The New Application Checklist, printed under the title Checklist for New Marijuana Licenses & Permits, is a Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting guide for anyone preparing to apply for a new marijuana license or permit in unincorporated Boulder County. It lists what to decide, which approvals to obtain first and which documents to include in the application. On this page you can fill out the checklist online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original is published by the county at the address linked below.
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What is New Application Checklist – Boulder County, CO?
The New Application Checklist, titled Checklist for New Marijuana Licenses & Permits, is a Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting guide that lists what an applicant should consider and include before submitting an application for a new marijuana license or permit in Boulder County.
The checklist states its own purpose: to give general information on the application process. It is not the application. The license application is a separate document, the Boulder County New Marijuana Business License Application, which the checklist lists among the items to submit.
The checklist is built in two parts, "Before Submitting an Application" and "Submitting an Application," followed by a fee schedule and a list of contact numbers. The first part covers choosing the license or permit type, contacting a planner about zoning and Land Use Code approvals, the allowed zones and distance restrictions, and reviewing the Boulder County Marijuana Licensing Regulations. The second part lists the documents to include: the state application, a Colorado sales tax license, well and septic evidence, a site plan, a floor plan, a parking plan, lighting and signage information, a sustainability item for cultivations, and fees.
The license and permit types it names are:
- Medical and/or Retail Marijuana Store
- Medical and/or Retail Marijuana Product Manufacturer
- Medical and/or Retail Marijuana Cultivation
- Medical and/or Retail Marijuana Testing Facility
- Medical and/or Retail Marijuana Transporter
- Off-Premises Storage Permit
- Marijuana Research and Development license
This is a marijuana licensing checklist. It contains nothing about property tax.
Who needs to file New Application Checklist – Boulder County, CO?
Anyone planning to open a marijuana business in unincorporated Boulder County and applying for a new license or permit uses this checklist. The checklist says its topics are for all applicants, whatever the type: store, product manufacturer, cultivation, testing facility, transporter, off-premises storage permit or research and development license.
Points that decide whether the checklist applies to you:
- Medical applicants also submit a completed copy of the state form DR 8530 to Boulder County.
- Retail applicants apply first with the state Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), which then forwards the completed state application (form DR 8548) to the county.
- Cultivation applicants must also address the sustainability item.
Boulder County does not issue marijuana licenses for the incorporated towns and cities inside the county, such as the City of Boulder or the Town of Nederland. If your business is in one of them, contact that jurisdiction; the county's marijuana licensing page lists phone numbers for the cities of Boulder, Longmont, Louisville and Lafayette and the Town of Nederland.
The checklist's contact list also points caregivers to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and industrial hemp questions to the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Residential cultivation is described by the county as an accessory use to a residence, separate from licensing.
When to file New Application Checklist – Boulder County, CO
Use the checklist before you submit a new marijuana license or permit application. Its first requirement is timing: all Land Use Code approvals must be obtained before the license application is submitted, so contact a planner at Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting (303-441-3930) about the location first.
Retail applicants have a second sequencing rule. They apply with the state Marijuana Enforcement Division first, and the MED then forwards the completed state application to Boulder County.
Once the planning approvals are in place, you submit the license application with the documents the checklist lists. The checklist prints no deadline or processing time of its own. After the application is reviewed and complete, the county's licensing staff call to collect payment of fees when the application is emailed.
Documents you need
- Boulder County New Marijuana Business License Application: the county application form the checklist lists first among the items to include.
- State application for medical marijuana: a completed copy of Colorado Business Medical Marijuana License Application form DR 8530, submitted to Boulder County.
- State application for retail marijuana: Colorado Business Retail Marijuana License Application form DR 8548. Apply with the state MED first; the MED forwards it to the county.
- Sales Tax License from the Colorado Department of Revenue.
- Well and septic permits: copies of the permits and the Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Certificate of Final Approval for the property, or a utility bill if the property is connected to a local utility company.
- Site plan on 8.5 x 11 or 11 x 17 inch drawings showing north arrow, standard scale, use of land and structures, address, size and dimensions of the property, project name and preparation date, plus all buildings on the property.
- Floor plan showing how the floor space is or will be used, with the dimensions and use of every room.
- Parking plan for the property, including parking for the entire parcel.
- Lighting and signage description of existing or proposed items, as photographs or diagrams with dimensions and elevations; new signage covers the entire parcel, new lighting the building of the business.
- For cultivations: proof of the electrical consumption offset, or a signed BCEIOF Participation Agreement if you choose to pay into the Boulder County Energy Impact Offset Fund instead.
How to fill out New Application Checklist – Boulder County, CO
Determine your license or permit type
In the first box under Before Submitting an Application, decide which type you need: store, product manufacturer, cultivation, testing facility, transporter, off-premises storage permit or research and development license. For the first five, choose medical, retail or both.
Contact a planner about the location
Mark the second box once you have spoken with a planner at Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting (303-441-3930) about zoning and required Land Use Code approvals. All approvals are required before you submit the license application.
Check allowed zones and distances
Confirm the property is in a Business, Commercial, Transitional, Light Industrial or General Industrial zone. Check the 500-foot spacing rule and the 1000-foot rule for stores and centers listed on the checklist.
Review the licensing regulations
Read the Boulder County Marijuana Licensing Regulations at the web address printed on the checklist and mark the box. Call 303-441-3930 with questions.
Gather the county and state applications
Include the Boulder County New Marijuana Business License Application. Add form DR 8530 for medical marijuana; for retail, apply with the state MED first and form DR 8548 is forwarded to the county.
Add the tax license and well and septic proof
Include the Colorado Department of Revenue Sales Tax License. Provide copies of well and septic permits and the Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Certificate of Final Approval, or a utility bill if connected to a local utility.
Prepare the site plan
Draw the site plan on 8.5 x 11 or 11 x 17 inch sheets using the checklist elements: north arrow, standard scale, use of land and structures, address, property size in acres and dimensions, project name and preparation date. Add a drawing of all buildings on the property.
Prepare floor and parking plans
Show how the floor space is or will be used, with the dimensions and use of every room. Provide a parking plan for the property, including parking for the entire parcel.
Document lighting and signage
Describe the nature and location of existing or proposed lighting and signage, using photographs or diagrams with dimensions and elevations. New signage covers the entire parcel; new lighting covers the building of the business.
Address sustainability for cultivations
If you are applying for a cultivation, show how you will offset 100% of electrical consumption, or sign the BCEIOF Participation Agreement if you pay into the fund instead. See Article 8.5(i) of the licensing regulations.
Prepare the fees
Check the fee schedule on page 2 of the checklist and make checks payable to Boulder County Treasurer. If you email the application, the county calls to collect payment after review.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that every box matches the items you have prepared. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit New Application Checklist – Boulder County, CO
The checklist itself is not filed; the application it describes goes to Boulder County Marijuana Licensing by email or by mail with payment.
- Email: send the applicable application form and all required documents to [email protected]. The county's licensing staff then call to collect payment of fees once the materials are reviewed and complete.
- Mail: mail the application with payment to the address given on the county's marijuana licensing page. The checklist letterhead lists Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting at 2045 13th Street, Boulder, CO 80302, and P.O. Box 471, Boulder, CO 80306.
- Questions: call Boulder County Marijuana Licensing at 303-441-3930.
Fees apply, and the checklist's fee schedule gives the amounts; check with the county for current figures. Checks are made payable to Boulder County Treasurer.
For retail marijuana, the state application is not sent by you: the MED forwards it after you apply with the state. For medical marijuana, include a completed copy of form DR 8530.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting the license application before obtaining all Land Use Code approvals; the checklist requires them prior to submission.
- Applying to Boulder County for a business inside an incorporated town or city, where the county does not issue marijuana licenses.
- Sending the retail state application yourself instead of applying with the state MED first and letting the MED forward it to the county.
- Omitting the completed copy of form DR 8530 from a medical marijuana application.
- Choosing a Business, Commercial or Transitional zone location less than 500 feet from another Marijuana Establishment in the same zone.
- Placing a Retail Marijuana Store or Medical Marijuana Center less than 1000 feet from an alcohol or drug treatment facility, licensed childcare facility or educational facility below college grade level.
- Drawing the site plan on sheets other than 8.5 x 11 or 11 x 17 inches, or leaving out checklist elements such as the north arrow or scale.
- Submitting lighting and signage documentation without dimensions and elevations.
- Leaving out the sustainability item for a cultivation, which must offset 100% of electrical consumption or use the BCEIOF fee option.
- Writing the fee check to anyone other than Boulder County Treasurer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Boulder County New Application Checklist?
It is a Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting checklist titled Checklist for New Marijuana Licenses & Permits. It gives general information on applying for a new marijuana license or permit: steps to take first, documents to include and a fee schedule. It is not the application.
Is this a Boulder County property tax form?
No. This document is a marijuana licensing checklist from Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting and has no property tax content. It does list a Colorado Department of Revenue sales tax license among the items to include in a license application.
Do I need planning approval before I apply for a marijuana license?
Yes. The checklist says all Land Use Code approvals are required before you submit a license application. Call a planner at Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting at 303-441-3930 to discuss the location, zoning and required approvals.
Does Boulder County license marijuana businesses in the City of Boulder?
No. The county licenses only businesses in unincorporated Boulder County. For the incorporated towns and cities, such as Boulder or Nederland, contact the local jurisdiction; the county's licensing page lists phone numbers for each.
What do I include with a new marijuana license application?
Include the Boulder County application, the state application, a Colorado sales tax license, well and septic evidence, a site plan, floor plan, parking plan, lighting and signage documentation, the sustainability item for cultivations, and fees paid to Boulder County Treasurer.
What is the difference between the medical and retail state application?
For medical marijuana you submit a completed copy of form DR 8530 to Boulder County. For retail marijuana you apply with the state Marijuana Enforcement Division first, using form DR 8548, and the MED forwards the completed application to the county.
How do I submit a Boulder County marijuana license application?
Email the application and documents to [email protected], or mail them with payment to the address on the county's marijuana licensing page. If you email, licensing staff call you to collect the fees once the materials are complete.
Can I fill out the Boulder County checklist online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the checklist PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not submit anything to Boulder County; the application goes through the county's channels.
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