Business Portal

Overview

Use this as a starting place for commercial development projects in Fort Collins.

I'm Starting or Changing My Business

Jump to:

Business Location
Vested Rights
Restaurant Roadmap
Home Business License
Outdoor Business License
Urban Agriculture
Sign Permits
Short-Term Rentals
I need another type of license
I need another kind of permit

Business Location

Use the zoning map to find your location's zoning:

Zoning Map

Use the Land Use Code to Find out what types of business are allowed in your zone district:

Land Use Code

Changing the function or use of your space or remodel work may require a building permit:

Building Permits

Vested Rights

Some properties in existing subdivisions already have approved uses.

Find documents showing what has been approved for properties within an existing subdivision in our public records database.

Use FCMaps to find the name of a subdivision.

Find Subdivision Records

Restaurant Roadmap

Use our step-by-step guide if you’re opening or changing a restaurant:

Restaurant Roadmap

Home Business License

Apply to operate a business from your home:

Home Business License

A “home business” is any income-producing activity run from a residential dwelling (e.g., workshop, consulting, instruction, etc.)

Some uses are not allowed as home businesses: e.g., restaurants, nursing homes, tourist homes, animal hospitals.

License required; fee = $25; valid for 2 years.

Conditions:

No more than 50% of the home used for business.
Only one non-resident employee/co-worker allowed.
No retail sales except incidental; no exterior storage; parking requirements may apply.
Signage limits: up to 2 square feet (sq. ft.) (local/collector streets) or 4 sq. ft. (arterial streets).
See Article 4, Section 4.3.1(G) (p. 14) of the Land Use Code for more details.

Outdoor Vendor License

Apply to sell goods or services in outdoor spaces:

Outdoor Vendor License

You must have a valid sales tax license before applying for an outdoor vendor license.

Application packet must be complete; incomplete packets will delay approval.

Outdoor vendors must pre-approve the location(s) they intend to vend. You can’t just “pop up” anywhere.

Types of vendors: Food trucks, pushcarts, vendors of goods or services. Regulations differ by zone.

Zoning Map

Restrictions:

Zoning: Outdoor vendors can’t operate in non-residential zone districts, private property, or streets in non-neighborhood zone districts where parallel parking is allowed .
Timing: Can't operate 3-7 a.m.

Urban Agriculture

Permits to grow and sell produce — different from a home vegetable garden, which does not require any permitting:

Urban Agriculture

Sign Permits

Requirements for permanent and temporary signs:

Sign Permits

All new signs (including refacing existing cabinets) require a sign permit.

Temporary banners/feather flags require a temporary sign permit.

Temporary sign permits are free.

Limits:

“Banner days”: established businesses can use up to 40 banner days/year (can be split up). Feather flags up to 20 days/year.
Max size for any one banner is 40 sq ft.
No more than one banner facing each street frontage, unless multiple banners per street are used, but with total sq ft. limit per street.

Banners and feather flags cannot be displayed concurrently.

Feather flags must be installed in landscaped areas.

Location constraints: banners/pennants must be on‐site of the business; cannot be in the public right‐of‐way.

Find all the Sign Code rules in Land Use Code Division 5.16, Signs.

Short-Term Rentals

Information and licenses for rental properties offered for less than 30 days in a row:

Short-Term Rentals

I need another kind of license:

Licenses

I need another kind of permit:

Permits

I Need Funding or Resources

Business Assistance Programs and Grants

Local resources, assistance programs and grants for Fort Collins organizations and businesses:

Business Assistance

Economic Health Office

Our Economic Health Office offers personalized help and guidance in addition programs, support and resources for Fort Collins businesses.

Business Resources and Support

I Need To Understand the Development Review Rules

Land Use Regulations

All projects must follow the Land Use Code. It contains standards that standards that may affect your project such as:

Parking requirements.
Setbacks and build-to lines.
Subdividing or platting a property.

Find more information about those common standards and more:

Rules for Common Projects

For subdivisions and plat maps, search in Engineering Documents under the name of your subdivision.

Additional Regulations

When you make changes to a building, you will need to follow rules from many departments: fire authority, environmental planning, engineering, utilities, building, etc.