Boulder, CO - Voice and Sight Program

Overview

The Voice & Sight Tag Program is an initiative developed by the Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department in the City of Boulder, Colorado. It allows pet owners to hike with their dogs off-leash on designated trails if they meet specific requirements and demonstrate effective control over their dogs.

Participation requires pet owners to complete a free online course every five (5) years, which is mandatory by law.

Voice & Sight Control Requirements

To participate in the program, pet owners must meet the following conditions:

The Voice & Sight Tag must be visibly displayed on the dog at all times.
The dog must obey voice and sight commands from the pet owner.
The dog must come and stay with the owner immediately upon command.
The dog must never charge, chase, or display aggression toward people, pets, or wildlife.
A maximum of two dogs per guardian may be under Voice & Sight control at one time, and only in areas where the program is permitted.
Pet owners must always be able to see their dog’s actions.
Pet owners must be able to use voice or sight commands without distractions to prevent:
- Charging, chasing, or aggression toward people.
- Harassing or disturbing behavior toward others.
- Aggressive behavior toward dogs, wildlife, or livestock.
- Failure to return and stay with the guardian when called.

Understanding Boulder Regions

The Boulder area is divided into three regions:

City of Boulder
Boulder County
Non-Boulder County (Other)

It is essential to confirm where the pet owner resides. This determines which community should be selected under their profile and whether they are eligible to purchase a license.

Locating the Voice & Sight Section in DocuPet

The Voice & Sight section only appears in the profile of pet owners who live within Boulder licensing boundaries.

To view:

Navigate to the pet owner's profile.
Click “Edit” beside their name.
Scroll to the bottom of the Pet Owner Details page to find the Voice & Sight section.

Voice & Sight Location Options

There are three options available in the “Voice & Sight Location” dropdown:

CITY:
Select this if the pet owner resides within the City of Boulder.
A license can be issued only if the location is set to CITY.
COUNTY:
Select this if the pet owner lives in Boulder County, outside of city limits.
These pet owners cannot purchase a license but may participate in the Voice & Sight program.
OTHER:
Select this if the pet owner lives outside of Boulder County.
These pet owners also cannot license their pets through Boulder but may still participate in the Voice & Sight program.

Longmont Residents and Voice & Sight Access

Pet owners who live in Longmont, Colorado can participate in the Voice & Sight program but will need to create two separate DocuPet accounts:

Longmont Account – This account is used to license their pet using their Longmont address.
Boulder Voice & Sight Account – This account is created specifically for participation in Boulder’s Voice & Sight program.

To set up the Boulder account:

Use the same street address as the Longmont account.
Add “V&S” and the pet owner's POID to the unit field of the address.

Example:

Longmont Account: 1234 Queen St
Boulder V&S Account: 1234 Queen St V&S 86754326