Public hearings

The Department holds several types of public hearings. These administrative hearings are quasi-judicial in nature and require participants to prepare.

The resources below are intended to help applicants and other hearing participants as you prepare for a scheduled hearing.

Getting started

All hearings are conducted according to the Rules Governing Hearings Before the Department. These agency rules supplement all state statutes, local codes and ordinances, and agency rules that apply to a particular application or license. You can read the rules below.

Rules Governing Hearings Before the Department(PDF, 324KB)

In addition, the Department has created a hearing guide to assist participants getting ready for a Needs and Desires Hearing. You can read the Needs and Desires Hearing Guide below.

Needs and Desires Hearing Guide(PDF, 528KB)

Many department hearings are open to the public and held virtually. If you 'd like to watch a public hearing so you know what to expect, you can find the schedule of public hearings below.

Schedule of public hearings

Read about the change to needs and desires hearings effective June 2025 here.

Learn more

Department hearings typically fall into one of three categories: licensing hearings, appeal hearings, or disciplinary hearings. Learn more about each below.

Licensing Hearings

Most of the Department's hearings are licensing hearings, which are required for certain liquor, cabaret, or marijuana business license applications. A licensing hearing can be set at the Director's discretion for certain new license types of for transfers of location, major modifications of a licensed premises, or new ownership of an existing license.

Appeal Hearings

The Department holds two types of appeal hearings.

The most common type of appeal hearing considers the denial of an application. Applicants who receive a denial order for a new or renewal application can request an appeal hearing within 10 calendar days of the date the denial order was mailed. If the Department of Excise and Licenses does not receive the request within 10 calendar days, the denial order is final, subject to judicial review.

Sometimes businesses and licensees receive an administrative citation. Recipients of an administration can also request an appeal hearing.

Disciplinary Hearings

Disciplinary hearings are often called "show cause" hearings. These are held when licensees are suspected of violating the law.

EXL Rulemaking Hearing Information

The Director of the Department of Excise and Licenses (EXL) has the authority to adopt rules and regulations necessary for the administration and enforcement of laws relating to and affecting the licensing of businesses and individuals that operate in the city (D.R.M.C. 32-19).

The Department will occasionally draft rules and regulations on specific licensing topics, which can be found below, for consideration at a public hearing as required by city ordinance (D.R.M.C., Ch. 2, Article VI). These hearings are announced through a public notice and are open to the public.

Posting instructions

Posting Signs and Notices

Section 2.1 of the Rules Governing Hearings Before the Department outlines the Instructions for Posting Signs and Notices. Please refer to the rules and the Needs and Desires Hearing Guide, available above, for complete information pertaining to your application or license.

2.1(a) Posting Sign Requirements. - Any sign posting notice of a hearing governed by these Rules shall comply with the following requirements:

(i) The sign must be sturdy and white, not less than 22 inches wide and 26 inches in height, with letters not less than one inch in height.

(ii) At all times during the posting period, the sign must contain all required content provided to the Applicant or Licensee by the Department.

(iii) The sign shall indicate the license type as well as the name and address of the Applicant or Licensee and any partners or officers of the Applicant or Licensee. The sign may be posted inside of the proposed premises but must be posted so as to be conspicuous and plainly visible to the general public. For Common Consumption Area applications and licenses, a posting sign must be placed in a conspicuous place at each participating business.

(iv) A map of the Designated Area must be attached to the sign and must indicate the area in which petitions for or against the application may be circulated and from which witnesses may testify.

(v) The sign must inform the public of the Department's process for scheduling an evening Needs and Desires Hearing.

(vi) The sign shall comply with any other requirements ordered by the Director.

2.1(b) Failure to Adhere to Posting Requirements - An Applicant or Licensee shall comply with all applicable notice requirements related to the application. If the Applicant or Licensee fails to adhere to the notice requirements, the Director, or the Hearing Officer, in their discretion, may reschedule the Needs and Desires Hearing and require an additional period of posting, or deny the application.

Proof of Posting

On the first day of the posting, the applicant must send the Department two pictures of the posting meeting the following requirements:

One picture taken close enough that the posting language is legible, and the entire posting can be read (approximately 5 feet away).
A second picture showing the posting in relation to building and in a location that is visible to the individuals who are walking and driving by in an unobstructed manner.
If more than 2 pictures are necessary to show that the posting is properly posted, please include them.
Please email the pictures to EXLPostings@denvergov.org no later than 1:00 PM on the first date of posting. Please note that any delay in the Department receiving this email may result in a delay of the application, including any scheduled hearing.
The Department may inspect the posting on site at any time during the posting, and the applicant will be required to sign an affidavit that the posting remained posted during the time required.

Hearing notices

The Department no longer posts legal hearing notices in the Daily Journal and as of October 20, 2025, we will be using Westword to post our legal hearing notices.

Hearing accommodations and requests

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, complete the Hearing Requests form. We ask for at least three business days' notice. For best results, we encourage parties to request a foreign language interpreter at least 14 days in advance. If an interpreter cannot be secured in time for the hearing, the hearing will be rescheduled.

Requesting a continuance

Any party may request to reschedule the hearing date. This is called a continuance. Continuances may be granted due to occurrences outside the party's control or a significant change to the application.

You can submit a request using this Hearing Requests form.

Requesting an evening hearing

Any applicant, licensee, or party in interest may request an evening hearing. Parties in interest can be residents, business owners, or business managers in the designated area.

You can submit your request using this Hearing Requests form. Be sure to submit your request no later than 5 days before the scheduled hearing date.

If the Department receives 5 or more requests for an evening hearing, the hearing will be continued to a new date and time.

Copy requests

Any party may request records from the department by emailing EXLRecordsManagement@denvergov.org.

A fee may apply.

Learn more

Stay informed

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Contact us

Unless otherwise specified, all written communications, motions, notices, or petitions submitted to the department must be e-mailed to EXLApplications@denvergov.org.

Is something working well? Not working at all? We're always open to new ideas and improvements. Share your thoughts by emailing us at EXLHearings@denvergov.org.