Denver and the metro
Moving in Denver and the metro: what changes from place to place
The moving itself is the same across the metro. The rules around it change: who issues street space for the truck, which county's roads you're on, and whether mountain chain rules or a campus move-in week affect your date. Inside the City and County of Denver, a truck parked on the street needs a DOTI permit. The suburbs are separate cities with their own rules.
The ZIP list below is where our form accepts requests. We have not signed a partner mover yet, so it is not a promise of coverage; we tell you by email if no mover covers your ZIP and date.
We are an independent publisher, not a moving company. Facts last checked . How we source.
Where requests are accepted
The quote form accepts origin ZIP codes beginning 800, 801, 802, 803, 804, plus 80602. In practice that covers:
- 800, 801 and 802: Denver, Aurora, Englewood, Littleton, Centennial, Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, Thornton and Lakewood.
- 803: Boulder.
- 804: Golden and the Jefferson County foothills.
- 80602: part of Thornton. Most other 806 ZIPs are further north, toward Greeley, and are outside the form.
A destination anywhere is fine. A move from these ZIPs to another state is covered by the long-distance guide.
Parking rules by city
Where the truck parks matters more for your schedule than any other local rule.
Denver
Denver requires a permit to park a moving truck or van in the street. Where there are parking meters you file a Parking Meter Request; otherwise a Right-of-Way Street Occupancy request. Street occupancy permits take at least five days to review. Denver meter bagging requests take up to 72 hours to process, and DOTI asks for them at least one week ahead. (Denver DOTI FAQ; Street Occupancy, read 2026-09-29.)
- Check the blockMeters on the curb, or none? That decides which request you file.
- Decide who filesYou or the mover. Ask at booking.
- File earlyAt least a week ahead for meters; allow 5+ days of review for street occupancy.
- ConfirmKeep the approval with you on moving day.
Aurora
Aurora runs Neighborhood Parking Permit districts, where posted signs set when a permit is needed. Its terms say a permit does not allow parking in loading zones, in no-parking-anytime areas, or against other posted restrictions. We found no Aurora rule written specifically for moving trucks. Read the signs on your block, and ask the city if a truck will block traffic for long. (City of Aurora, read 2026-10-20.)
Broomfield
In Broomfield, a storage container or POD may sit on a public street only with an Engineering Division permit, required when it stays more than 24 hours; the permit lasts up to 30 days (180 with an active building permit). No permit is needed on a driveway or other private property. (Broomfield Engineering Division, read 2026-10-20.) The placement setbacks are on the Broomfield moving guide.
Unincorporated Jefferson County
In unincorporated Jefferson County, a dumpster, roll-off or other container on a public street needs a Temporary Container Placement permit: $50 (plus 2.5% by card), applied for online, with 48 hours allowed for review. It covers county roads only, not cities such as Golden, Lakewood or Arvada. (Jefferson County, read 2026-10-20.)
Boulder and Golden
Boulder runs Neighborhood Parking Permit zones with their own hours, and Golden's 17th Street turns one-way during Colorado School of Mines move-in. Each has its own guide: moving in Boulder and moving in Golden.
Other suburbs
Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Englewood, Littleton, Centennial and Thornton each set their own street rules. We have not confirmed a moving-truck permit process for them, so we don't describe one. Call the city's transportation or public works office, and check the posted signs on both streets.
Denver neighborhoods: what to check
Every neighborhood below is inside the City and County of Denver, so the DOTI street rules apply. Buildings within one neighborhood vary a great deal. The table shows what tends to decide moving day there, as questions to check, not as facts about your building.
| Neighborhood | Housing you may be moving from or to | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown, LoDo and Union Station | High-rise and mid-rise residential buildings | A loading dock or zone booking, a freight elevator window, a certificate of insurance; a Parking Meter Request if the truck parks at a meter |
| Capitol Hill and Cheesman Park | Mixed apartment buildings, including older buildings without elevators | Whether there is an elevator, the stairs and turns, and street space for the truck (a DOTI request) |
| RiNo and Five Points | Newer apartment buildings alongside older houses | The building's move rules and dock if it is a managed building; street space if it is a house |
| Washington Park and south-central Denver | Mostly houses, with some small apartment buildings | The walk from the street to the door, the basement and garage, and a DOTI street occupancy request if the truck parks on the street |
| Highlands (LoHi, West Highland) | Houses, townhomes and newer low-rise buildings | Interior stairs in townhomes, steep or narrow streets, and the DOTI request |
For managed buildings, the apartment and condo guide lists the questions to put to management and explains certificates of insurance.
Twelve places, and what actually differs
Each place below is listed because something about moving there differs from the next town, not just because of its name. Places are ordered by distance from downtown Denver.
| Place | Population (2024) | Miles from downtown | County | What differs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver DOTI street permit | 729,019 | 0 | City and County of Denver | A truck parked on a Denver street needs a DOTI permit, reviewed in at least five days; metered blocks need a separate request. |
| Aurora Buckley SFB | 403,130 | 9.3 | Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas | Home to Buckley Space Force Base. Moves under military orders are booked through the base, so a private mover quote is for everything else.Verify |
| Englewood Hospital district | 35,238 | 10 | Arapahoe | Englewood, Colorado, in Arapahoe County, home to Swedish Medical Center and Craig Hospital, whose campuses set their own dock rules. |
| Thornton Adams and Weld | 146,689 | 11.4 | Adams and Weld | Runs from Adams County north into Weld County. Its 80602 ZIP is inside our form's area even though most 806 ZIPs are not. |
| Centennial Tech Center offices | 108,853 | 11.8 | Arapahoe | Borders the Denver Tech Center, where office buildings book freight elevators and docks and ask movers for a certificate of insurance. |
| Westminster Adams and Jefferson | 115,302 | 12.6 | Adams and Jefferson | Straddles Adams and Jefferson counties along US 36, so the county line runs through the city. |
| Lakewood Foothills edge | 156,868 | 13.3 | Jefferson | Lakewood, Colorado, in Jefferson County. Moves west join I-70 or US 285, both on CDOT's September–May chain-carry routes. |
| Littleton Address vs. city limits | 44,879 | 14 | Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson | Many Littleton mailing addresses lie in unincorporated Jefferson, Arapahoe or Douglas County, so street rules follow the county, not the city.Verify |
| Arvada Jefferson and Adams | 121,873 | 15.1 | Jefferson and Adams | Split between Jefferson and Adams counties, so which side your street is on decides whose road rules apply. |
| Broomfield City and county | 78,323 | 16 | City and County of Broomfield | A consolidated city and county, so one government handles its streets. Not part of Adams, Boulder, Jefferson or Weld. |
| Golden Mines and I-70 | 20,151 | 17.6 | Jefferson | Home to the Colorado School of Mines and the gateway to I-70 and US 6 into the mountains, where chain rules bind trucks from September to May. |
| Boulder CU move-in week | 106,803 | 26.7 | Boulder | CU Boulder's fall 2026 residence hall move-in ran 15–19 August, when student moves fill the streets. The far edge of our area. |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimates. Distances are from our location research (2026-09). County lists are where each city's boundaries fall.
Moving between Denver and a suburb
A move from Denver to Aurora, Lakewood or Boulder is still a local Colorado move under the PUC. Most sources bill it by crew and hour, so the extra drive is billed time. Things to plan for:
- Two parking regimes. Denver DOTI at one end, and the suburb's rules at the other.
- Drive time on the clock. Ask whether the mover bills travel between the two addresses at the hourly rate, and roughly how long it expects the drive to take at your moving time.
- Utilities change providers at the city line. Water and trash service are local; see the moving checklist.
- The address vs. jurisdiction question above, for street rules at the suburban end.
Golden, Boulder and the foothills
Moves to or through the foothills reach the state highways that carry Colorado's chain rule. From 1 September to 31 May, commercial vehicles over 16,000 pounds must carry chains on about 1,400 miles of Colorado highway, including sections of I-70, CO 9 and US 40, 50, 160, 285 and 550. The fine for not carrying them is $500. (CDOT.) For a move to Evergreen, Conifer or further into the mountains, ask the mover how it handles chain-law days and weather closures, and whether a delay costs you.
Season and campus dates
- Snow season: Denver's average first measurable snow falls on 19 October and the last on 28 April. The 1991–2020 seasonal normal is 49.0 inches, with 8.8 inches in March. (NWS Boulder.)
- Boulder in August: CU Boulder's fall 2026 residence hall move-in ran 16–18 August, with Bear Creek and Code Talker halls 15–19 August. Moves in Boulder around those dates compete with student traffic and parking. (CU Boulder.)
- Peak season everywhere: May through September, weekends and month-end. moveBuddha puts the premium at 20–30%. See the cost guide.
Common questions about moving around the Denver metro
Do I need a parking permit for a moving truck in Denver?
If the truck parks on a Denver street, yes. File a Parking Meter Request with DOTI on a metered block, or a Right-of-Way Street Occupancy request elsewhere. Allow at least five days, and ask the mover who files.
Do the same permit rules apply in Aurora or Lakewood?
No. Each suburb is a separate city. Aurora runs neighborhood parking permit districts with posted signs; for the others, call the city and read the signs on your street. We don't publish a process we haven't confirmed.
Is a move from Denver to Boulder a long-distance move?
No. It is a local Colorado move under the PUC, usually billed by the hour, so drive time counts. Long-distance rules apply only when you leave Colorado.
Will you build a separate page for my neighborhood?
Only when there is something genuinely different to say about moving there. Until then, this page covers the metro, and we do not publish near-identical city pages.
Related guides
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