New laws coming to Colorado in 2019

With the arrival of 2019, a number of new laws are now in effect in Colorado.

We’ve compiled a list of those laws to make things a little easier on what’s to come:

1.) Full-strength beer:

Full-strength beer will be hitting grocery and convenience store shelves starting Tuesday, Jan. 1. A bill which passed in 2016, known as Senate Bill 197, changed the definition of what’s considered a “fermented malt beverage.” That classification is now going away, allowing beer over 3.2 to be sold inside stores.

Also under the new law, any store that wants to sell beer must now be 500 feet away from any school, and employees selling the beer may now be only 18 years old, instead of 21.

As for the selling of liquor or wine, those are still only available for purchase inside Colorado liquor stores.

2.) Immigrant drivers’ licenses

Starting on the first of the new year, Colorado residents who cannot prove their lawful presence in the United States will now be able to use a Social Security number in order to obtain a driver’s license. This also works for an instructional permit or ID card.

Previously, those residents needed to prove their identity through an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. At the time, Social Security Numbers were not accepted for proof of identity.

3.) Increase in minimum wage:

Colorado’s minimum wage will rise by $.90, starting Jan.1. The new minimum wage rises from $10.20 to $11.10 per hour.

In 2016, state voters approved Amendment 70, raising the minimum wage for any non-tipped worker in Colorado from $8.31 an hour to $12 an hour by the year 2020.

In 2020, the minimum wage will rise again to reach $12, after which the wage will increase annually based on cost of living adjustments.

For more information about the minimum wage in Colorado, click here.

4.) Colorado Parks and Wildlife fees:

Starting Jan. 1, 2019, it will cost a little more to visit Colorado State Parks. Daily passes for vehicles, individuals and off-leash dogs are all increasing by $1, while to cost of an annual pass will go up to $10.

The annual fee to acquire a fishing license will also increase from $25 to $33. For large game, a license will go from $250 to $300.

And for boaters, there will be a new $25 fee for an ANS (Aquatic Nuisance Species) stamp.

For a full list of fee changes, click here.

5.) Marijuana Market Rate Increase:

Come 2019, some prices may be changing, but customers won’t see it immediately.

The Colorado Department of Revenue released it’s quarterly average market rates (AMR) for marijuana. In a statement the department said in 2019, the “average price per pound of bud and trim rose moderately from the previous quarterly update, specifically to $781 per pound for the bud rate (from $759) and $396 per pound for the trim rate (from $325). The wet whole plant rate and the seed rate also increased, to $151 for wet whole plant (from $100) and $5 for seed (from $4).”

The average market rate is meant to give retail cultivations a point at which they determine how much taxes they’ll need to pay. The excise tax rate in Colorado is 15%. That means when the market rate goes up, so does the taxes on growers. In turn, that could eventually mean higher prices for the customer.

Click here to learn more about the increase.