DENVER (KDVR) – Wading into a new territory is, more often than not, a tip-toeing affair. Knowing both the spoken and unspoken rules and guidelines of a region are vital to properly acclimate to a new home or the spot you plan to visit.
However, some of the set-in-stone laws across Colorado may, at first glance, seem more like the unspoken rules rather than ones that can land you in court.
To help you avoid that litigious situation, here is a list of some Colorado laws you should avoid violating.
Peculiar laws from Colorado’s history
Aspen: An era of grappling hooks and trebuchets must have at one point been “all the rage” for the residents of Aspen. This assumption is safe to make due to the existence of the City of Aspen Municipal Code, Title 15, Section 15.04.210, which is still on the books, prohibiting those within city limits from using a catapult to throw a missile of any type at people, places or things. If you are one of those who simply can’t leave home without your siege equipment, then maybe a visit to Aspen isn’t the move for you.
Sterling: According to the Salida Museum, the outdoor-venturing pet cats of Sterling must have rubbed someone the wrong way while on their daily commutes over the years. One might arrive at this assumption after learning of the northeast Colorado town’s rule that requires the tying of taillights to any pet cat planning to spend time outside. A post to the museum’s website makes it clear that this law is supposedly still on the books, but you should still sidestep any risk and make sure that your cat always has the proper lighting on.
Pueblo: Some might consider allowing dandelions to populate your front yard to be a social misstep more so than a violation of the law. That’s not, however, the case in Pueblo where, according to a 2019 report from the Steven Louth Law Office, those who allow a dandelion to grow in their yard are open to receiving a citation from the police. A similar law can also be violated north of Pueblo in Fountain, where weeds of any kind are prohibited from popping up in the city limits.
Denver: Those running Union Station during the turn of the 20th century might’ve been recovering from a breakup when they codified the Denver Union Station’s “no kissing” rule, which prohibited the locking of lips while on the platform. However, according to Denverite, the delaying of train schedules was the source of this drastic and draconian edict. Smooches may not be the largest problem facing those managing the train station these days, but feel free to tempt the wrath of the law next time you’re waiting for your ride to D.I.A.
Denver: You may have come across a territorial vacuum owner in your time that would more easily give you a raised eyebrow than lend you their weapon of choice against dust, hair and all other floor-residing particles. These individuals are likely the ones responsible for the spreading of a rumor that said it is against a 1950s-era Denver law to lend your vacuum to your neighbor. Other news outlets that incorrectly claimed this was a legitimate law cite a widespread bedbug infestation that was running rampant through the city at the time. Nonetheless, we all know it was those vacuum owners who would rather see the world burn than share their beloved dust busters.
Logan County: A much more understandable Colorado law concerning a mouth embrace, and unrelated to train scheduling entirely, can be violated up in Logan County. If you were to kiss a woman amid slumber, you could be charged with committing a sex crime, which may or may not be accurate. According to the Law Office of Steven Rodemer, “Logan County doesn’t have any special or specific laws regarding kissing sleeping people, depending on the circumstances, kissing someone’s ‘intimate parts’ when they’re ‘physically helpless” – meaning unconscious, asleep, or otherwise unable to indicate their consent – may be a sex crime in that county, and everywhere else in the state of Colorado, for that matter.”
If you know of any other Centennial State laws that are peculiar in nature or interesting-to-say-the-least, please email them to christopher.wills@digital-staging.kdvr.com.