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This memorandum provides information on the regulation of short-term rentals (STRs) in Colorado. State law defines any rental of a lodging unit for less than 30 days as an STR, and allows for their regulation at the county level. STRs may also be regulated privately through contracts and homeowners’ association covenants. A lodging unit includes any property or portion of a property that is available for lodging, except for hotels. STRs are usually privately owned residential units that are booked through third-party vacation rental services, such as Airbnb and VRBO.

The U.S. federal government holds exclusive authority to regulate immigration, including who may enter the country and under what conditions. Nevertheless, states can enact laws that impact immigrants and influence the enforcement of federal immigration laws, provided that these state laws do not conflict with federal law. This issue brief outlines current state and federal laws affecting immigration in Colorado, including immigration enforcement, the Office of New Americans, access to public services, health insurance coverage, and identification.

Between 2023 and 2025, the General Assembly passed laws designed to boost the type and supply of housing in Colorado communities. These laws emphasize higher‑density residential housing near transit areas and encourage more affordable housing options, such as accessory dwelling units and condominiums. This issue brief summarizes key housing laws passed by the legislature since 2023 that aim to increase the state’s housing supply.

According to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast and efficient service that may include dedicated lanes, busways, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, elevated platforms and enhanced stations. BRT is considered by many transit planners as a cost-effective way to increase transit ridership, reduce wait times, and increase rider safety and comfort.

The harmful effects of secondhand smoke and emissions from tobacco, marijuana, and electronic smoking devices continue to be an issue in Colorado. Since 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known cause of cancer.

This issue brief examines Colorado fireworks law, including permissible fireworks, sales, local government regulations, penalties for violating state laws, and executive orders.

This issue brief provides an overview of federal and state family, medical, and sick leave laws.

This issue brief outlines home rule governance for municipalities and counties, including the process for adopting a home rule charter and the powers that a home rule charter provides to local governments.

This issue brief provides an overview of consumer data privacy, describes applicable federal laws, and summarizes recent state legislation proposed to strengthen consumer data privacy laws.

This issue brief provides background information on mobile homes and an overview of the Mobile Home Park Act, including recent changes to the law with regard to county ordinances, registrations, the dispute resolution and enforcement program, and evictions.

In Colorado, sales taxes are imposed by the state government, counties, municipalities, and special districts.  Overlapping boundaries create 754 unique tax jurisdictions, many with different tax bases, rates, and administrators.  This issue brief summarizes information on how local government sales and use taxes are assessed and administered.

The Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) 1 creates a presumption in favor of public access to government documents. This issue brief addresses CORA’s two threshold questions: 1) what is and is not considered a public record; and 2) which public records are exempt from disclosure. It also briefly outlines CORA’s requirements for responding to an open records request.

Colorado’s state court system is comprised of many different courts, including the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals (COA), and district courts. Colorado law also governs county courts and jurisdiction-specific courts in Denver.1 This issue brief describes the qualification requirements and appointment, retention, and disciplinary processes for Colorado judges.

Colorado's Adult Protective Services (APS) system, first established in 1983, protects at-risk adults who, because of mental or physical ability, are unable to obtain services or otherwise protect their own health, safety, and welfare. In response to greater awareness of at-risk populations, between 2013 and 2016, legislation expanded the scope of the system by implementing mandatory reporting for certain groups and establishing protections for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).