Land Use Code

Boulder County Land Use Code

The Boulder County Land Use Code is enacted to protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the present and future inhabitants of Boulder County, and to guide future growth, development, and distribution of land uses within Boulder County. The Land Use Code plays a large role in determining how unincorporated Boulder County will look in the future by the way it guides new construction and development today. The Land Use Code applies to all land within the unincorporated areas of Boulder County, not in cities or towns.

The Land Use Code is a “living” document, and updates and amendments are made as needed.

You may order and purchase printed copies of the Boulder County Land Use Code at the Community Planning & Permitting Department. The cost is $12. Please submit a request to purchase a printed copy by calling 303-441-3930 or contacting our office via the Ask a Planner form.

• Document (view or download PDF): Boulder County Land Use Code (updated May 13, 2025)
• Webpage: Land Use Code Updates

Recent Update Related to Minor Corrections, Clarifying Changes, and Updates to Comply with State Law

On Jan. 15, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved text amendments to the Boulder County Land Use Code (the ‘Code’) related to minor corrections, clarifying changes, and updates to comply with state law. Resolution 2026-011, which includes these changes to the Land Use Code, was signed on March 24, 2026. Staff are currently in the process of updating the Land Use Code; however, the large number of updates and limited staff capacity means that this project will be completed in phases.

• Phase 1 will focus on clarifying changes, which primarily include codifying existing policies, as well as updates to parts of the Code as required by state law.
• Phase 2 will focus on 4-600 through 4-604 where clarifying changes were made to better identify when a Special Review or Limited Impact Special Review is required, as well as Article 15 where changes were recommended by the Historic Preservation Team.
• Phase 3 will focus on smaller changes related to grammatical corrections, formatting, capitalization and other changes.

As we work on updating our PDF copy of the Code, staff have created a bookmarked copy of Resolution 2026-011’s “Exhibit A” which outlines the approved updates to the Land Use Code. Staff recommend you double-check the exhibit as we work through Phases 1 and 2 of implementation. If you have any questions about a particular section of the Code, please contact planner@bouldercounty.gov or call our office at 303-441-3930.

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