PUBLIC PROPERTY

Denver Revised Municipal Code ch. 38, art. III, div. 2

in effect

Denver Revised Municipal Code § 38-61 Damaging, defacing or destruction of public property.

Sec. 38-61. - Damaging, defacing or destruction of public property. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to damage, deface, destroy or injure the real or personal property of the city in the course of a single episode where the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). (b) Deface as used in subsection (a) shall include, but not be limited to, the writing, painting, inscribing, drawing, scratching or scribbling upon any public wall or public surface owned, operated or maintained by the city, unless the city grants written permission for said writing, painting, inscribing, drawing, scratching or scribbling. (c) Violation of this section is a class 4 offense if the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is less than three hundred dollars ($300.00). (d) Violation of this section is a class 3 offense if the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is three hundred dollars ($300.00) or more but less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). (Code 1950, § 851.1; Ord. No. 388-85, § 1, 7-15-85; Ord. No. 464-92, § 1, 7-13-92; Ord. No. 580-94, § 1, 7-25-94; Ord. No. 448-07, § 5, 8-20-07; Ord. No. 677-07, § 2, 11-19-07; Ord. No. 328-26, § 11, 6-29-26)

Denver Revised Municipal Code § 38-62 Protection of fire and police department property.

Sec. 38-62. - Protection of fire and police department property. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to deface any fire station, fire apparatus, police station or police apparatus. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct, destroy or interfere with any public hydrant, fire plug, fire alarm, fire signal or any related apparatus of the fire department. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person to deface, scratch or stencil or post bills on any pole used for the wires of the police or fire telegraph or telephones; or to cut, disconnect or disturb the wires of the same. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person to do or attempt to do any act which would tend to impair the full and efficient service of the police department or the fire department. (Code 1950, § 851.2)

Denver Revised Municipal Code § 38-63 Protection of public library property.

Sec. 38-63. - Protection of public library property. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to write in, injure, deface, tear or destroy any book, plate, picture, engraving, map, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, periodical, manuscript, film or phonograph record belonging to the public library. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to damage or deface the grounds, building, furniture, fixtures or other property of the public library. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to return any books or other items borrowed from and belonging to the public library in accordance with the requirements of the bylaws or other rules and regulations of the library commission. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person to remove or to assist in the removal from the public library or any of its regional libraries, branch libraries, or neighborhood libraries, deposit stations, collections or bookmobiles, any book, plate, picture, engraving, map, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, periodical, manuscript, film, phonograph record, or other item belonging to the public library without first having the same charged or checked out by the proper agent or employee of the public library in accordance with the requirements of the bylaws or other rules and regulations of the library commission. (e) Violation of this section is a class 4 offense if the aggregate damage to the library property or the aggregate value of the library property taken is less than three hundred dollars ($300.00). (f) Violation of this section is a class 3 offense if the aggregate damage to the library property or the aggregate value of the library property taken is three hundred dollars ($300.00) or more but less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). (Code 1950, § 851.3; Ord. No. 328-26, § 12, 6-29-26)

Denver Revised Municipal Code § 38-64 Injuring sidewalks.

Sec. 38-64. - Injuring sidewalks. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to break or otherwise injure any sidewalk. (b) Violation of this section is a class 4 offense if the aggregate damage to the sidewalk is less than three hundred dollars ($300.00). (c) Violation of this section is a class 3 offense if the aggregate damage to the sidewalk is three hundred dollars ($300.00) or more but less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). (Code 1950, § 851.4; Ord. No. 328-26, § 13, 6-29-26)

Denver Revised Municipal Code § 38-65 Painting or decorating public buildings.

Sec. 38-65. - Painting or decorating public buildings. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to paint or decorate any building, fence or other structure or property owned, leased or used by the city without the written permission of the department head responsible for such building, fence or other structure or property. (b) In the case of a building, fence or other structure or property managed or in any other way controlled by the parks and recreation department, such permission shall consist of the approval of the subject or type of decoration by a majority of the parks and recreation advisory board, in addition to the approval of the manager of parks and recreation, before actual decoration may lawfully begin. (c) Violation of this section is a class 4 offense if the aggregate damage to the building, fence or other structure is less than three hundred dollars ($300.00). (d) Violation of this section is a class 3 offense if the aggregate damage to the building, fence or other structure is three hundred dollars ($300.00) or more but less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). (Code 1950, § 851.7; Ord. No. 328-26, § 14, 6-29-26)

Source: City and County of Denver, Revised Municipal Code and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/co/denver/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIREMUCO_CH38OFMIPR_ARTIIIOFAGPR_DIV2PUPRFetched: 10/27/2026