Department of Excise and Licenses - City and County of Denver

Thanks for following the first Denver Department of Excise and Licenses social media page. We hope to better reach Denver businesses, consumers, and stakeholders that are impacted by regulations and hear from you, the taxpayers, who deserve to know what the city is doing to protect consumers and regulate businesses.   On our page, you can expect newsworthy Denver business information, including licensing trends, updates about changes to regulations, alerts about new programs to support businesses and opportunities for the community to participate in the licensing approval process.   If you haven’t followed this page yet, please do that now and encourage your friends who are interested in business or consumer protections in Denver to follow as well. What do you want to learn on this page from the agency that regulates occupations and businesses in the Mile High City? 

Our inspectors are constantly in the field to help keep Denver safe by protecting public health, safety and welfare. Our marijuana inspection team recently inspected a very large grow facility with 30,000 plants. When our team inspects grow facilities, they put on protective clothing to help control the spread of such things as bugs and mold that can make cannabis unsafe. The detailed inspections make sure state Marijuana Enforcement Division rules are being followed as well as the Denver Revised Municipal Code and department requirements. Some of the bigger things our team looks for are: ✅ Are all of the plants tagged so products don’t enter the illicit market and in the hands of kids? ✅ Is the required video recorder for cameras secure? ✅ Are the cameras working and are they covering the main areas of concern? ✅ Are employees properly displaying their required Marijuana Enforcement Division badges? ✅ Do they have the required 30 days of video retention? With nearly 250 cultivation licenses in Denver, our inspectors try to inspect each one at least once a year so consumers can have the peace of mind that the products they purchase are safe. Learn more about marijuana licensing: https://bit.ly/4itINuL

In 2017, the City and County of Denver began licensing short-term rentals. The good news is that eight years later, we are seeing a mostly compliant industry judging by how many applications for a short-term rental license are denied. With nearly 2,900 short-term rental licenses in the Mile High City, fewer than 100 – or about 3% -- have been denied each of the past three years. The regulations allow Denver short-term rental hosts to earn extra income and also: ✅ Reduce negative effects on housing stock and affordability. ✅ Make them more attentive to the property and neighbors. ✅ Help protect protecting the integrity of Denver neighborhoods. ✅ Reduce issues related to noise, parties, trash and parking. Learn more about short-term rentals in Denver in our frequently asked questions: https://bit.ly/3u4nL26

🏀  Welcome back! The NCAA men’s basketball tournament returns to Ball Arena for the second time in three years when it hosts first- and second-round games on Thursday and Saturday. Did you know our agency is heavily involved inside and outside the arena to keep things safe for all fans? Inside, we regulate providers of food, liquor and security guards. Outside, we regulate peddlers, pedal cab drivers, bars and restaurants. We want to make sure local fans and those who have come to the Mile High City for the games can focus on March Madness on the court and not worry if there is madness off the court. They should know the food they eat or drink or other businesses operating around the arena are safe. See all the business and occupational licenses we issue at https://lnkd.in/gakWCF3u.

The state of Colorado Natural Medicine Division (NMD) has issued a consumer alert about natural medicine fraud and scams. The sale of natural medicine is prohibited under state law. This includes Denver because under the Mile High City’s recently approved natural medicine law, the state of Colorado’s rules were adopted. As part of the consumer alert, any business or advertisement selling natural medicine should be reported to the NMD. Read the full consumer alert 👉 https://bit.ly/3FG2HEj

Our agency only regulates industries when necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare. One such license requirement is for short-term rental properties. Imagine finally buying your dream home in Denver only to find out it’s next to a problem short-term rental due to noise, parties, trash and parking. Fortunately, that is not a common problem anymore in Denver because of our regulations that protect neighborhoods. In 2017, the City and County of Denver began licensing these rentals with stricter regulations, including a rule that every short-term rental must be the renter’s primary residence. Since then, the Mile High City has seen a plunge in complaints about short-term rentals. With a high licensing compliance rate, the regulations allow Denver short-term rental hosts to earn extra income while reducing negative effects on housing stock and affordability that are more common in other jurisdictions. Short-term rental hosts are more attentive to the property and neighbors, which protect the integrity of Denver neighborhoods. Learn more about short-term rentals in Denver in our frequently asked questions: https://bit.ly/3u4nL26

Office of Denver City Council has unanimously approved Bill 25-0132 for the licensing and regulation of natural medicine healing centers and Mayor Mike Johnston has signed it into law. The new law caps a yearlong process in which our agency held several meetings of its Natural Medicine Work Group and collected extensive public feedback. The new law adopts the state of Colorado’s rules for natural medicine and establishes a city license for healing centers. Cultivating, manufacturing and testing facilities do not need a city license. Healing centers are not permitted within 1,000 feet of child care centers and schools. The new city license is estimated to be available for businesses to apply online in June. Natural medicine healing centers required to get a license are prohibited from operating in Denver until they have a valid state and city license. The new law also repeals Initiated Ordinance 301, which prohibited the use of city funds and resources to assist in the enforcement of criminal penalties for the personal use and possession of psilocybin mushrooms. Because state law now legalizes the personal use possession of psilocybin mushrooms, Initiated Ordinance 301 is obsolete. Want to learn about the new law for what it means for city regulations for natural medicine? ✅ Watch our city council committee presentation 👉 https://bit.ly/42Wolhj ✅ Read the new law 👉 https://bit.ly/3EOzSoJ ✅ Learn more about natural medicine in Denver 👉 https://bit.ly/3EHmOld

We want to see people succeed when they apply for a business or occupational license in Denver. And we also don’t feel you should fight traffic and hunt for parking to get to our downtown office for application help. That’s why we offer virtual appointments for those who are struggling to navigate the licensing process. If you need specialized help, schedule a virtual appointment with one of our licensing technicians here: https://bit.ly/4c4ShZp

🚗 💡 To support law enforcement efforts to reduce criminal activity, particularly downtown, our agency in December published guidance for lighting requirements at licensed public parking lots because improved lighting can lead to a reduction in crime. One company that took action right away is Parkwell at its lot at 1801 Market St. in the heart of LoDo. Notice the huge difference these upgrades have made. Increased lighting is a strategy of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Key benefits include: ✅ Illumination of human activity ✅ Enhanced surveillance ✅ Reduced concealment for of offenders ✅ Encourages public space use ✅ Improved signage visibility We give a Mile High Salute to Parkwell for moving quickly to meet our guidance – and for doing their part to help cut down on crime. We are still doing extensive city education and outreach efforts, but parking operators not in compliance will be subject to fines up to $999 and license suspension or revocation. Read the guidance 👉 https://bit.ly/3ORgwBk

On Monday, Office of Denver City Council will hold the second reading of Bill 25-0132 about the licensing and regulation of natural medicine healing centers. The reading will be at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council chamber on the fourth floor of the City and County Building. The second reading will be followed by a public hearing on the repealing of Initiated Ordinance 301, which is part of the Council Bill. Earlier this month, our agency outlined the ordinance in a presentation to a City Council committee. Want to learn about our proposal for what city regulations are needed for natural medicine? ✅ Watch our presentation 👉 https://bit.ly/42Wolhj ✅ Read the proposed ordinance 👉 https://bit.ly/3EOzSoJ ✅ Want to give testimony at the public hearing? Find out how 👉 https://bit.ly/3CSmL5u ✅ Learn more about natural medicine in Denver 👉 https://bit.ly/3EHmOld