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? 

The U.S. Department of Justice is accepting public comment until July 22 as the federal agency considers whether to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. The City and County of Denver has submitted its stance in support of the rescheduling. As the most experienced marijuana-regulated city in the world, we have learned after more than a decade of legalized recreational marijuana that marijuana does not rise to the level of a Schedule I substance. Read the statement issued by our executive director and a link to the official city comment ➡ https://bit.ly/4flBqon

🚗 Need your vehicle repaired? Don’t let just anyone make fixes on the street because our agency requires businesses that paint, repair or service cars, motorcycles or any other motor vehicle to have a garage repair of motor vehicles license. Requirements include a Colorado of Bureau of Investigations name check for each person who owns 10% or more of the business as well as passing inspections and complying with zoning code so a mechanic shop doesn’t open up at the house next door. Each separate building or structure must have a separate license, even if they are on the same premises. Learn more about this license: https://bit.ly/3xHBQEi

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the Denver metro area for Friday, July 12 through Sunday, July 14. To help residents stay cool and healthy during the uncomfortably high temperatures, the City and County of Denver is offering support. Learn more: https://bit.ly/460oI9Y

😰 🌞 Ugh, are you ready for this heat wave that’s about to hit Denver? There’s no better way to cool off than with ice cream. Did you know that when you see ice cream trucks or carts around Denver that the vendors must be licensed? Because ice cream trucks and carts cater to children, an FBI background check must be submitted as part of an ice cream vendor license application. And vendors must display their department-issued badge while working. It’s a way for parents and guardians to have peace of mind and know their children are not around someone who was not licensed because of a failed background check. There are currently 19 licensed ice cream vendors in the city, up from 16 each of the past two years. Learn more about this license and the required documents 👉 https://bit.ly/3VsIAhq Now, let’s get some ice cream. 🍦 😎

Did you know that about 70% of Denver is zoned residential, meaning no business licenses can be issued? It can be tough to find a location for a business, especially new marijuana locations. Denver has a free, public-facing marijuana proximity check tool. It allows a current or potential marijuana applicant to research whether a location is likely to meet the proximity requirements for a store, hospitality business, hospitality and sales business or cultivation facility in the City and County of Denver. Social equity candidates looking to get into the marijuana industry can use the tool to see if their location meets the zoning and proximity requirements: https://bit.ly/3VQUIsN

🎇 🎆 Heading out to tonight’s Indy Eve at Civic Center Park? Besides music, shopping, food and a drone show, liquor will be available at the event that is expected to attract thousands of people. Did you know that to sell alcohol at this event – as well as the many other public festivals, street fairs, block parties and other events across the city – Civic Center Conservancy, which is hosting tonight’s patriotic event, had to secure a special event liquor permit from our agency? These permits allow for the sale of liquor at premises that do not hold a liquor license. And only qualifying organizations and clubs are eligible, including: ✅ Nonprofit organizations ✅ Social, fraternal, patriotic, political or athletic in nature (not organized for a monetary gain) State agencies ✅ The Colorado Wine Industry Development Board ✅ An instrumentality of a municipality or country ✅ Political candidate who has filed necessary reports and statements with the Colorado Secretary of State or the Denver Clerk and Recorder Learn more about this license at https://bit.ly/4beqs0k and have a Happy Independence Day.

We continue to make progress to having the information needed to make a recommendation to Denver lawmakers whether there should be city regulations for natural medicine such as psilocybin mushrooms when the state begins issuing licenses early next year. Our fourth meeting of the Natural Medicine Work Group discussed: ✅ Security requirements ✅ Cultivation practices ✅ Manufacturing practices ✅ Marketing and advertising If you weren’t able to attend the meeting, you can watch a recording of it here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3L93dtW The next meeting will be on Thursday, July 18 at 2 p.m. Anyone can contribute with public comment during the work group sessions or submit written comment by emailing exlpolicy@denvergov.org.

🎆 🎇 The Fourth of July weekend is a peak time for travel and fun. But with the excitement and festivities comes additional responsibility for hosts. As the regulatory authority for short-term rentals hosts that use platforms such as Airbnb in Denver, we have a few recommendations for hosts, so their short-term rental does not have a negative impact to the community and the holiday is fun, safe and enjoyable for all. 

Two years ago today, our agency no longer required proof of legal U.S. residency to apply for a business or occupational license in the City and County of Denver. And we added additional forms of identification that continue to be accepted today. This change opened an immigrant’s ability to pursue their dream of starting a business because an individual’s immigration status was no longer a barrier to starting a business in the Mile High City. Licensing compliance improved with less businesses operating without a license due to immigration concerns, which also enhanced public safety. Common business license applications submitted by our immigrant community include restaurants, food trucks and food peddlers. See the acceptable forms of ID we accept when applying for a license: https://bit.ly/4cj8P0v