Colorado: Wildfire Code, Grants & Insurance

Last verified 2026-06-11 · Methodology · Changelog

Statewide mandatory

Colorado is one of only two states (with California) with a mandatory wildfire code framework in effect statewide as of April 2026. The Wildfire Resiliency Code Board, created by SB23-166 (2023), adopted the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code on July 1, 2025. Local governments with jurisdiction in mapped wildland-urban interface areas were required to adopt a code meeting or exceeding the board's minimums by April 1, 2026, with full compliance by July 1, 2026. Requirements scale with mapped fire intensity classifications (Low, Moderate, High) and cover structure hardening and defensible space.

Defensible space law

Colorado has no standalone statewide defensible space statute equivalent to California's PRC 4291. Defensible space requirements arrive through the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, which applies structure hardening and defensible space standards to parcels in designated Wildfire Hazard Areas according to their mapped fire intensity classification (Low, Moderate, High), enforced by local jurisdictions.

Statutes and rules

• SB23-166 (2023), establishing the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board [source]
• Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (adopted July 1, 2025; local adoption deadline April 1, 2026; compliance July 1, 2026) [source]

Adoption history

Date	Event	Source
2023-05	SB23-166 signed, creating the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board within the Division of Fire Prevention and Control.	link
2025-07	Wildfire Resiliency Code Board adopted the statewide code.	link
2026-04	Deadline for WUI jurisdictions to adopt the code (or stronger). Confirmed as one of two states with mandatory statewide wildfire codes in effect.	link
2026-07	Full compliance deadline for WUI jurisdictions.	link

Insurance market conditions

Colorado homeowners premiums rose about 58 percent from 2018 to 2023, the fourth highest average in the nation at roughly 4,600 dollars per year, with wildfire risk driving availability problems in foothills communities and hail driving affordability. The Colorado FAIR Plan, created by 2023 legislation, began accepting applications April 10, 2025; eligibility requires three private-market declinations and policies pay actual cash value.

Sources: [1] · [2] · [3]

Market data is presented as sourced conditions, not advice about any carrier or policy decision. Verify current conditions with the state insurance department or a licensed professional.

County records

County	Local code status	Programs	Last verified
Boulder County	Adopted with local amendments	1	2026-06-11

Counties appear only when their records are substantially complete and verified. Coverage is expanding.