Subdivision Rules & Regulations – Denver, CO

Subdivision Rules & Regulations is the City and County of Denver document that sets the standards a Subdivision Plan must meet when land is legally divided or combined into parcels, lots, blocks, or public rights-of-way.

The Denver E-permits application guide ties the rules to the Subdivision Plan application. That application ends in a recorded Subdivision Plat. It ensures that each new lot meets the Subdivision Rules & Regulations and that any necessary public improvements are secured before the plat is recorded. The guide adds that special requirements apply in certain areas, such as the Gateway area near Denver's airport.

The subdivision process is how new lots that can be sold or developed are created, and how land is dedicated for streets, alleys, or other public purposes.

The rules are not the same as the neighboring applications the guide describes:

• A Zone Lot Amendment changes zone lot boundaries for zoning purposes without a full replat.
• A Zoning Permit confirms that a project or use complies with the Denver Zoning Code.
• The Building Log is the entry point for projects that need building permits and plan review.

Planning and Development publishes the rules as a PDF on the City and County of Denver website.

Anyone who plans to legally divide or combine land into parcels, lots, blocks, or public rights-of-way works with these rules, because the Subdivision Plan application is checked against them and results in a recorded Subdivision Plat.

• People creating new lots that can be sold or developed.
• People dedicating land for streets, alleys, or other public purposes.
• People whose property lies in an area with special subdivision requirements, such as the Gateway area near Denver's airport.

Do not use the Subdivision Plan route if you only need to change the boundaries of a zone lot for zoning purposes, such as splitting a lot into buildable lots, combining parcels, or adjusting boundary lines to resolve encroachments, without a full replat. The guide points those cases to the Zone Lot Amendment application, and for amendments involving three or more zone lots it says to submit a Concept Plan first.

The guide does not say who may sign or apply on behalf of an owner.

Begin a Subdivision Plan when you intend to legally divide or combine land into parcels, lots, blocks, or public rights-of-way, because the process ends in a recorded Subdivision Plat. Each new lot must meet the Subdivision Rules & Regulations, and any necessary public improvements must be secured before the plat is recorded, so check the rules before you design the lots.

If your change is only to a zone lot boundary and does not need a full replat, the Zone Lot Amendment application applies instead. When a zone lot amendment involves three or more zone lots, the guide says to submit a Concept Plan first.

The Subdivision Rules & Regulations document itself is not submitted. The application it supports, the Subdivision Plan, is filed through the City and County of Denver's E-permits system.

• E-permits: choose the Subdivision Plan application listed under Site Planning. The E-permits application guide summarizes each application so you can pick the right one before you start.
• Related applications: if your change is only to zone lot boundaries, select Zone Lot Amendment. If your project also needs building permits, the guide recommends the Building Log application.

The guide lists no mailing address, in-person counter or fee amount for the Subdivision Plan. For questions about the process, contact City and County of Denver Planning and Development. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the agency's channels above.