Moving to Lone Tree, Colorado
Lone Tree New Resident Checklist: The First 90 Days
The paperwork in the order the deadlines fall (license in 30 days, plates in 90), the one account that depends on which side of I-25 you are on, the trash truck you do not have to call, and the local things that make it feel like home. Addresses and phone numbers from the agencies themselves.
By Connor Tien, DougCo Social · Updated September 2026
Moving is mostly boxes and then mostly forms. This is the forms half, done in the order Colorado wants it, with every office, hour and number pulled from the agency's own site on September 30, 2026. Lone Tree is easier than most towns in three ways (the driver license office and the county plates office are the same building on Heritage Hills Circle, the City picks up your trash for free, and a free ride service covers the whole city) and different in one: I-25 decides which water district you call. The fun half is at the end, because you earned it.
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Before You Move
The things that are easier from the old address.
Local tip: Grab the trash day, the gate code if there is one, and the name of the HOA from the seller or landlord while you still have their attention. Those three questions save a month of guessing.
First Week: The State and County Paperwork
Colorado's deadlines start the day you establish residency.
The Colorado DMV counts you as a resident once you own or operate a business here, are employed here, or have lived here for 90 consecutive days. From then: transfer your driver license within 30 days, and register your vehicle within 90. The good news for Lone Tree is that the Douglas County office at 9350 Heritage Hills Circle is on the state's list of driver license offices and is a county motor vehicle office for titles and plates, so both errands are one address, and it is inside the city.
First Month: Accounts and Cards
The stuff that makes the city start working for you.
First 90 Days: Become a Local
The part I am actually qualified to advise on.
Helpful Contacts
Only the numbers we could confirm on the agency's own site.
FAQ
The Colorado DMV says to transfer your license within 30 days of establishing residency, and to register your vehicle within 90 days. You are a resident once you own or operate a business here, are employed here, or have lived here 90 consecutive days. Driver license offices require an appointment; county motor vehicle offices handle plates and titles.
Yes, and it does both jobs. The Douglas County office at 9350 Heritage Hills Circle is on the state's list of driver license offices as "Lone Tree (Douglas County)" and is a county motor vehicle office for titles and plates: walk-in motor vehicle service Monday through Friday 8am to 4:30pm, driver licenses by appointment only (bookable 14 days ahead; motor vehicle appointments 28 days ahead). 303-660-7440. Highlands Ranch (2223 Wildcat Reserve Parkway) and Castle Rock (301 Wilcox Street) are the other county offices, and King Soopers kiosks handle registration renewals.
Yes, if it is old enough. AirCare Colorado says a vehicle brought in from another state must pass an emissions inspection before it can be registered in a new county, within 90 days of establishing residency. Vehicles six years old or newer are exempt; the test is $35 every two years for 1982 and newer gasoline vehicles.
Water and sewer depend on your side of I-25: Southgate Water and Sanitation Districts west of the highway (303-779-0261), Parker Water and Sanitation District east of it (303-841-4627), and Northern Douglas County Water and Sanitation for some Terra Ridge homes along Indian Wells Drive. Electricity and natural gas: Xcel Energy. Trash and recycling: nobody, if you own a single-family home; the City provides it free through Waste Connections (City trash line 720-509-1212).
Lone Tree is inside South Suburban Parks and Recreation, and the district says you need a valid South Suburban resident account to get resident rates. Set one up (proof of address) and the Rec Center day pass drops from $9.75 to $7 for an adult and from $25 to $19 for a household; the same account works at Cook Creek Pool and the district's other facilities.
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More Lone Tree Guides
Photo: City of Lone Tree
Moving to Lone Tree
Cost of living from the Census, a city with its own police and free trash pickup, which water district you are in, the 2.5 percent city sales tax, five light rail stations and a free ride service.
Photo: City of Lone Tree
Lone Tree Neighborhoods
West of I-25 (Heritage Hills, Carriage Club, Centennial Ridge, Acres Green, the Fairways) and east of it (RidgeGate, Lyric, Montecito, Northsky): who your water district is, which HOAs and metro districts exist, and what is nearby.
Photo: City of Lone Tree
Lone Tree Schools
The DCSD schools with Lone Tree addresses (Eagle Ridge, Lone Tree Elementary, Eagle Academy), the Highlands Ranch feeders most of the city is assigned to, the new Lyric elementary opening in 2027, and how enrollment works.
Photo: Lone Tree Arts Center
Things to Do in Lone Tree
The Rec Center and Cook Creek Pool, the Bluffs loop, an Arnold Palmer course, the Arts Center, Park Meadows, Schweiger Ranch, where to eat and drink, and the events the City puts on every year.
Sources
Every deadline, office, hour and phone number on this page was read on the agency's own site on September 30, 2026. If an agency changes something, its page wins. Photos are the City of Lone Tree's, used with credit, plus our own.
- Colorado DMV, Welcome to Colorado (new resident deadlines and documents): dmv.colorado.gov/new-to-colorado
- Colorado DMV, Driver License Office Locations (Lone Tree office): dmv.colorado.gov/driver-license-office-locations
- Colorado DMV, Required Documents: dmv.colorado.gov/documents
- Douglas County Motor Vehicle (offices, hours, appointments, kiosks): douglasco.gov/motor-vehicle/
- AirCare Colorado, Need to Know (new residents, exemptions, fees): aircarecolorado.com/need-know
- Douglas County Elections, Voter Registration: douglasco.gov/elections/voter-registration/
- Douglas County, DougCoAlert: douglasco.gov/board-county-commissioners/board-priorities/public-safety/codered-be-informed-and-receive-updates
- City of Lone Tree, Utility Providers: cityoflonetree.com/utility-providers/
- City of Lone Tree, Trash and Recycling: cityoflonetree.com/public-works/trash-and-recycling/
- City of Lone Tree, Snow and Ice: cityoflonetree.com/public-works/snow-and-ice/
- City of Lone Tree, Police Department: cityoflonetree.com/police/
- City of Lone Tree, Facilities: cityoflonetree.com/facilities/
- City of Lone Tree, Health Care: cityoflonetree.com/health-care/
- City of Lone Tree, Link On Demand: cityoflonetree.com/link-on-demand/
- City of Lone Tree, Homeowners Associations: cityoflonetree.com/homeowners-associations/
- Southgate Water and Sanitation Districts: southgatedistricts.org/
- Parker Water and Sanitation District: pwsd.org/
- South Suburban, Lone Tree Recreation Center (resident account, rates, hours): ssprd.org/lone-tree-recreation-center
- DCSD, Student Enrollment: dcsdk12.org/admissions/student-enrollment
- Douglas County Libraries, Locations: dcl.org/locations/
- HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge: healthonecares.com/locations/sky-ridge-medical-center
- Douglas County Assessor: douglasco.gov/assessor/
- CDOT, C-470 Express Lanes: codot.gov/projects/C470ExpressLanes/C470ExpressLanes
- South Metro Fire Rescue: southmetro.org/about-us
- USPS, Change of Address: usps.com/move
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