on September 10, 2026

Colorado Dog Poop Laws

Quick answer: Colorado has no statewide pooper scooper law. Picking up after your dog is regulated city by city, and all three of the largest cities we checked have an ordinance requiring it. In Colorado Springs, the rule applies only in parks. Denver publishes a set ticket of $150.

Why Colorado leaves it to cities

Colorado has no statewide statute requiring owners to pick up dog waste on public or private property. Dog control is left to counties and cities: C.R.S. 30-15-101 lets each board of county commissioners adopt a pet animal control resolution (control, licensing, impoundment), and home-rule cities such as Denver, Colorado Springs and Aurora write their own ordinances. The only state-level pickup rule is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulation that applies on state park lands: 2 CCR 405-1, Chapter P-1, #100.C.19 makes it unlawful for a dog handler to fail to immediately collect, remove and properly dispose of dog or pet feces from, or near, developed park sites including campgrounds, picnic areas, dog training areas and designated trails. #100.C.16 requires a leash no longer than six feet on those lands.

  • County pet animal control resolutions (control, licensing, impoundment): C.R.S. 30-15-101 (read it)
  • State park lands: handler must immediately remove dog or pet feces: 2 CCR 405-1, Chapter P-1, #100.C.19 (read it)
  • State park lands: six-foot leash: 2 CCR 405-1, Chapter P-1, #100.C.16 (read it)
  • Chatfield and Cherry Creek State Park off-leash areas: must possess a leash and at least one waste bag per dog: 2 CCR 405-1, Chapter P-1, #100.D.6.c and #100.D.7.c (read it)

Pooper scooper laws in Colorado's largest cities

Each row comes from the city's own municipal code. "Up to" is the most a court can impose, not a standard ticket. Where a city publishes no amount, we say so rather than estimate one.

City Ordinance Fine Must carry a bag
Denver Denver Revised Municipal Code Sec. 8-73 (Disposition of excrement), as amended by Ord. No. 539-23 (6-5-2023) $150 No
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs City Code 9.9.301 (Animal defecation; park land only; Ord. 18-24). Related: 6.7.106(A) (fecal waste on premises where animals are kept) Not published No
Aurora Aurora City Code Sec. 14-9 (Removal of excrement); Code 1979, 7-6; Ord. No. 2020-55 Up to $2,650 No

The rule people miss: carrying the bag

None of the cities we checked in Colorado spell out a separate duty to carry a bag, but the pickup duty applies the moment your dog goes, and "I did not have a bag" is not a defense in any of them.

A bag holder on the leash solves that for good. Ours is the Walk Dispenser, which clips on and holds a full roll.

Worth knowing about Colorado

  • Denver fines dog waste on a three-tier administrative schedule: $150, then $250, then $500 for violations within 12 months of the prior one.
  • A June 2026 Denver ordinance (Ord. No. 328-26) classes 8-73 as a class 4 criminal offense capped at $300 or 10 days, alongside the civil citation track.
  • Colorado Springs' only pickup ordinance is limited to park land (9.9.301); its January 2026 court fine schedule no longer lists a payable fine for it, though the 2023 schedule listed $50.
  • In the Chatfield and Cherry Creek State Park off-leash areas, state rules require every handler to carry a leash and at least one waste bag per dog (2 CCR 405-1, #100.D.6.c and #100.D.7.c).
  • Aurora's general ordinance penalty ceiling is $2,650 and 364 days, far above typical city maximums.

Common questions

Is it illegal to not pick up dog poop in Colorado?

There is no statewide law, but every one of the largest cities we checked has a pickup rule, and most smaller towns have similar ordinances. In Colorado Springs, the rule applies only in parks. Check your own city or county code.

How much is the fine for not picking up dog poop in Colorado?

It depends on the city. Denver: $150. Aurora: Up to $2,650. Colorado Springs does not publish an amount.

Do I have to carry a poop bag in Colorado?

Not as a separate rule in the cities we checked. You still have to pick up, so in practice you need one.

Other states in the West

California · Washington · Arizona · Oregon · Utah · Nevada · New Mexico · Idaho

See all 50 states · How scoop laws work in general

Sources

Checked 2026-09-10. Ordinances change, so if you are dealing with an actual citation, read the current code at the link rather than relying on this page.

This page is general information, not legal advice.