Pit bulls are not banned in Colorado at the state level, but whether you can legally own one depends entirely on the city or town where you live. Most of Colorado’s larger cities now allow pit bull ownership. Denver allows it only with a special breed-restricted permit, and a handful of smaller municipalities still prohibit the breed outright. A pit bull that lives legally on one side of a city line can be impounded a few blocks away.
Why the Rules Vary City by City
Colorado’s legislature actually tried to end breed-specific bans. In 2004, it amended the state’s dangerous dog statute to say that local governments could regulate dangerous dogs but not “in a manner that is specific to breed.”1Findlaw. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 18 Criminal Code 18-9-204.5
Denver challenged the law and won. A Denver District Court held that deciding which breeds are allowed inside a city is a matter of “purely local concern” under the Home Rule authority in Article 20 of the Colorado Constitution.2Justia. Colorado Constitution Article 20 – Home Rule Cities and Towns That provision lets municipalities of more than 2,000 people adopt their own charters and pass local laws on municipal matters, even when those laws conflict with state policy. Other home rule cities kept their breed rules in place after the ruling. The result is a patchwork: state law points one direction, and several local governments go their own way.
Denver: Legal With a Permit
Denver enforced a total pit bull ban for more than 30 years. In November 2020, voters approved a measure replacing the ban with a breed-restricted permit system. You can now own a pit bull in Denver, but only after completing a permit process through Denver Animal Protection.
What the Permit Requires
Before bringing a pit bull into Denver, you need a provisional breed-restricted permit in hand. The application requires proof of a current rabies vaccination, a Denver dog license, a microchip, and a clear photo of the dog.3City and County of Denver. Breed-Restricted Permitting The dog must be spayed or neutered, or you must hold an intact permit from Denver Animal Protection, which carries a separate $150 fee.4City and County of Denver. Denver Pit Bull Fact Sheet The breed-restricted permit itself costs $30 per dog per year on top of the standard annual dog license fee.
Denver limits each household to two pit bulls. The city defines the restricted breeds as American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.3City and County of Denver. Breed-Restricted Permitting
The Three-Year Probation
Every permitted pit bull goes through a three-year probation. During that window the dog must stay free of violations, including off-leash incidents, bites, lapsed permits, and excessive barking complaints. A single violation resets the clock.4City and County of Denver. Denver Pit Bull Fact Sheet After three clean years you can apply for an exemption from the breed-restricted permit requirement, and the dog is treated like any other licensed pet going forward.
Annual Renewal
The permit must be renewed each year. Denver gives a 30-day grace period after expiration. Miss that window and the permit is canceled, meaning you restart the entire application and pay the initial fee again.3City and County of Denver. Breed-Restricted Permitting Owning a pit bull in Denver without a valid permit is a municipal code violation that can bring fines and impoundment.
Cities That Have Repealed Their Bans
Denver’s shift set off a wave of repeals across the metro area. Commerce City and Lone Tree both dropped their pit bull bans in 2021. Aurora, which had one of the strictest bans in the state, sent the question to voters in November 2024. Question 3A passed, repealing Aurora’s breed ban and putting pit bulls under the same dangerous-dog rules that apply to every other breed.5Ballotpedia. Aurora, Colorado, Question 3A, Repeal Ban on Owning Pit Bull Dogs Measure (November 2024)
Cities That Still Ban Pit Bulls
Some Colorado municipalities have not moved. Louisville’s municipal code continues to make it unlawful to own, keep, or transport a pit bull within city limits. A few smaller communities keep similar restrictions on the books. Because local ordinances change and smaller towns don’t always publicize updates, check your municipal code directly or call your local animal control office before bringing a pit bull home.
Cities that enforce breed bans generally define a “pit bull” as any American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, or Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and often include mixed-breed dogs that display a majority of physical traits associated with those breeds. Enforcement usually turns on visual identification by an animal control officer, since most ordinances don’t require DNA testing.
What Happens If You’re Caught
In Denver, violating the breed-restricted permit rules can bring permit revocation, fines of $500 to $1,000 per offense, and removal of the dog from the city.3City and County of Denver. Breed-Restricted Permitting If your permit is revoked, you have 24 hours to get the dog out of Denver. Failing to do so can lead to impoundment and permanent forfeiture.
In cities with outright bans, the pattern is similar: the dog is impounded and the owner is given a short window to relocate the animal outside city limits. Municipal courts handle these cases, and repeat violations can escalate from civil penalties to criminal charges. Fines, boarding costs, and emergency placement expenses add up fast. Renters may also face lease violations or eviction proceedings on top of the municipal penalties.
Service and Assistance Animals Are Treated Differently
Federal law carves out important exceptions to local breed bans for people with disabilities. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, cities that ban specific breeds must make an exception for service dogs of those breeds. The ADA does not let a local government exclude a service animal based on breed alone. The only basis for excluding a specific service dog is a determination, based on that individual animal’s actual behavior or history, that it poses a direct threat to health or safety.6ADA.gov. Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA
For housing, the Fair Housing Act adds another layer. HUD guidance says housing providers cannot disallow an assistance animal because of its breed or size. That covers trained service dogs and emotional support animals prescribed by a healthcare provider. The exception applies only if the specific animal poses a direct threat based on its individual conduct. Even in a city with a pit bull ban, a landlord generally cannot refuse a tenant whose pit bull serves as a prescribed assistance animal. The tenant may still need to comply with the city’s breed ban in public spaces outside the housing context, so the dog can legally live in the apartment while remaining prohibited on the sidewalk.
Insurance and Landlord Barriers
Even where pit bulls are perfectly legal, insurance is often the bigger obstacle. Many homeowners and renters insurance companies either refuse to write policies for households with pit bulls or exclude the breed from liability coverage. Some insurers will sell you a policy but won’t cover any claim involving the dog. A few companies, including State Farm and USAA, evaluate dogs based on individual behavior rather than breed.
The stakes are real. Dog bite liability claims nationwide averaged roughly $69,000 per claim in recent years, and a serious bite without coverage could be financially devastating. Some owners use umbrella liability policies to fill the gap when a standard homeowners policy excludes the breed. Colorado has not passed a law preventing insurers from using breed as a basis for denying coverage, so confirm your coverage in writing before assuming you’re protected.
Renters face an added hurdle. Even in cities where pit bulls are legal, individual landlords and property managers routinely prohibit the breed in their lease agreements. Breaking that term can lead to eviction regardless of what the municipal code allows. The Fair Housing Act assistance animal exception is the main tool for renters who need the dog for a disability-related reason, and it requires proper documentation from a healthcare provider.
The State Dangerous Dog Law Still Applies
Even where breed bans are gone, Colorado’s statewide dangerous dog statute applies to every breed. A dog can be classified as dangerous if it inflicts bodily injury or death on a person or domestic animal, or if it behaves in ways that would make a reasonable person believe it could cause such harm.1Findlaw. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 18 Criminal Code 18-9-204.5 Penalties scale from petty offenses for property damage up to a class 5 felony when a dog causes a person’s death. Cities like Aurora now rely on this law in place of a breed ban, and it applies to pit bull owners the same as owners of any other breed.