Weird Laws in Colorado: Which Are Still on the Books?

Colorado's famous weird laws are a mix of one real state statute, one overstated claim about water, and three city rules that do exist, though usually smaller than advertised. We checked five claims from popular lists against the Colorado Revised Statutes and, where a claim names a town, against that town's code, as of October 21, 2026. For other states, see our weird laws by state guide.

Weird laws in Colorado: the verdicts

Each claim below was checked against the Colorado code and, where it names a town, the local code. 5 claims checked.

City law, not state law

The claim: Keeping indoor couch/upholstered furniture on a porch or lawn is illegal.

What the law says: Boulder (not Colorado state law) bans keeping upholstered furniture not made for outdoor use in front, side or certain rear yards and on porches, but only within a defined part of the University Hill neighborhood.

Boulder, Colorado (University Hill neighborhood only): B.R.C. 5-4-16 Outdoor Furniture Restriction: 'No person shall place, use, keep, store, or maintain any upholstered furniture not manufactured for outdoor use, including, without limitation, upholstered chairs, upholstered couches, and mattresses, in any outside areas' (front yard, side yard, rear/corner yard adjacent to a public street, porches). Applies only to 'portions of the University Hill neighborhood bordered by Baseline Road on the south, Arapahoe Road on the north, Broadway on the east' and the west boundary of properties west of Ninth Street. Defenses for moving day, yard sales, hidden yards; city may remove after 7 days notice and charge costs plus $25. (in force)

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

Still on the books

The claim: Cars cannot be sold on Sundays.

What the law says: Colorado law bars keeping a place open to sell, barter or exchange any new, used or secondhand motor vehicle on Sunday; repair, towing, tire and accessory businesses and boat/snowmobile sales are excepted. Violation is a misdemeanor. The part is scheduled to repeal September 1, 2027.

C.R.S. § 44-20-302 (and -303, -304)

“No person, firm, or corporation ... shall keep open, operate, or assist in keeping open or operating any place or premises or residences ... for the purpose of selling, bartering, or exchanging or offering for sale, barter, or exchange any motor vehicle, whether new, used, or secondhand, on the first day of the week commonly called Sunday.”

Penalty: Misdemeanor: fine of not less than $75 nor more than $1,000, or county jail up to six months, or dealer license suspension/revocation (44-20-303). Part 3 repealed effective September 1, 2027 (44-20-304).

No court opinion in our database cites this section.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

City law, not state law

The claim: Aspen bans throwing snowballs in public.

What the law says: Aspen's municipal code makes it an unclassified misdemeanor to throw a stone, snowball or other missile (or discharge a bow, slingshot, gun, etc.) at any vehicle, building or other property, at any person, or in any public way or place. So there is a current Aspen ordinance naming snowballs, but it targets throwing at things and people or in public ways; it is not a ban on snowball play generally.

Aspen, Colorado: Aspen Municipal Code Sec. 15.05.150, Unlawful to throw stones, snowballs or discharge guns and other missiles (Title 15, ch. 15.05 Unclassified Misdemeanors; re-enacted by Ord. No. 10-26, 5-26-2026) (in force)

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

Real law, twisted claim

The claim: Collecting rainwater is illegal.

What the law says: Colorado lets residents collect rooftop rainwater without a permit in no more than two rain barrels holding 110 gallons combined, at a single-family home or a building with four or fewer units, for outdoor use on the same property, and not for drinking or indoor use (C.R.S. 37-96.5-103, added by House Bill 16-1005 in 2016). Homes that have, or qualify for, certain residential well permits may collect more with a state rooftop-collection permit (C.R.S. 37-90-105(1)(f) and 37-92-602(1)(g), per the Colorado Division of Water Resources). So collecting rainwater is legal within those limits; before the 2016 rain-barrel law it was far more limited.

C.R.S. § 37-96.5-103

“Precipitation from a rooftop may be collected if: (a) No more than two rain barrels with a combined storage capacity of one hundred ten gallons or less are utilized; (b) Precipitation is collected from the rooftop of a building that is used primarily as a single-family residence or a multi-family residence with four or fewer units; (c) The collected precipitation is used for outdoor purposes including irrigation of lawns and gardens; and (d) The collected precipitation is used on the residential property on which the precipitation is collected.”

No court opinion in our database cites this section.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

City law, not state law

The claim: Pueblo caps dandelion height at 10 inches.

What the law says: Pueblo's weed ordinance makes it unlawful for a landowner to let 'weeds' taller than ten inches stand on land, and its definition of weed names the dandelion. It is a city rule, with a fine of $50 to $1,000 on conviction.

Pueblo, Colorado: Pueblo Municipal Code § 7-4-2(a): 'It shall be unlawful for any owner of land ... to permit weeds in excess of ten (10) inches in height to grow, lie or be located upon such land.' Section 7-4-1(1) defines weed to include 'dandelion (Leontodon taraxacum)'. Penalty § 7-4-5: fine not more than $1,000 nor less than $50 plus abatement costs and a $25 surcharge. Native-plant landscaping exempt (amended Ord. 11163, 4-30-26). (in force)

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

Checked October 21, 2026. This is legal history and information, not legal advice. Laws change; the linked official text is the authority.

No car sales on Sunday, for now

The claim that cars cannot be sold on Sundays in Colorado is accurate. C.R.S. § 44-20-302 provides:

No person, firm, or corporation ... shall keep open, operate, or assist in keeping open or operating any place or premises or residences ... for the purpose of selling, bartering, or exchanging or offering for sale, barter, or exchange any motor vehicle, whether new, used, or secondhand, on the first day of the week commonly called Sunday.

Repair, towing, tire and accessory businesses are excepted, and so are boat and snowmobile sales. Under § 44-20-303, a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $75 to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or suspension or revocation of a dealer license.

The rule has an end date. Section 44-20-304 repeals the whole part effective September 1, 2027.

Rainwater: legal in barrels since 2016

The claim that collecting rainwater is illegal in Colorado overstates the law. Before the 2016 rain-barrel law, collection was far more limited. House Bill 16-1005 added C.R.S. § 37-96.5-103, which lets residents collect rooftop rain without a permit if all of these are true:

• No more than two rain barrels are used, with a combined capacity of 110 gallons or less.
• The rain comes off the roof of a single-family home or a building with four or fewer units.
• The water is used outdoors, such as on lawns and gardens.
• The water is used on the same property where it was collected.

It is not for drinking or indoor use. Homes that have, or qualify for, certain residential well permits may collect more under a state rooftop-collection permit (C.R.S. 37-90-105(1)(f) and 37-92-602(1)(g), as the Colorado Division of Water Resources explains).

Three city rules, each with fine print

Boulder's couch rule covers one neighborhood

Boulder bans upholstered furniture outdoors, but not citywide and not under state law. B.R.C. 5-4-16 provides that no person shall place, use, keep, store or maintain upholstered furniture not manufactured for outdoor use, including upholstered chairs, couches and mattresses, in front yards, side yards, certain rear or corner yards next to a public street, or on porches.

The rule applies only in part of the University Hill neighborhood, bordered by Baseline Road on the south, Arapahoe Road on the north, Broadway on the east and, on the west, the west boundary of properties west of Ninth Street. The ordinance has defenses for moving day, yard sales and yards hidden from view. After seven days' notice the city may remove the furniture and charge its costs plus $25.

Aspen's snowball ordinance is about aim

Aspen Municipal Code § 15.05.150 does name snowballs. It makes it an unclassified misdemeanor to throw a stone, snowball or other missile, or to discharge a bow, slingshot or gun, at any vehicle, building or other property, at any person, or in any public way or place.

That is narrower than a ban on snowballs. The ordinance targets throwing at people and things or in public ways, not snowball play generally. The section was re-enacted by Ordinance No. 10-26 on May 26, 2026.

Pueblo's ten-inch dandelions

The Pueblo claim checks out, with a broader rule behind it. Pueblo Municipal Code § 7-4-2(a) makes it unlawful for any landowner to permit weeds in excess of ten inches in height to grow, lie or be located on the land, and § 7-4-1(1) defines weed to include the dandelion (Leontodon taraxacum).

A conviction carries a fine of $50 to $1,000 under § 7-4-5, plus abatement costs and a $25 surcharge. Native-plant landscaping is exempt under an April 2026 amendment (Ord. 11163).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to sell cars on Sunday in Colorado?

C.R.S. § 44-20-302 bars keeping a place open to sell, barter or exchange any new, used or secondhand motor vehicle on Sunday, with exceptions for repair, towing, tire and accessory businesses and boat and snowmobile sales. A violation is a misdemeanor. The part is scheduled to repeal on September 1, 2027.

Is it illegal to collect rainwater in Colorado?

Colorado allows it within limits. C.R.S. § 37-96.5-103, added by House Bill 16-1005 in 2016, allows rooftop collection in up to two rain barrels holding 110 gallons combined, at a single-family home or a building with four or fewer units, for outdoor use on the same property. It is not for drinking or indoor use.

Is it illegal to have a couch on your porch in Boulder?

B.R.C. 5-4-16 bars keeping upholstered furniture not made for outdoor use on porches and in front, side and certain rear yards, but only within a defined part of Boulder’s University Hill neighborhood. It is a city rule, not Colorado state law.

Is throwing snowballs illegal in Aspen?

Aspen Municipal Code § 15.05.150 makes it an unclassified misdemeanor to throw a stone, snowball or other missile at any vehicle, building or other property, at any person, or in any public way or place. It is not a ban on snowball play generally.

Does Pueblo really limit dandelion height?

Pueblo Municipal Code § 7-4-2(a) makes it unlawful for a landowner to permit weeds over ten inches tall, and § 7-4-1(1) defines weed to include the dandelion. A conviction carries a fine of $50 to $1,000.

What are some weird laws in Colorado?

The claims we checked are the Sunday car-sales ban, a ban on collecting rainwater, Boulder’s porch couch rule, Aspen’s snowball rule and Pueblo’s dandelion limit. The car-sales ban is state law; rain collection is legal within limits; the other three are city ordinances.