Last updated on October 18, 2025
No, it is not allowed to share a bathtub in Denver, Colorado—at least not according to one of the city’s more peculiar municipal ordinances.
It sounds absurd, right? But this curious law has floated around for decades, often surfacing in trivia nights, travel blogs, and legal oddities lists. Denver, a city known for its progressive policies and outdoor charm, also harbors a few remnants of its more prudish past—including a rule that technically prohibits two people from bathing together in the same tub.
The origins of this law are hazy, but legal historians suggest it may have emerged during the early 20th century, when cities across the U.S. were drafting ordinances to reflect Victorian-era morality. At the time, indoor plumbing was becoming more common, and with it came new anxieties about privacy, decency, and domestic behavior. Bathtubs—once considered luxurious and even risqué—became the subject of scrutiny. Denver’s law likely aimed to discourage what was then seen as “immoral conduct” in private spaces.
While the law is rarely, if ever, enforced today, it has been acknowledged by the city itself. In a 2013 post from the City and County of Denver’s official newsroom, the bathtub-sharing ban was listed among several “weird laws” still technically on the books. The post was part of a civic engagement campaign encouraging residents to help identify outdated ordinances that might be ripe for repeal. Though the original page is no longer publicly accessible, its existence is preserved through archival records and references in Denver’s legislative transparency initiatives.
For those curious about Denver’s current legal framework, the city maintains a comprehensive repository of its municipal code and legislative updates. You won’t find bathtub patrols in the zoning code, but you will find a fascinating mix of modern regulations and historical leftovers that reflect how cities evolve—and sometimes forget to clean up after themselves.
So while you’re free to hike, bike, and brunch your way through Denver, maybe keep your bubble baths solo. Or at least off the public record.
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Sources:
“Weird Laws Still on the Books” – City and County of Denver; Publication date: August 2013
Legislation and Transparency – City and County of Denver https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Legislation-and-Transparency ; Publication date: Accessed October 2025