Colorado § 27-81-117 Criminal laws - limitations

Colorado Statutes

§ 27-81-117 — Criminal laws - limitations

Colorado § 27-81-117

Title 27Behavioral

Art.Substance Use Disorders

This text of Colorado § 27-81-117 (Criminal laws - limitations) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 27-81-117 (2026).

Text

(1)A county, municipality, or other political subdivision may not adopt or enforce a local law, ordinance, resolution, or rule having the force of law that includes drinking, being a person with an alcohol use disorder, or being found in an intoxicated condition as one of the elements of the offense giving rise to a criminal or civil penalty or sanction.

(2)A county, municipality, or other political subdivision shall not interpret or apply any law of general application to circumvent the provisions of subsection (1) of this section.

(3)Nothing in this article 81 affects any law, ordinance, resolution, or rule against drunken driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or other similar offense involving the operation of a vehicle, an aircraft, or a boat or machin

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(1) A county, municipality, or other
political subdivision may not adopt or enforce a local law, ordinance, resolution, or
rule having the force of law that includes drinking, being a person with an alcohol
use disorder, or being found in an intoxicated condition as one of the elements of
the offense giving rise to a criminal or civil penalty or sanction.

(2) A county, municipality, or other political subdivision shall not interpret or
apply any law of general application to circumvent the provisions of subsection (1)
of this section.

(3) Nothing in this article 81 affects any law, ordinance, resolution, or rule
against drunken driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or other
similar offense involving the operation of a vehicle, an aircraft, or a boat or
machinery or other equipment or regarding the sale, purchase, dispensing,
possessing, or use of drugs or alcoholic beverages at stated times and places or by
a particular class of persons.

(4) The fact that a person is intoxicated by alcohol, under the influence of
drugs, or incapacitated by substances does not prevent the person's arrest or
prosecution for the commission of any criminal act or conduct not enumerated in
subsection (1) of this section.

(5) Nothing in this article 81 limits the right of a police officer to make an
otherwise legal arrest, notwithstanding the fact that the arrested person may be
intoxicated by alcohol, under the influence of drugs, or incapacitated by
substances.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2010: Entire article added with relocations, (SB 10-175), ch. 188, p. 744, � 2, effective April 29. L. 2017: (1) amended, (SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1370, � 282, effective May 25. L. 2020: Entire section amended, (SB 20-007), ch. 286, p. 1407, � 25, effective July 13.