Click the topics below to learn more about the marijuana licensing process.
Website Feedback
Help us improve your experience on the city’s website by completing our quick satisfaction survey. Your feedback is important!
About Marijuana Business Licenses
The state MED cannot send actual CBI or FBI results to the city due to confidentiality. Also, the City of Boulder has more strict standards for background check review than the state MED, the state's results are not sufficient.
Every applicant's scenario is different, so this is a difficult question to answer. City licensing has seen applications take between 6 weeks to 1 ½ years from filing date to license issuance, depending on the amount of time that it takes for the city to receive FBI results, for the applicant to receive building permits, and for the applicant to complete construction and inspection corrections, which are all highly variable.
Every applicant's scenario is different. City licensing suggests that it is a good idea to talk to an experienced General Contractor who has previously built out a Grow, MIP, wellness center, or dispensary location in the City of Boulder and who is familiar with our local laws and requirements to address this question.
City fees can be found in 4-20-64 B.R.C. Medical Marijuana Businesses and 4-20-67 B.R.C. Recreational Marijuana Businesses
Please remember that applicants cannot have MJ product on-site or begin to grow plants until the applicant has both the city and the state license in hand. If Marijuana is observed at the location before final approval, the application will be denied, no matter how far along the applicant is in the process. If the proposed location has been an MJ location before, the applicant may be further along on the road to city compliance, but they must still complete all inspections, necessary permits, and license issuance procedures.
It is not required, however, it is important to note that no City Staff Member is permitted to provide any legal advice regarding the marijuana business license application or on any documents submitted.
Required Steps
Register for a City of Boulder Self Service Portal
Register at City of Boulder Customer Self-Service Portal
Note - You will use the Customer Self-Service Portal to "Apply" by uploading all of the documents required for your application based on the information and steps below.
Fingerprinting Completed
- Person required to be fingerprinted as part of the Marijuana Licensing process should do so at their earliest possible convenience
- All Owners, Officers, Directors, Partners, Managing Members, Financiers, Primary Caregivers, for persons with Ownership of 10% or More, and for Agents who manage, advise, or are paid more than $1,000 a year from the Business Applicant. Evidence of Rehabilitation or Court Documents for Disposition if applicable as specified in B.R.C.
- Receipts for fingerprinting are saved and submitted with the application documents
- For more information on the fingerprinting process and the Privacy Act Statement please visit the Liquor and Marijuana Fingerprinting webpage
Regulatory Licensing Application Packet Requirements
Below is the list of required forms and documents to submit a legally complete application packet. Forms with links will need to be completed and a pdf of the form will be emailed to you, please save these forms. Items without a link are attachments that you will create and provide. Once you have compiled the list of required documents, they will be uploaded in the Customer Self-Service Portal during the final step of the application process.
Each listed attachment has very specific requirements and we have created a comprehensive Attachment Guide to further explain the requirements of each attachment.
- City Marijuana Business License Application
- City Marijuana Zoning Confirmation Form
- City Background Check Form
- Public Works Industrial Commercial Business Questionnaire (Cultivations only) - after your application is filed, this form will be emailed to you if it is required
- Attachment A: Applicant Corporation, Partnership, or Limited Liability business formation and organization documents as specified in Boulder Revised Code (B.R.C.)
- Attachment B: Fingerprint Receipt and Financial Interest Record forms for all Owners, Officers, Directors, Partners, Managing Members, Financiers, Primary Caregivers, for persons with Ownership of 10% or More, and for Agents who manage, advise, or are paid more than $1,000 a year from the Business Applicant. Evidence of Rehabilitation or Court Documents for Disposition if applicable as specified in B.R.C.
- Attachment C: Summary List of all loans, notes, and gifts, for all listed Financiers
and executed and complete copies of all loan, note, and gift documents as specified in
B.R.C. - Attachment D: Lease or Deed signed by all parties (must be in the legal business name of the applicant), valid as described in the B.R.C., and a Landlord's Clarification Letter of Acknowledgement.
- Attachment E: Certificate of Insurance or other document submitted with license application evidence in compliance with B.R.C.
- Attachment F: Operating Plan with products and services description, dimensioned floor plan, good neighbor plan, and mold and wastewater discharge plan (if any) in B.R.C. (please complete attached template for type of applied for license).
- Attachment G: Security Plan with Confidential Portions Marked and Confidentiality
Reason Identified as specified in B.R.C. (please complete attached template for all license applications). - Attachment H: Lighting Plan for Licensed Premises as specified in B.R.C.: A premise diagram and text explanation (may be added to security diagram) showing outside lighting of the marijuana business for security purposes and compliance with applicable city requirements
- Attachment I: Business License for Sales and Use Tax Application with Zoning Confirmation Form for location approval completed in accordance with B.R.C.
- Attachment J: Bank Records for the last 3 months for an existing business of all checking, savings, and other bank accounts where those bank accounts include deposits and expenditures for business related
activities
Apply & Pay Online
Please make sure you have registered for a Customer Self-Service Account from Step 1 above.
To submit all of your documents, you will need to use our online form to request a secure folder from Regulatory Licensing. Once this has been created, you will be sent an email with the application number in the Customer Self-Service Portal where you will upload your documentation and pay applicable City of Boulder Fees.
Cultivation Business Requirement
Read the Overview of Energy Requirements for Marijuana Grows and instructions for registering your Marijuana Cultivation Business
Licensed medical and recreational cannabis cultivation facilities are required to Report Energy Use (Chapter 6-14-9(g) and Chapter 6-16-9(g)) to the City of Boulder and comply with the Renewable Energy Requirements (Chapter 6-14-8(i) and Chapter 6-16-8(i)) to offset 100 percent of their electricity use.
Licensing Process
- City Staff will submit your Zoning Form to Planning & Development Services for Zoning review. Please note if your location is unable to meet zoning requirements, the city will refund the Marijuana Business License Fee.
- City Staff will begin processing your application and materials, including your background check results. You will receive an Application Review Sheet with important information and dates for your public hearing before the Cannabis Licensing and Advisory Board (CLAB).
- You will receive notification for your hearing poster as well as other important documents for your hearing from City Staff.
- Please ensure that you forward all documentation you receive from the State of Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division to your assigned staff member.
- Once approved by the Cannabis Licensing and Advisory Board, you will receive instructions for our online calendar to schedule all required inspections. You must pass all required inspections before your license will be issued.
- Once City Staff has received confirmation that all inspections have been passed and have received final State of Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division approvals, your City License will be sent to the email address on file.
- Please be aware that the inspection and one re-inspection are included in the application and licensing fees. Any additional inspections will incur additional fees per City Manager Rule.