Hosting a ticketed dinner in Denver: the checklist

Not legal advice. This is a starting checklist, checked 2026-09-25. Rules change and differ by county and city. Talk to a lawyer and confirm with Denver Business Licensing before you sell a ticket or open your space.

At a glance

• Often the simplest route: book a licensed venue; your tickets cover the rental fee.
• Tamales, yes from 2027. Your tasting menu, no: the Tamale Act doesn't cover eating on site. HB26-1033
• Biggest risk: Denver finds unlicensed sellers through social posts and tips (unverified). KDVR

Quick answers

Can I sell tickets to a dinner I cook at home in Denver? No. Denver bans selling food you made at home, except cottage food. Denver food rules

What's the simplest legal way to host a ticketed dinner in Denver? Often the simplest route: book a licensed venue; your tickets cover the rental fee. Closest own licence: commissary-based, $150 plus $25 per activity, tied to one address; ask Denver first. Caterer and temporary licences don't clearly fit. Denver Denver

Can I include wine in a dinner ticket in Denver? Not in your ticket. Wine "with meals" or "for value" is a sale, so go zero-proof or book a licensed restaurant. C.R.S. Title 44

Start here: one dish, free, at home

Already hosting? Skip to your routes.

• Cook one dish (one protein, one plate) for a few friends at home. Free: no ticket, no donation jar, no public post.
• Let a friend bring a friend. Still free, still invite-only.
• What turns it into a regulated sale in Denver: selling any food made at home, except cottage food, or when it's advertised to the public, charge or not. Denver food rules C.R.S. Title 25
• When guests start asking to pay, pick a route below.

Your routes, cheapest first

Steps, in order

Already done some of these? Skip them.

Suggested order.

• 1. Talk to a lawyer before you charge anyone.
• 2. Ask Denver which food safety certificate your licence needs.
• 3. Sort business registration and sales tax with Denver and Colorado's Department of Revenue.
• 4. Two paths, side by side:

• 5. Get event liability cover. FLIP
• 6. List your night.

Drinks

• Cheapest: a zero-proof pairing, $0 in liquor fees. Wine? Book a licensed restaurant or bar; it sells every drink. C.R.S. 44-3-901(1)(i)
• Caterer or bar licence: not yet. Colorado's awaits funding, has no rules or fee, and targets bar-service companies, not chefs. C.R.S. 44-3-431 2026 Liquor Rules Once live, the caterer sells (unverified). Proposal
• Keep drinks out of your ticket; the licensed venue or caterer sells them to guests directly. "Sale" includes "to serve with meals," and unlicensed selling is a class 2 misdemeanor. C.R.S. 44-3-103(52), 44-3-904(2)
• Nonprofit partner: only nonprofits get Denver's special event liquor permit, and keep the alcohol proceeds. $25/day state, $100 Denver fee, 30+ days out. Special Event Code Denver
• BYOB: public drinking off licensed premises is illegal; whether a ticketed loft or home dinner counts is untested (unverified). A hired bartender doesn't legalize ticketed drinks. C.R.S. 44-3-901(1)(i)

Watch-outs

• Insurance: homeowners policies exclude activity "engaged in for money." Some policies exempt small side income; get it in writing from your insurer. ISO HO-3
• Donations count too: food rules apply "whether there is a charge." C.R.S. Title 25
• From people who've done it: domī went from home tastings to licensed restaurant pop-ups (anecdotal). Westword

Learn more

• Commissary-based licence
• Temporary licence
• Food rules
• Kitchens: Spindle Kitchen · Denver Commissary

Cost your micro hospitality night before you set a price: try the free Planner.

Not legal advice. Confirm with a lawyer and Denver Business Licensing before you act.