homeowners may install synthetic grass, though it must be kept maintained. Check your city and HOA, which may impose design or coverage rules.
Adams County has no countywide ordinance requiring a permit to trim trees on your own private property in unincorporated areas. Standard Colorado neighbor law lets you trim branches overhanging your side to the property line. Trees in the public right-of-way are the exception.
Adams County does not require a general permit to remove a healthy tree from your own private, unincorporated residential lot. The county's tree rules apply to development sites, landscape/buffer plantings, and trees in the public right-of-way, not to routine homeowner tree removal.
Under the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, every landowner in Adams County must manage designated noxious weeds. The county's 1997 Noxious Weed Enforcement Policy requires all owners in unincorporated Adams County to control listed weeds such as Canada thistle, leafy spurge, field bindweed, and purple loosestrife.
There is no single county watering rule; limits are set by your water provider. In the South Adams County Water and Sanitation District (Commerce City and vicinity), irrigation is barred between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with assigned days based on your address. Denver Water customers face separate drought-stage rules.
Adams County does not prohibit residential backyard composting. There is no county permit for a home compost pile in unincorporated areas, but a poorly kept pile that draws pests or emits odor can be cited as blight or a nuisance under code compliance.
In unincorporated Adams County, the maximum height of fencing, walls, and screening is 96 inches (8 feet). Screen fences on residentially used property are capped at 42 inches in the front, and clear-sight regulations must be maintained.
In unincorporated Adams County, any fence or wall more than 42 inches tall requires a building permit. Retaining walls over 4 feet need engineered plans. Fences 42 inches or shorter generally do not require a permit.
Adams County permits barbed wire fencing and allows up to four strands of barbed wire in the top 18 inches of a fence. External boundary electric fences require a Conditional Use Permit. Masonry screen walls must be brick or stone.
In unincorporated Adams County, any retaining wall over 4 feet high must be designed by a professional engineer as a condition of the building permit. Walls over 36 inches may be required to have a guard rail up to 5 feet.
Common fence materials, wood, masonry, chain link, vinyl, and barbed wire, are all permitted in unincorporated Adams County. Screen fences must be sight-obscuring; where 90% opacity is required, vinyl or PVC inserts satisfy it.
Adams County does not set a separate 'shared fence' cost-sharing rule; fences on the property line are a civil matter between neighbors. The county does prohibit any fence that obstructs traffic sight lines along a public right-of-way.
Adams County requires screen fencing to conceal outdoor storage, a 6-foot minimum screen fence for garbage/storage areas, and a pool barrier at least 48 inches high enclosing swimming pools. Fences must be maintained in good condition.
Unincorporated Adams County requires swimming pools to be completely enclosed by a fence at least 48 inches high, with no opening large enough for a child to pass through except self-latching gates or doors.
In unincorporated Adams County, installing a hot tub or spa requires both a building permit and an electrical permit from the Community & Economic Development Department, and it must be maintained to prevent the spread of illness.
In unincorporated Adams County, every hot tub, spa, or swimming pool installation requires both a building permit and an electrical permit from the Community & Economic Development Department. Incorporated cities (Brighton, Thornton, etc.) issue their own permits.
Adams County requires private pools to be enclosed and located behind the front structure line; public pools follow Colorado's health regulation covering barriers, water quality, and certified operators. Hot tubs, spas, and pools must be maintained to prevent illness.
In unincorporated Adams County, above-ground swimming pools with walls at least 48 inches above the perimeter are not required to provide separate fencing. A building and electrical permit is still required for installation.
A home occupation in unincorporated Adams County may have no exterior advertising other than one identification sign not exceeding six square feet, which must be located on the face of the home.
In unincorporated Adams County, a child day care home is an accessory use limited to twelve children, including the caretaker's own children under 16 not in full-day school. The facility must be state-licensed.
Colorado's Cottage Foods Act lets residents sell certain non-hazardous homemade foods directly to consumers without a license, capped at $10,000 net revenue per product per year. The county follows the state law; producers must take a food safety course.
In unincorporated Adams County, a home occupation is allowed as an accessory use in the Agricultural and Residential zone districts, provided it stays clearly incidental and secondary to the home and does not change the dwelling's residential character.
In unincorporated Adams County, a home occupation must be conducted by the inhabitants of the dwelling, use no more than half the floor area, stay entirely indoors, and produce no impacts noticeable beyond the property line.
Charcoal and propane grills are allowed at single-family homes in Adams County and stay exempt even during Stage 1 fire restrictions. Apartments and condos face a 10-foot setback rule, and grilling is banned during Stage 2.
Wood, pellet, and charcoal smokers are treated like grills at single-family homes and are exempt from Level 1 open-burning limits, but they are prohibited during Stage 2 fire restrictions and must stay clear of structures.
In unincorporated Adams County, dwellings in the R-1-C and R-2 districts are capped at 25 feet, and accessory structures at 16 feet. Agricultural (A-1/A-2) dwellings may reach 35 feet, with farm structures up to 70 feet.
Instead of a flat percentage cap, Adams County limits accessory building coverage: 900 square feet in the R-1-C district (single-family), 450 square feet per unit in R-2, and 80 square feet per unit in R-3/R-4. Accessory buildings can't precede the main dwelling.
In the R-1-C residential district of unincorporated Adams County, principal structures need a 20-foot front setback, 17/5-foot side setbacks, and a 15-foot rear setback. Agricultural (A-1) districts require a 30-foot front setback.
Under Adams County Ordinance No. 17 (effective Feb 17, 2024), every licensed trash hauler serving unincorporated homes and businesses must offer curbside recycling collection. The county's goal is to raise recycling and diversion from about 16% in 2022 to 40% by 2034.
Adams County does not run a single municipal trash route; residents in the unincorporated county contract with a private, county-licensed hauler. Since Ordinance No. 17 (effective Feb 17, 2024), all licensed haulers must be registered with the county.
Adams County does not provide free countywide bulk pickup for unincorporated homes; bulky items go through your private hauler, a licensed drop-off/landfill, or county cleanup events. Illegally dumping large items in the street or on a lot is prohibited.
Depositing trash on any public or private property in Colorado is illegal littering under CRS 18-4-511, carrying a mandatory fine of $20-$500 for a first offense. In unincorporated Adams County, report dumping in a street or alley to Public Works at 720.523.6875.
In unincorporated Adams County, waste containers may be set in the front-yard area or at the street only for 24 hours to allow pickup, and every container must be covered. Store bins out of front-yard view the rest of the week.
Adams County Code Compliance investigates 'environmental blight' on unincorporated properties: rubbish, junk, trash, garbage, debris, and cast-off scrap metal, appliances, machinery or auto parts stored outdoors. The county can compel cleanup under Colorado law CRS 30-15-401.
In unincorporated Adams County, tall, overgrown grass, weeds and brush over 12 inches is treated as environmental blight and can trigger a code-compliance case. Colorado's Noxious Weed Act separately requires all landowners to manage designated noxious weeds.
There is no separate vacant-lot ordinance in unincorporated Adams County, but the same blight, weed and rubbish rules apply. Owners must keep lots free of trash, junk and overgrown weeds; the county can clean a neglected lot and bill the owner under CRS 30-15-401.
Adams County does not publish a specific occasional garage-sale permit or day-limit for unincorporated homes. Sales must not create blight, block the right-of-way, or violate the county's temporary-sign and trash-container rules. Check with your city if you live inside one.
In unincorporated Adams County, trash containers may be kept in the front-yard area or at the street only for 24 hours around pickup, and all containers must be covered. Storing bins out full-time can be a code-compliance violation.
Adams County regulates political signs content-neutrally as temporary signs. On residential lots one temporary sign up to 32 sq ft may be displayed for up to 14 consecutive days, and it must sit on private property outside any right-of-way. No sign permit is required.
Garage-sale signs fall under Adams County's content-neutral temporary sign rule: up to 32 sq ft, on private property, for no more than 14 consecutive days (twice per year per lot), with no sign permit. Signs in the road right-of-way are prohibited.
Exterior lighting in unincorporated Adams County must be arranged and positioned so no direct light or reflection creates a nuisance or hazard on any adjacent property or right-of-way. Fixtures must shield direct rays from adjoining properties.
Adams County has no formal dark-sky ordinance, but its operational standards require exterior lighting to be shielded, low-level, indirect and diffused, and no taller than 20 feet, positioned so no direct light or glare reflects onto neighboring property or roads.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Adams County ordinances.