Colorado SB25-003: Buying a Semiautomatic Firearm On or After August 1, 2026

The Headline

Starting August 1, 2026, you cannot buy a "specified semiautomatic firearm" in Colorado until you have done two things in order: gotten a firearms safety course eligibility card from your county sheriff, then passed a Colorado Parks and Wildlife certified firearms safety course. This is C.R.S. 18-12-116, added by Senate Bill 25-003 (2025 Regular Session, ch. 68), which Governor Polis signed on April 10, 2025.

Two things this law does not do. It does not touch firearms you already own. And it is not a concealed carry rule. Your Colorado concealed handgun permit does nothing for you here, and the background check and training you did for your permit do not carry over. CPW is explicit: "All background checks and courses taken for a concealed carry weapon (CCW) are not reciprocal for the Firearms Safety Program."

The card is good for 5 years. The course completion is good for 5 years. The CPW record fee is $52, your sheriff can add a processing fee of their own, and your instructor can charge for the class.

What Counts as a "Specified Semiautomatic Firearm"

C.R.S. 18-12-116(1)(d)(I) defines a specified semiautomatic firearm (the state and the industry both abbreviate it SSF) as either:

• A semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun with a detachable magazine, or
• A gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine.

"Detachable magazine" under 18-12-116(1)(b) means a feeding device that is not permanently attached and can be removed without rendering the firearm incapable of accepting any magazine. An attached tubular magazine under the barrel is not a detachable magazine.

"Gas-operated semiautomatic handgun" under 18-12-116(1)(c) means a semiautomatic handgun that traps or harnesses part of the high-pressure gas from a fired cartridge to cycle the action, through a long-stroke piston system, a short-stroke piston system, a direct impingement system that strikes the bolt, bolt carrier, or slide assembly, a hybrid of those, or a blowback-operated system that uses the expanding propellant gasses acting on the cartridge case to drive the breechblock or breech bolt rearward.

What is excluded

C.R.S. 18-12-116(1)(d)(II) carves seven categories out of the definition:

1. A firearm designed to accept, and capable of operating only with, .22 or lower caliber rimfire ammunition, unless the firearm has a separate upper and lower receiver.
2. A firearm manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.
3. A firearm with a permanently fixed magazine that cannot accept more than fifteen rounds, including a semiautomatic firearm that has been converted to a permanently fixed magazine under that capacity.
4. A single or double action semiautomatic handgun that uses recoil to cycle the action.
5. Thirty-five named models, as they existed and were configured on April 10, 2025: AG42 Ljungman, Benelli Argo E Pro, Benelli R1 Big-Game Rifle, Browning BAR MK 3, Browning BAR LongTrac Rifle, Browning BAR ShortTrac Rifle, FN Model 49, Fusil Automatique Modele 1917 (RSC M1917), Gewehr 43, Globco Mohawk, Hakim Rifle, HK SL6, HK SL7, M1 Carbine, M1941 Johnson Rifle, Marlin Camp Carbine, MAS49, Remington Model 4, Remington Model 8, Remington Model 740, Remington Model 742, Remington Model 750, Remington 7400, Ruger Deerfield Carbine, Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle, Ruger Mini Thirty Rifle, Ruger Model 44, Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue Rifle, SVT 40, Valmet Hunter M88, VZ.52, Winchester Model 100, Winchester Model 1905, Winchester Model 1907, and Winchester Model 1910.
6. A firearm that has been made permanently inoperable.
7. An antique firearm as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(16), or a curio or relic as defined in 27 CFR 478.11.

How to check a specific model

Do not guess from the statutory text. SB25-003 directed the Colorado Department of Revenue division that issues state firearms dealer permits to publish model-specific guidance, and the Firearms Dealer Division (FDD) does that. The FDD published its Specified Semiautomatic Firearms Guidance dated July 1, 2026 at sbg.colorado.gov. In its July 1, 2026 letter to industry, the FDD said it collected feedback for six weeks, reviewed 183 responses, and removed 32 firearms from its initial draft list.

The FDD warns that the list "is not all-inclusive of firearms currently available, or that will be available in the future" and that it is reviewed on an ongoing basis as new firearms are manufactured. If your firearm is not on the list and you need an answer, you can petition the Firearms Dealer Division for a statement of position.

Firearms You Already Own Are Not Affected

C.R.S. 18-12-116(2) reaches five verbs: manufacture, distribute, transfer, sell, and purchase. Possession is not one of them. There is no registration requirement, no surrender requirement, and no grandfather paperwork for an SSF you already own. CPW puts it plainly: "This law only affects those who will purchase and/or transfer SSFs on or after August 1, 2026."

Carry, transport, and storage rules are unchanged by SB25-003. Those still come from C.R.S. 18-12-105, 18-12-105.6, 18-12-114, and 18-12-114.5.

The Purchase Path, Step by Step

CPW runs this through an online Firearms Safety System (FSS) at coloradofss.com. The five steps, per CPW's published customer journey:

1. Apply. Create an account at coloradofss.com and submit an application. It goes into your county sheriff's queue. If you have hunter education, you add that information here.
2. Take your documents to the sheriff. You must provide a name-based background check and a government-issued photo ID. Fees are collected at this step. The CPW portion is $52.00, and each sheriff sets their own fee on top of that.
3. Sheriff review and card issuance. The sheriff reviews the documents, determines eligibility, issues the eligibility card, and enters the card into the FSS. You get an automated email either way. If you are denied, your local sheriff's office contacts you.
4. Course and exam. Find a verified Firearms Safety Program instructor and enroll. The instructor checks the FSS to confirm whether you qualify for the Basic (4 hour) or Extended (12 hour) course. You must pass the exam and the hands-on practical with 90% or better. You get an email as soon as the instructor enters pass or fail. If you pass, you have 5 years to buy an SSF.
5. Purchase. The dealer confirms your eligibility in the FSS and runs the purchase.

You can take the course anywhere in Colorado from any verified Firearms Safety Program instructor. You are not limited to your own county for the class, only for the card.

The Eligibility Card

Statutory authority is C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(b). Every sheriff shall issue these cards. Key rules:

• Validity: 5 years from the date of issuance.
• Application contents: your full name and date of birth, on a form created by CPW, plus three attestations: that you have no state or federal conviction that would prohibit you from purchasing or possessing a firearm; that you will not violate state law on the purchase, possession, storage, and lawful use of firearms; and that you will only transfer a firearm under C.R.S. 18-12-112 and 18-12-116 and will not give a person you believe would be a danger to themself or others access to a firearm in your possession.
• Documents: government-issued photographic identification, plus the results of a completed name-based background check of national and Colorado public criminal history and judicial databases performed by a third-party vendor that does those checks as a normal part of its business, plus an attestation from the vendor that it performed the check.
• Fees: the card fee is the sheriff's processing fee plus the firearms training and safety course record fee set under C.R.S. 33-9-115(5)(a). Each sheriff may set a processing fee that reflects the sheriff's actual direct and indirect costs. The sheriff remits the record fee to CPW. The fee is not refunded if the sheriff denies your application. CPW's fee schedule lists the record fee at $52 and the sheriff's office fee as varying by county, and states you are charged whether or not your application is approved. The Parks and Wildlife Commission may adjust the record fee, but not more than once per year.
• Mandatory denial: the sheriff shall deny if you cannot lawfully possess a firearm under state or federal law, or if the sheriff cannot positively identify you.
• Discretionary denial: the sheriff may deny if the sheriff has a reasonable belief that documented previous behavior by you makes it likely you will present a danger to yourself or others while holding a card.
• Revocation: the sheriff shall revoke if the sheriff knows the holder cannot lawfully possess a firearm, and may revoke on the same documented-previous-behavior standard.
• What the card shows: your full name, the county of issuance, the signature of the issuing sheriff, and the issuance and expiration dates.
• Lying on the application is perjury in the second degree under C.R.S. 18-8-503, and a conviction requires the sheriff to revoke a card already issued.
• Appeals: a denial or revocation must be in writing, must state the grounds, and must inform you of your right to judicial review. Review runs under Rule 106(a)(4) and (b) of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. The sheriff carries the burden: preponderance of the evidence for ordinary ineligibility, and clear and convincing evidence when the denial or revocation rests on the danger finding. The court may award attorney fees to the prevailing party.
• Sheriffs are not liable for damages resulting from good-faith compliance with the card provisions.

The Two Course Tiers

Both tiers are set by C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(a). You must already hold a valid eligibility card to enroll, and the instructor has to verify that in the state record system before letting you attend.

Three statutory qualifying pathways sit in C.R.S. 18-12-116(3)(e)(I). You may buy an SSF if you:

• (A) completed a CPW-certified hunter education course and completed a basic firearms safety course within the 5 years before the purchase; or
• (B) completed an extended firearms safety course within the 5 years before the purchase; or
• (C) completed an extended firearms safety course more than 5 years before the purchase and completed a basic firearms safety course within the 5 years before the purchase.

Hunter education by itself does not qualify you to buy. CPW is direct about this: "Completion of a hunter education course certified by CPW will not qualify you for purchasing a SSF." You still need the Basic course on top of it. If your hunter education came from another state, it has to be CPW-certified, and you must bring your hunter education card or record to a CPW office to get it verified in CPW's records system.

No other firearms safety course counts. Not an NRA course, not a state concealed carry class, not a hunter safety course from a private provider.

When the 5 years runs out, you start over at Step 1.

What gets taught

C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(a)(IV) requires both tiers to satisfy CPW's adopted course requirements and to include, at minimum, instruction on:

• Safe handling of semiautomatic firearms and ammunition magazines
• Safe storage of firearms and child safety
• Firearm deaths associated with mental illness
• Extreme risk protection orders under Article 14.5 of Title 13, C.R.S.
• Victim awareness and empathy

The exam

C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(a)(V) requires the instructor to give an exam at the end of the course that tests knowledge of the subjects taught and requires the student to demonstrate the ability to safely handle firearms and a mastery of gun safety. The statute sets the passing score for the basic course at at least ninety percent. CPW's published guidance applies the same 90% minimum to the extended course and describes the requirement as passing both a written exam and a hands-on practical at 90% or better.

The instructor has 3 business days after completion to report the result into the state record system created by C.R.S. 33-9-115.

For Instructors: How to Get Approved to Teach

You need two credentials, in this order.

First, sheriff verification under C.R.S. 18-12-202.7. This is the same verified-firearms-instructor status Colorado created for concealed handgun training in HB 24-1174 (effective August 7, 2024). To get it you must:

• Hold a valid Colorado permit to carry a concealed handgun issued under Part 2 of Article 12, and not a temporary emergency permit under C.R.S. 18-12-209; and
• Be certified as a firearms instructor by a federal, state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency, a college or university, a nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training, or a firearms training school, where that entity has instructors certified by a nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training.

You apply to the sheriff of the county that is your principal place to conduct firearms training. Verification runs 10 years and can be renewed any time before it expires. The sheriff issues evidence of verification showing the expiration date, keeps a record of verified instructors, and must post the list on the sheriff's website with expiration dates. The sheriff may charge a fee covering actual direct and indirect costs. A sheriff shall revoke your verification if you stop meeting the requirements, and may revoke or suspend it if you teach a concealed handgun class or refresher that fails the Part 2 requirements and a training certificate still gets issued. After a suspension you can apply for reinstatement no earlier than 30 days out. Denials, suspensions, and revocations come with written notice and judicial review under C.R.S. 18-12-207.

Second, CPW's Firearms Safety Program Train the Trainer. CPW's training covers the curriculum, teaching and testing guidelines, and protocols, and walks you through the Firearms Safety System so you can create an account, register students, and enter course completion. The trainings are free, run virtually or in person, and are capped at 50 attendees per class, first come first served. CPW asks you to register for only one session. Sessions CPW has posted run 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and are virtual: August 21, September 1, October 6, November 17, and December 2, 2026.

Once verified and trained, you appear on CPW's list of verified Firearms Safety Program instructors, and students statewide can take your class. Before class you must check the record system to confirm each student holds a valid eligibility card, and you must confirm which tier they qualify for.

Effective Dates and the Transition

The gap between April 10, 2025 and August 1, 2026 is deliberate. The definitions, the card scheme, the course rules, and the record system all had to exist before the prohibition could bite.

Two practical warnings for the opening weeks. CPW says some counties will not review applications until August 1, 2026, and others are not accepting applications at all, so call your sheriff's office before you submit. And do not read the July 20 portal opening as a head start on the card: the card only matters once you get to a class, and the class only matters once you get to the counter.

Purchases and Transfers Before and After August 1, 2026

• Completed before August 1, 2026. C.R.S. 18-12-116(2) applies only to conduct "on or after August 1, 2026." A purchase that closes before that date is not covered.
• On or after August 1, 2026. You need the card, then the course, then the FFL's FSS check. No card and no course means no purchase.
• Pawn redemptions and consignment returns. The Firearms Dealer Division addressed these in Bulletin 26-02, dated July 24, 2026. "Transfer" under C.R.S. 24-33.5-424(1)(d) expressly includes redemption of a pawned firearm by a person who is not an FFL, and the FDD reads the return of a consigned firearm to its consignor as a transfer too, because it is a delivery from the dealer to the consignor. The consequence: the C.R.S. 18-12-116(3)(e) training requirements apply to anyone redeeming a pawned SSF or taking back a consigned SSF on or after August 1, 2026, regardless of when the firearm was originally pawned or consigned. If you pawn or consign an SSF now and redeem it in August, you need the card and the course to get it back. The FDD asks pawnbrokers and consignment dealers to raise this with customers before writing the agreement.
• Out-of-state buyers and dealers. C.R.S. 18-12-116(2) has a standing carve-out: you may sell or transfer an SSF to an individual residing in another state, or to a federally licensed firearm dealer.

Who Is Exempt from the Prohibition

C.R.S. 18-12-116(3) exempts these from the purchase and transfer ban:

• Law enforcement agencies equipping their peace officers, and POST-certified peace officers described in C.R.S. 16-2.5-101 whose employing agency requires or permits them to carry an SSF on duty
• The Department of Corrections, prison wardens, jail keepers, and heads of other detention institutions, equipping staff for official duties
• Armored vehicle businesses, for authorized employees in the course and scope of their duties
• Instructors and students of accredited gunsmithing courses at state-authorized institutions of higher education or schools regulated by the Colorado Division of Private Occupational Schools, for instruction, manufacture, repair, or maintenance during the course
• Members of the U.S. armed services or reserves, or the Colorado National Guard, in the performance of official duties
• FFLs receiving an SSF for temporary storage or permanent disposal
• Gunsmiths receiving an SSF for maintenance, repair, or modification and returning it to the lawful owner, unless the gunsmith has reason to believe the owner is prohibited from possessing it
• Institutions of higher education and instructors operating an approved educational program, for use and storage at the program location
• Public historical societies, museums, and institutional collections open to the public, if the SSF is rendered permanently inoperable before the sale or transfer
• Forensic laboratories and their authorized agents or employees, for use exclusively in forensic analysis
• Transfers by operation of law, or because of a death where the transferor is an executor, administrator, or trustee of a trust created in a will
• Blank-firing SSFs handled through an FFL for use solely as a film prop under C.R.S. 24-48.5-114
• People who satisfy one of the three training pathways in 18-12-116(3)(e)(I)

Penalties

Three collateral consequences ride along, per the SB25-003 bill summary:

• The Department of Revenue shall revoke the state firearms dealer permit of a dealer who unlawfully manufactures, distributes, transfers, sells, or purchases an SSF.
• The Colorado Bureau of Investigation shall deny a firearm transfer to a person convicted of the misdemeanor version of the offense within the 5 years before the transfer.
• A person convicted of the felony version is prohibited from possessing a firearm and certain other weapons.

SB25-003 also reworked the dangerous weapon list. It defines "rapid-fire device" and classifies rapid-fire devices as dangerous weapons, and it repealed the definition of "machine gun conversion device" and removed those devices from the dangerous weapon list.

Pending Litigation: The Law Is In Effect

SB25-003 is being challenged in federal court, and it has not been enjoined. Treat it as fully enforceable on August 1, 2026 unless and until a court says otherwise.

The case is Del Toro v. Polis, No. 1:25-cv-02725 (D. Colo.), filed September 2, 2025. Plaintiffs are Israel Del Toro, Kathleen Clayton, Luke Sorensen, Nathanael Skiver, Garrett Flicker, Jason Reeves, and the Colorado State Shooting Association, the NRA's Colorado affiliate. Defendants are Governor Jared Polis, Attorney General Philip Weiser, District Attorney Michael J. Allen, and Laura Clellan. The claim is brought under 42 U.S.C. 1983 and is docketed as a civil rights action. Judge William J. Martinez presides, with Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell. Mountain States Legal Foundation represents the plaintiffs and argues the permit-to-purchase structure is an unconstitutional prior restraint on the Second Amendment.

Where the case stands, on the public docket as last retrieved February 27, 2026:

• Plaintiffs filed a First Amended Complaint on December 22, 2025.
• The state defendants' original motion to dismiss was denied as moot on January 5, 2026 because the amended complaint superseded the original.
• Fresh motions to dismiss the amended complaint were being briefed in late February 2026.
• No motion for a preliminary injunction and no order enjoining any part of SB25-003 appears on the docket.

Nothing on that docket stops August 1, 2026 from arriving. If you are an instructor, do not tell students the law might not take effect. If you are a buyer, do not plan around an injunction that does not exist. Check the docket or CPW's page before you rely on a change.

Quick Reference

Where to Get Official Information

• CPW Specified Semiautomatic Firearms program page: https://cpw.state.co.us/specified-semiautomatic-firearms
• Firearms Safety System application portal: https://www.coloradofss.com/
• CPW Firearms Safety Program: 303-291-7143, dnr_cpw_firearmsafety@state.co.us
• Firearms Dealer Division (model guidance and statements of position): https://sbg.colorado.gov/firearms-dealer-division, dor_fdd@state.co.us, (303) 205-2989
• SB25-003 bill page: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb25-003
• Your county sheriff's office, for the eligibility card, the local processing fee, and the county's list of verified firearms instructors

Colorado Concealed Carry Laws Overview

Colorado is a shall-issue state for concealed handgun permits (CHP), with permits issued at the county level by the local sheriff. Both the U.S. Constitution (Second Amendment) and the Colorado Constitution (Article II, § 13) protect the right to keep and bear arms, while federal, state, and local governments may regulate firearms consistent with constitutional protections.

Permit System

Colorado operates under a shall-issue concealed carry permit system. County sheriffs are required to issue permits to applicants who meet all statutory criteria under C.R.S. § 18-12-203. A concealed handgun permit authorizes the permittee to carry a concealed handgun throughout the state, except in places prohibited by state or local law (C.R.S. § 18-12-214).

Key Eligibility Requirements

To obtain a concealed handgun permit, an applicant must (C.R.S. § 18-12-203(1)):

• Be a legal resident of the state of Colorado
• Be 21 years of age or older
• Not be ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to state or federal law
• Not have been convicted of perjury in relation to information provided or deliberately omitted on a permit application
• Not chronically and habitually use alcoholic beverages to the extent that normal faculties are impaired
• Not be an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, including marijuana
• Not be subject to a protection order, including an extreme risk protection order (ERPO)
• Demonstrate competence with a handgun through approved methods

Demonstrating Handgun Competence

Applicants may demonstrate competence through:

• Certification as a firearms safety instructor
• Participation in organized shooting competitions
• Current military service
• Current certification as a peace officer
• Certain prior military or law enforcement service
• Completion of a concealed handgun training class

Training Class Changes (HB24-1174 - Effective July 1, 2025)

HB24-1174, signed by the Governor on June 4, 2024, significantly updated training requirements:

Initial Training Class Requirements (effective July 1, 2025):

• Must be completed within one year before submitting an application (reduced from 10 years)
• Must be held in person
• Must be taught by a county sheriff-verified instructor or be a law enforcement training firearms safety course
• Must provide at least 8 hours of instruction, including a live-fire exercise and written exam
• Must include instruction on:
  • Knowledge and safe handling of firearms and ammunition
  • Safe storage of firearms and child safety
  • Safe shooting fundamentals
  • Federal and state laws pertaining to lawful purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms
  • State law pertaining to the use of deadly force for self-defense
  • Best practices for safely interacting with law enforcement responding to an emergency
  • Techniques for avoiding a criminal attack and managing a violent confrontation, including conflict resolution and judgmental use of lethal force
• Students must achieve a passing score on both a written concealed handgun competency exam and a live-fire exercise

Renewal Training Requirements (effective July 1, 2025):

• Renewal applicants must now demonstrate competence with a handgun
• Options include: organized shooting competitions, current military service, current peace officer certification, being a verified instructor, honorable discharge from the U.S. armed forces or retirement from a Colorado law enforcement agency with pistol qualifications within 10 years, or completing an initial or refresher training class within 6 months before submitting a renewal form
• Refresher class must be at least 2 hours, held in person, taught by a verified instructor, include instruction on changes to firearms laws, and require passing a live-fire exercise and written exam

Instructor Verification:

• County sheriffs must verify training instructors whose principal place of business is in the sheriff's county
• Verified instructors must hold a valid concealed carry permit and be certified by a law enforcement agency, college/university, nationally recognized organization, or firearms training school
• Falsely claiming to be a verified instructor constitutes a deceptive trade practice

Additional Disqualification (effective August 7, 2024):

• A person convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses within 5 years before submitting a permit application is prohibited from being issued a permit

Permit Duration and Renewal

• Permits are valid for 5 years (C.R.S. § 18-12-211)
• Renewal may be submitted within 120 days prior to expiration and no later than 6 months after expiration

Fees

• New permit: Maximum $100 (C.R.S. § 18-12-205(2)(b))
• Renewal: Maximum $50 (C.R.S. § 18-12-211(1))
• These fees are in addition to the cost of a background check, the amount of which is set by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation

Sheriff's Discretion

A sheriff may deny, revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew a permit if the sheriff has a reasonable belief that the applicant or permittee does not meet the criteria for a permit, or that documented previous behavior by the applicant makes it likely the applicant will present a danger to self or others (C.R.S. § 18-12-203(2) and (3)).

Carrying Requirements

• The permit and a valid photo identification must be carried with the handgun at all times
• A permit is not required when a handgun is carried in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance (C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2))
• Carrying a concealed weapon in public without a permit is a class 1 misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-12-105)

Open Carry

• Generally, state law does not prohibit openly carrying a firearm in public (C.R.S. § 29-11.7-104)
• However, local governments may prohibit open carry in a building or specific area within their jurisdiction, with posted signage required
• Open carry is prohibited in certain specific locations (see prohibited places below)

Places Where Carrying Firearms Is Prohibited

• Schools: Licensed child care centers; public or private elementary, middle, junior high, high, or vocational schools; public or private colleges, universities, or seminaries (class 1 misdemeanor) - C.R.S. § 18-12-105.5
• Government buildings: State legislative buildings (including elected members' offices); local government governing body buildings; courthouses and buildings used for court proceedings (class 1 misdemeanor) - C.R.S. § 18-12-105.3. A local government may enact a law permitting carry at local government buildings.
• Election locations: Polling locations, within 100 feet of a ballot drop box on election day, and within/near central count facilities during election activities - C.R.S. § 1-13-724
• Local government restricted areas: Local governments may prohibit concealed carry in buildings or specific areas with posted signage, but may not impose criminal penalties for violations (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(1)(c))

Vehicle Carry

• Colorado allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle for lawful protection of person or property (C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2))
• A handgun in a vehicle is not considered concealed and does not require a permit
• Under Title 33, firearms other than pistols or revolvers must have the chamber unloaded when in or on a motor vehicle
• Local jurisdictions may not restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon in a private automobile (C.R.S. § 18-12-105.6)

Local Government Authority

• Local governments may enact laws governing or prohibiting the sale, purchase, transfer, or possession of firearms, ammunition, or firearm components (C.R.S. § 29-11.7-103)
• Local laws may not be less restrictive than state law
• Local governments may regulate open or concealed carry in buildings or specific areas within their jurisdiction
• Local governments cannot restrict travel with a weapon in a private vehicle (C.R.S. § 18-12-105.6)

Other Notable Colorado Firearms Laws

• No gun registration: Colorado prohibits gun registration (C.R.S. § 29-11.7-102)
• Minimum age to own a firearm: 18 years old, with no state or federal prohibitions
• Minimum age to purchase a firearm: 21 years old (C.R.S. §§ 18-12-112 and 18-12-112.5)
• Large-capacity magazine ban: Prohibits sale, transfer, and possession of magazines capable of accepting more than 15 rounds of ammunition (C.R.S. § 18-12-301 et seq.)
• Background checks: Required for all firearm transfers, including private sales (C.R.S. §§ 18-12-112 and 18-12-112.5)
• Waiting period: Minimum 3 days or until background check approval is obtained, whichever is longer (C.R.S. § 18-12-115)
• Safe storage: Required when not in use to prevent access by unsupervised juveniles and unauthorized users; failure is a class 2 misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-12-114)
• Vehicle storage: Firearms in unattended vehicles must be in locked containers within locked vehicles (C.R.S. § 18-12-114.5)
• Lost/stolen reporting: Must report within 5 days of discovery (C.R.S. § 18-12-113)
• Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO): Available under Article 14.5 of Title 13, C.R.S.
• Ghost guns: Prohibited - unserialized frames/receivers and home manufacture of firearms without a federal manufacturer's license are unlawful (C.R.S. § 18-12-111.5)

Specified Semiautomatic Firearms (SB25-003 - Effective August 1, 2026)

Signed by the Governor on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 prohibits the manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, and purchase of "specified semiautomatic firearms" (semiautomatic rifles or shotguns with detachable magazines, or gas-operated semiautomatic handguns with detachable magazines) beginning August 1, 2026. Exceptions exist for persons who complete required firearms safety courses, law enforcement, military, and other specified categories. Violations are a class 2 misdemeanor (class 6 felony for second or subsequent offenses).

Reciprocity

Colorado's concealed carry permit is recognized by some other states. Permit holders should verify current reciprocity agreements before traveling. The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) permits nationwide concealed carry by qualified current and retired law enforcement officers.

Key Statutes

Note: This overview is based on Colorado law as of early 2025, including HB24-1174 (signed June 4, 2024, with portions effective August 7, 2024 and July 1, 2025) and SB25-003 (signed April 10, 2025, with key provisions effective August 1, 2026). Colorado firearms law is subject to ongoing legislative changes and local government regulations. Consult the full Colorado Revised Statutes and your local sheriff's office for the most current requirements.

Colorado Concealed Carry Permit Basics

Issuing Authority

Concealed Handgun Permits (CHP) are issued by the Sheriff of the county in which the applicant resides. [C.R.S. 18-12-203]

Permit Type

Colorado issues a statewide concealed handgun permit. The law enabling statewide permits took effect May 18, 2003.

Age Requirement

Applicants must be 21 years of age at the time of application.

Residency Requirement

• Applicants must be a resident of the State of Colorado to apply for a CHP.
• Applications must be submitted in the county of residence.
• If an applicant has a permit from another county and moves, they must renew in their new county of residence.
• Active-duty military stationed in Colorado on duty orders may apply without a Colorado Driver's License by providing current state ID, duty orders, and proof of address (utility bill, lease, etc.).
• Applicants who maintain a secondary residence or own/lease real property used in a business in another county may be eligible to apply there.

Required Documents for New Permit Application

• Completed new permit application form
• Colorado Driver's License (digital copies not accepted; address must be current)
• Proof of firearms training/competence (see Training Requirements below)
• Addresses for the past 10 years

Training Requirements (Effective July 1, 2025 - per HB24-1174)

New Permit Applicants

Applicants must demonstrate competence with a handgun through one of the following:

1. Completion of an initial concealed handgun training class within 1 year before submitting the application. The class must:

   • Be taught in person by a verified instructor (verified by a county sheriff) or be a law enforcement training firearms safety course
   • Include at least 8 hours of instruction, including live-fire exercise and written exam
   • Cover the following topics:
     • Knowledge and safe handling of firearms and ammunition
     • Safe storage of firearms and child safety
     • Safe shooting fundamentals
     • Federal and state laws pertaining to lawful purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms
     • State law pertaining to the use of deadly force for self-defense
     • Best practices for safely interacting with law enforcement responding to an emergency
     • Techniques for avoiding a criminal attack and managing a violent confrontation, including conflict resolution and judgmental use of lethal force
   • Require a passing score on both a written concealed handgun competency exam and a live-fire exercise
   • Online classes are not acceptable

2. Honorable discharge from a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces within 3 years preceding the application

3. Honorable discharge from a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces with pistol qualifications obtained within 10 years preceding the application

4. Current certification as a peace officer (pursuant to Article 2.5 of Title 16)

5. Evidence of being a verified instructor at the time of application

6. Evidence of experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competitions or current military service

7. Certificate showing retirement from a Colorado Law Enforcement Agency with pistol qualifications within 10 years preceding the application

Renewal Applicants (Effective July 1, 2025)

Beginning July 1, 2025, renewal applicants must also demonstrate competence with a handgun through one of the following:

1. Completion of a concealed handgun refresher class within 6 months before submitting the renewal application. The refresher class must:

   • Be held in person
   • Be taught by a verified instructor
   • Include instruction on changes to laws related to firearms
   • Require a passing score on a live-fire exercise and written exam
   • Provide at least 2 hours of instruction (including live-fire and written exam)
   • Alternatively, an 8-hour initial training class completed within 6 months is also acceptable for renewal

2. Participation in organized shooting competitions

3. Current military service

4. Current certification as a peace officer

5. Being a verified instructor for firearms safety courses

6. Honorable discharge from a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces with pistol qualifications within 10 years prior to submitting the renewal

7. Retirement from a Colorado law enforcement agency with pistol qualifications within 10 years prior to submitting the renewal

Verified Instructor Requirements (per HB24-1174)

County sheriffs must verify training instructors whose principal place of business for firearms training is in the sheriff's county. To be verified, a person must:

• Hold a valid concealed carry permit
• Be certified as a firearms instructor by a law enforcement agency, college or university, nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training, or firearms training school
• Denial, suspension, or revocation of instructor verification is subject to judicial review
• It is a deceptive trade practice to claim to be a verified instructor without sheriff verification

Disqualifying Factors

• Persons with state or federal prohibitions on firearm possession are ineligible
• Per HB24-1174, a person is prohibited from being issued a permit if convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses within 5 years before submitting the application
• Must not have any state or federal prohibitions to own a firearm [C.R.S. referenced via CBI state and federal firearm prohibitors]

Fees (Example: Arapahoe County)

Note: Fees may vary by county. Consult your local Sheriff's Department for specific fee schedules. The Colorado Department of Public Safety directs applicants to the CBI website for current CHP fees.

Processing Time

By law, the sheriff has 90 days from receipt of the application to perform a background check and either approve or deny the request for a concealed handgun permit.

Permit Duration & Renewal

• Renewal applications may be submitted no more than 120 days prior to the expiration date
• No permit shall be renewed 6 months or more after its expiration date; the permit is deemed permanently expired after that point
• Renewals after July 1, 2025 are subject to the new training requirements per HB24-1174 with no grace period

Carry Requirements

• The permit and a valid photo identification must be carried with the handgun at all times [C.R.S. 18-12-203]
• A permit is not required when a handgun is carried in a private automobile or other private transportation - the handgun is not considered concealed in this context [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)]

Additional Key Provisions

• Colorado does not require firearm registration [C.R.S. 29-11.7-102]
• Colorado allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle for lawful protection of person or property [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)]
• A person may possess a handgun in a dwelling, place of business, or automobile; however, when carried into a home, business, hotel room, etc., it must be in plain view [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6]
• Local jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6]
• Open carry is regulated by local county and municipal authorities
• Large-capacity magazine sale, transfer, and possession is prohibited [HB 13-1224]; unlawful sale, transfer, or possession is a class 1 misdemeanor (as amended by SB25-003)

Recent Legislative Changes

HB24-1174 - Concealed Carry Permits & Training

• Signed by Governor: June 4, 2024
• Portions effective: August 7, 2024
• Portions effective: July 1, 2025
• Establishes new minimum standards for concealed handgun training classes
• Reduces training certificate validity from 10 years to 1 year for new applications
• Requires renewal applicants to demonstrate competence (previously not required)
• Establishes the verified instructor system through county sheriffs
• Adds disqualification for certain misdemeanor convictions within 5 years

SB25-003 - Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices

• Signed by Governor: April 10, 2025
• Effective: April 10, 2025 (with prohibition on specified semiautomatic firearms effective August 1, 2026)
• Prohibits manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, and purchase of specified semiautomatic firearms (with exceptions including completion of required firearms safety courses)
• Classifies rapid-fire devices as dangerous weapons
• Makes unlawful sale/transfer/possession of large-capacity magazines a class 1 misdemeanor

Colorado Concealed Carry Laws

Overview

Colorado is a shall-issue state for concealed handgun permits (CHPs). A permit is required to carry a concealed handgun on one's person in public. The concealed carry permit system is governed primarily by C.R.S. Title 18, Article 12, Part 2 (sections 18-12-201 through 18-12-214).

Permit Requirement

Carrying a concealed firearm without a valid permit is a criminal offense under C.R.S. 18-12-105. As amended by recent legislation, unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon is a class 1 misdemeanor.

When a Permit Is NOT Required

Under C.R.S. 18-12-105(2), it is not an offense to carry a concealed weapon if the person is:

• In his or her own dwelling or place of business, or on property owned or under his or her control
• In a private automobile or other private means of conveyance carrying a weapon for lawful protection of such person's or another's person or property while traveling [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)(b)]
• A peace officer as described in C.R.S. 16-2.5-101, carrying in conformance with employing agency policy
• A United States probation officer or pretrial services officer while on duty in Colorado
• A holder of a valid concealed handgun permit or temporary emergency permit issued pursuant to Part 2 of Article 12

Key Note: A permit is not required and a handgun is not considered concealed when a person is in a private automobile or other private transportation. [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)]

Issuing Authority

Concealed handgun permits are issued by the Sheriff of the county in which the applicant:

• Resides, OR
• Maintains a secondary residence, OR
• Owns or leases real property used by the applicant in a business, OR
• Previously received a permit from that Sheriff

[C.R.S. 18-12-203]

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the requirements specified in C.R.S. 18-12-203(1). The application form requires disclosure of the following disqualifying factors:

1. Treatment for alcoholism within the past ten years or involuntary commitment as an alcoholic
2. Two or more alcohol-related convictions within the past ten years
3. Conviction of perjury under C.R.S. 18-8-503
4. Currently subject to a criminal or civil restraining order
5. Under indictment or information for a felony or any crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment
6. Conviction of a felony, attempt or conspiracy to commit a felony, or any crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment
7. Being a fugitive from justice
8. Unlawful use of or addiction to marijuana or any controlled substance
9. Adjudication as mentally defective or commitment to a mental institution
10. Conviction of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (as defined in federal regulations)
11. Adjudication as a juvenile for a crime that would constitute a felony if committed by an adult
12. Dishonorable discharge from the Armed Forces
13. Renunciation of United States citizenship
14. Alien or non-citizen status (supplemental form required)

Residency Requirement

• Applicants must be Colorado residents with a Colorado driver's license or identification card to establish residency
• A home in Colorado with an out-of-state driver's license does not qualify
• Business owners may apply in the county where they own a business (with proof of ownership)
• Non-residents of Colorado generally cannot obtain a Colorado CHP (Pennsylvania's reciprocity document confirms Colorado does not allow non-resident applications)

Application Process

1. Complete the application - must be printed in ink or typed and completed in full
2. Submit in person to the Sheriff's office - the applicant must sign the completed application under sworn oath that the information is true and correct
3. Provide required documents:
   • Completed application form
   • Proof of residency (Colorado Driver's License, Colorado ID Card, or Military ID Card with Duty Orders)
   • Documentary evidence of handgun competence per C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(h)
   • Two completed fingerprint cards (fingerprints typically taken at time of application)
   • Color photograph (typically taken by the Sheriff's office)
   • Processing fee

Training Requirements

HB 24-1174 (Effective July 1, 2025)

House Bill 24-1174 established new standardized training requirements for concealed handgun permits. Key provisions:

• Establishes standards for concealed handgun training classes
• Requires an 8-hour Concealed Handgun Safety class
• Creates a Verified Instructor program - each county Sheriff's office maintains a list of verified instructors authorized to teach CHP courses
• Applies to all new and renewal applicants - there is no grace period or exception
• Original training certificate or documentation must be submitted with the application

Training must demonstrate competence with a handgun as specified in C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(h).

Fees

Fees vary by county. Example from Morgan County:

• New applications: $152.50
• Renewals: $38.00
• Payment methods accepted vary by county (cash, cashier's check, check, money order, credit card with service fee)
• Fees cover forms, ID cards, local criminal history checks, state and national criminal history checks (fingerprints), NICS check, and other administrative costs

The Colorado Department of Public Safety directs applicants to the CBI website for current statewide CHP fee schedules.

Permit Duration and Renewal

• Permits are renewable through the issuing Sheriff's office
• Renewal applicants must comply with the new training requirements under HB 24-1174 (effective July 1, 2025)
• Renewal applications require a reduced fee compared to new applications

Carrying Restrictions - Where Concealed Carry Is Prohibited

Under C.R.S. 18-12-214, a concealed handgun permit does not authorize carrying in the following locations:

Prohibited Locations

1. Public elementary, middle, junior high, or high schools - on the real property or in any improvements thereon [C.R.S. 18-12-214(3)]
2. Licensed child care centers - as defined in C.R.S. 26.5-5-303(3) (does not include family child care homes)
3. Public or private colleges, universities, or seminaries - if prohibited by the governing board, or in violation of C.R.S. 18-12-105.5
4. Parking areas of licensed child care centers or public/private colleges, universities, or seminaries
5. Government buildings - in violation of C.R.S. 18-12-105.3
6. Polling locations, drop boxes, or central count facilities - in violation of C.R.S. 1-13-724
7. General Assembly buildings - carrying firearms without legal authority in buildings housing chambers, galleries, or offices of the general assembly [C.R.S. 18-12-105(1)(c)]
8. Places prohibited by federal law

Exceptions to Prohibited Locations

• Security personnel employed or retained by a licensed child care center or college/university/seminary may carry while engaged in official duties
• If a licensed child care center shares real estate with another building open to the public, carrying is permitted on areas not designated as the child care center
• Educational programs approved by a school (including weapon repair/maintenance courses)

Polling Location Restrictions (C.R.S. 1-13-724)

• It is unlawful to openly carry a firearm within any polling location, within 100 feet of a drop box, or within 100 feet of any building containing a polling location on election day or during voting periods
• Same restrictions apply to central count facilities during active election administration
• Signs must be posted notifying persons of the 100-foot no open carry zone

Carrying in Vehicles

Colorado law allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle if its use is for lawful protection of such person's or another's person or property. [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)]

• A handgun is not considered concealed when carried in a private automobile or other private transportation
• Local jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6]
• When carrying a weapon into a home, business, or hotel room, it must be in plain view

Open Carry

Open carry of firearms is regulated by local county and municipal authorities. There is no statewide preemption for open carry. Individuals should check local municipal codes for specific restrictions.

Permit Carry Requirements

When carrying concealed with a permit:

• The permit and valid photo identification must be carried with the handgun at all times [C.R.S. 18-12-203; Colorado State Patrol guidance]

Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA)

The federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act permits nationwide carrying of concealed handguns by qualified current and retired law enforcement officers, exempting them from state and local concealed carry prohibitions. Colorado has specific application processes for retired/separated law enforcement officers.

Perjury and False Statements

An applicant who knowingly and intentionally makes a false or misleading statement on a permit application or deliberately omits material information commits perjury under C.R.S. 18-8-503. Upon conviction:

• Punishment as provided in C.R.S. 18-1.3-501
• Denial of the right to obtain or possess a permit
• Revocation of any previously issued permit

Magazine Restrictions

House Bill 13-1224 prohibits the sale, transfer, and possession of "large-capacity ammunition magazines" in Colorado. This applies to concealed carry permit holders as well.

Firearms in National Forests and National Parks

• National Forests: Firearms may be carried while visiting National Forests in Colorado, subject to state laws and federal regulations (36 CFR 261.10(d)) restricting discharge within 150 yards of residences, campsites, developed recreation sites, across roads, or into caves
• National Parks: Per 16 USC 1a-7b, a person may possess a firearm in a national park if possession complies with Colorado state law. Firearms are prohibited in federal facilities (visitor centers, administrative offices) per 18 USC 930

Reciprocity

Colorado has reciprocity agreements with certain states. Ohio's Attorney General office lists a Colorado Concealed Carry Reciprocity Agreement. Pennsylvania's reciprocity summary indicates that Colorado does not allow Pennsylvania residents to apply for a Colorado CHP (residents-only state). Permit holders should verify current reciprocity status with specific states before traveling.

Recent and Notable Legislation

HB 24-1174 (Effective July 1, 2025)

• Establishes new standardized training requirements for concealed handgun permits
• Creates verified instructor programs at the county level
• Applies to all new and renewal applicants with no grace period

2024 Legislation (Effective July 1, 2024)

• Reclassified unlawful concealed carry from a class 2 misdemeanor to a class 1 misdemeanor
• Expanded prohibited locations to include licensed child care centers, private colleges/universities/seminaries
• Added government building restrictions (C.R.S. 18-12-105.3)
• Added polling location/drop box/central count facility restrictions
• Added parking area restrictions at child care centers and colleges/universities

SB 18-097 (2018 Session - Did Not Pass)

• Proposed allowing concealed carry without a permit (constitutional carry)
• Would have preserved restrictions on carrying at public schools
• This bill was introduced but did not become law

HCR 23-1003 (2023 Session - Resolution)

• Proposed constitutional amendment for constitutional concealed carry
• Would have amended Section 13 of Article II of the Colorado Constitution
• This resolution was introduced but did not advance

Key Statutes Reference

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Federal context

N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen (2022). Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022), eliminated "proper cause" / "good cause" discretionary CCW frameworks and required states to apply objective issuance criteria. The decision converted formerly may-issue states to shall-issue. States that were already shall-issue or permitless before Bruen experience the case primarily through its broader historical-tradition test for evaluating subsequent Second Amendment claims.

Open Carry Laws in Colorado

General Legal Status

Colorado is generally an open carry state at the state level. There is no state statute that broadly prohibits the open carrying of firearms. To lawfully possess a firearm in Colorado, a person must be at least 18 years old and must not have any state or federal prohibitions [C.R.S. 18-12-108.5; see also Colorado Department of Public Safety firearms FAQ].

However, open carry is significantly regulated by local authorities and restricted in certain sensitive locations by state law.

Local Regulation of Open Carry

According to the Colorado Department of Public Safety:

"The actual open carrying of firearms is regulated by local county and municipal authorities. Confirmation of open carry municipal code restrictions would have to be done with those local authorities."

This means that individual cities and counties may enact their own restrictions or prohibitions on open carry. Most city municipal codes are posted online for public review. Persons wishing to open carry should verify the specific rules of the municipality or county they are in.

Notable local restrictions include:

• City and County of Denver - Has historically prohibited the open carry of firearms within city limits.
• City of Brighton - Municipal Code Sec. 9-32-10 makes it "unlawful for any person to open or openly carry any firearm in or upon any public building or specific area within the City." "Public building" is defined as any structure, facility, site, or enclosed area owned, operated, or leased by the City. "Specific area" includes all recreational facilities, sports complexes, swimming pools, tennis courts, skate parks, basketball courts, pedestrian and bicycle paths, public trails, picnic facilities, lawns, gardens, parks, and open space owned, operated, or leased by the City. Brighton also defines a "concealed handgun" as one "carried in such a manner so as to be completely concealed from the view of another," meaning any handgun visible "in whole or in part and for any length of time" is deemed openly carried.

Local governments that prohibit open carry of firearms in a building or specific area must post signs at public entrances informing persons that open carry is prohibited [C.R.S. 29-11.7-104(1)].

State Preemption Limitations

Colorado's preemption framework for firearms regulation is nuanced:

• C.R.S. 29-11.7-102 - Prohibits gun registration by the state or any political subdivision.
• C.R.S. 29-11.7-103 - Restricts local regulation of the type of firearm a person may possess.
• C.R.S. 29-11.7-104 - Allows local governments to enact ordinances prohibiting open carry of firearms in buildings or specific areas within their jurisdiction, provided signs are posted at public entrances.
• C.R.S. 18-12-105.6 - Provides that local jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon. This preemption applies specifically to traveling with firearms and does not prevent local governments from regulating the open carrying of firearms in their jurisdictions.

Local-government authority over open carry is set by C.R.S. 29-11.7-104 and the preemption provisions above. Because the sensitive-space rules were amended by SB 24-131 (2024) and the polling-place statute (C.R.S. 1-13-724) was further amended in 2026 by HB 1113, verify the current text of any local ordinance and the state statute before relying on a specific restriction.

Sensitive Spaces - Prohibited Locations (SB24-131)

Effective July 1, 2024, SB24-131 ("Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces," Session Laws Ch. 301) significantly expanded the locations where carrying firearms is prohibited. For government buildings and educational facilities, the act prohibits carrying firearms both openly and concealed, and violations are a class 1 misdemeanor. The act also amended the existing polling location restrictions under C.R.S. 1-13-724, though those restrictions remain limited to open carry (see below).

Government Buildings (including adjacent parking areas):

• State legislative buildings, including buildings where offices of elected members are located
• Local government governing body buildings, including buildings where offices of elected members or the chief executive officer are located
• Courthouses or other buildings used for court proceedings

Exceptions for government buildings include:

• Law enforcement officers
• Members of the U.S. armed forces or Colorado National Guard
• Security personnel as described in C.R.S. 24-33.5-216.7(5)
• Persons carrying as part of lawful and common practices of a legal proceeding
• Concealed carry permit holders carrying a concealed handgun in an adjacent parking area only
• A local government may enact a law permitting carrying at its own local government building

Educational Facilities:

• Licensed child care centers (other than family child care homes, as defined in C.R.S. 26.5-5-303(7)) operating with stated educational purposes, licensed by the Department of Early Childhood or exempt from licensing under C.R.S. 26.5-5-304(1)(b)
• Public or private elementary, middle, junior high, high, or vocational schools
• Public or private colleges, universities, or seminaries

Note: Separate from SB24-131, C.R.S. 18-12-105.5 also addresses unlawful carrying and possession of weapons on school, college, or university grounds.

Exceptions for educational facilities include:

• Existing exceptions in law for carrying on public K-12 school property [per C.R.S. 18-12-214(3)]
• Concealed carry permit holders carrying in the parking area of a licensed child care center or higher education institution
• Security personnel employed or retained by a licensed child care center or higher education institution, while engaged in official duties
• Licensed child care centers co-located with other buildings open to the public - carrying is permitted on areas of real estate or improvements not designated as the child care center
• Persons possessing a weapon for use in an educational program approved by a school (including courses designed for repair or maintenance of weapons)

Polling Locations and Election Facilities:

• Any polling location or central count facility
• Within 100 feet of a ballot drop box or any building containing a polling location or central count facility while an election or related election administration activity is in progress
• The designated election official must visibly place signs notifying persons of the 100-foot no open carry zone

Important: The prohibition at polling locations and election facilities under C.R.S. 1-13-724 (originally enacted by HB22-1086, the "Vote Without Fear Act") applies specifically to openly carrying a firearm. Unlike the government buildings and educational facilities provisions above, this section was not expanded to cover concealed carry. SB24-131's amendments to C.R.S. 1-13-724 added security personnel described in C.R.S. 24-33.5-216.7(5) to the list of exceptions and updated legislative declaration language, but retained the "openly carry" scope of the prohibition in subsections (3)(a) and (3)(b).

Penalties for violations at polling locations (per HB22-1086 as amended):

• First offense: Fine not exceeding $250, imprisonment not exceeding 120 days, or both
• Subsequent offenses: Fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding 364 days, or both

Exceptions at polling locations include:

• A person who owns private property within the 100-foot buffer zone, while on their property or traveling directly between their property and a place outside the buffer zone
• Uniformed security guards employed by a contract security agency (as defined in C.R.S. 24-33.5-415.4) acting within the scope of their contractual duties
• Security personnel described in C.R.S. 24-33.5-216.7(5) while engaged in official duties

Federal Constitutional Context (NYSRPA v. Bruen, 2022)

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. ___ (2022), affirmed that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. The Court held that firearms regulations must be consistent with the historical tradition of firearm regulation in America.

Significantly, the Court noted a historical consensus that States could not altogether prohibit the public carry of arms. The Court observed that antebellum courts consistently held that concealed-carry prohibitions were constitutional only if they did not similarly prohibit open carry. As the Court stated: "[T]hese antebellum state-court decisions evince a consensus view that States could not altogether prohibit the public carry of 'arms' protected by the Second Amendment." This historical analysis supports the view that open carry enjoys strong constitutional protection, even as concealed carry may be regulated.

Carrying Firearms in Vehicles

Colorado law allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle if its use is for lawful protection of such person or another's person or property [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)]. A handgun is not considered concealed when a person is in a private automobile or other private transportation [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)].

Under Title 33 (wildlife laws), it is unlawful to possess any firearm other than a pistol or revolver in or on a motor vehicle unless the chamber is unloaded [C.R.S. 33-6-125].

Carrying in National Forests

Open carry is permitted in Colorado National Forests, subject to both state laws and federal regulations. A firearm may not be discharged in the following areas:

• Within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area
• Across or on a Forest Development road or adjacent body of water, or in any manner whereby any person or property is exposed to injury or damage
• Into or within any cave [36 CFR 261.10(d)]

Some forests or districts have additional restrictions on discharging a firearm. Check with local forest authorities before visiting.

Carrying in National Parks

Per 16 USC 1a-7b, a person may possess a firearm in any national park if such possession complies with the laws of the state in which the park is located. Colorado's state laws therefore apply in Colorado national parks.

However, firearms are prohibited in federal facilities - defined as buildings or parts thereof owned or leased by the Federal Government where federal employees are regularly present for official duties. In national parks, such facilities may include visitor centers, administrative offices, and maintenance buildings, and will be clearly marked with signs at all public entrances [18 USC 930].

No State Registration Requirement

Colorado prohibits gun registration [C.R.S. 29-11.7-102].

Related Firearms Regulations Affecting Open Carry

Several additional Colorado statutes may affect persons who open carry:

• C.R.S. 18-12-106 - Prohibited use of weapons: Establishes offenses related to the use of firearms, including reckless or illegal discharge.
• C.R.S. 18-12-108 - Possession by previous offenders: Prohibits firearm possession by convicted felons and certain other prohibited persons.
• C.R.S. 18-12-108.5 - Possession by juveniles: Prohibits firearm possession by juveniles with specified exceptions.
• C.R.S. 18-12-113 - Failure to report lost or stolen firearm: Requires reporting of lost or stolen firearms.
• C.R.S. 18-12-114 - Secure firearm storage: Requires secure storage of firearms under specified circumstances.
• C.R.S. 18-12-115 - Waiting period for firearm sales: Establishes a waiting period for firearm purchases.
• HB 13-1224 - Large-capacity magazines: Prohibits the sale, transfer, and possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines.

Recent Legislation

SB25-003 ("Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices"), signed by the Governor on April 10, 2025, prohibits the manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, and purchase of specified semiautomatic firearms on or after August 1, 2026, with certain exceptions including completion of required firearms safety courses. This law does not directly change open carry rules but affects the types of firearms that may be lawfully acquired going forward.

Key Statutes

Constitutional Carry in Colorado

Current Status: Colorado Does NOT Have Constitutional Carry

Colorado does not have constitutional carry (also known as permitless carry). A concealed carry permit is required to legally carry a concealed handgun in the state. Under C.R.S. § 18-12-105, carrying a concealed firearm on or about one's person without a valid permit is a Class 1 misdemeanor (reclassified from Class 2 by SB 24-131, eff. July 1, 2024).

Statutory Framework

Under C.R.S. § 18-12-105(1)(b), a person commits a Class 1 misdemeanor (reclassified from Class 2 by SB 24-131, eff. July 1, 2024) if they knowingly and unlawfully carry a firearm concealed on or about their person.

Exceptions to the concealed carry prohibition (where it is not an offense) include:

• C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(a): A person in their own dwelling, place of business, or on property owned or under their control
• C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(b): A person in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance carrying a weapon for lawful protection of their person or property while traveling
• C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(c): A person who holds a valid permit to carry a concealed handgun or a temporary emergency permit issued pursuant to Part 2 of Article 12
• C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(d): Peace officers carrying in conformance with employing agency policy
• C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(f): United States probation officers or pretrial services officers while on duty in Colorado

Failed Legislative Attempts to Enact Constitutional Carry

Multiple attempts have been made in the Colorado General Assembly to pass constitutional carry legislation. All have failed:

SB18-097 - Concealed Handgun Carry With No Permit (2018 Regular Session)

• Prime Sponsors: Senator Tim Neville, Representative Kevin Van Winkle
• Summary: Would have allowed a person who legally possesses a handgun under state and federal law to carry a concealed handgun in Colorado without a permit. Carriers would have had the same rights and limitations as permit holders, including the prohibition on carrying on public school grounds.
• Status: Lost. Passed the Senate Third Reading (18-17) on March 8, 2018, but was postponed indefinitely by the House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs on March 21, 2018 (vote 6-3).

HB22-1033 - Constitutional Carry Of A Handgun (2022 Regular Session)

• Prime Sponsor: Representative Ron Hanks
• Summary: Would have granted persons at least 21 years old who are permitted to possess a handgun the same authority to carry concealed as permit holders. Would have also converted existing permits to lifetime permits, repealed permit renewal provisions, repealed temporary emergency permits, and repealed local government authority to regulate open or concealed carry.
• Status: Lost. Postponed indefinitely by the House Committee on Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services on February 8, 2022 (vote 8-5).

HB25-1164 - Constitutional Carry of Handgun (2025 Regular Session)

• Prime Sponsor: Representative Ron Weinberg
• Summary: Would have granted persons at least 18 years of age who are permitted to possess a handgun the same authority to carry concealed as permit holders. Would have lowered the minimum age for permits and out-of-state permit recognition to 18, converted existing permits to lifetime permits, repealed renewal provisions and temporary emergency permits, and repealed local government authority to regulate open or concealed carry.
• Status: Lost. Postponed indefinitely by the House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs on February 24, 2025 (vote 8-3).

Key Takeaways

• A concealed handgun permit (CHP) is required to carry a concealed handgun in Colorado, except in the specific circumstances outlined in C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2).
• Carrying in a private vehicle for lawful protection is permitted without a permit under C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(b).
• Carrying on one's own property, dwelling, or place of business is permitted without a permit under C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(a).
• Constitutional carry legislation has been introduced multiple times (2018, 2022, 2025) but has been defeated each time, typically in committee.
• As of 2025, Colorado remains a permit-required state for concealed carry of handguns in public.

Prohibited Places for Concealed Carry in Colorado

Colorado law designates several categories of locations where carrying firearms (including concealed carry with a permit) is prohibited. The following information reflects current law as of July 1, 2024, when SB24-131 took effect.

1. Government Buildings (§ 18-12-105.3, C.R.S.)

A person shall not knowingly carry a firearm, whether loaded or not, in the following government buildings including their adjacent parking areas:

• State Legislative Buildings:

  • Buildings containing the chambers, galleries, or offices of the General Assembly or either house thereof
  • Buildings where a legislative hearing or meeting of the General Assembly is being conducted
  • Buildings where the official office of any member, officer, or employee of the General Assembly is located

• Local Government Buildings (unless the local government enacts a law permitting carry):

  • Buildings containing the chambers or galleries of a local government's governing body
  • Buildings where a meeting of a local government's governing body is being conducted
  • Buildings containing the official office of any elected member of a local government's governing body or of the chief executive officer of a local government

• Courthouses:

  • Any courthouse or other building or portion of a building used for court proceedings

Penalty: Unlawful carrying of a firearm in a government building is a class 1 misdemeanor.

Exceptions to the government buildings prohibition:

• Peace officers carrying pursuant to § 16-2.5-101(2)
• Members of the United States Armed Forces or Colorado National Guard engaged in lawful discharge of official duties
• Security personnel employed or retained by the entity that controls or operates the location, and security personnel described in § 24-33.5-216.7(5), while engaged in official duties
• Law enforcement personnel, defense counsel personnel, and court personnel carrying or possessing a firearm in the performance of official duties as part of lawful and common practices of a legal proceeding
• Concealed carry permit holders carrying a concealed handgun in the adjacent parking area only (not inside the building)
• A person securely storing a firearm in a vehicle as required by state law at a location described in this section
• A local government may enact an ordinance permitting carry at local government buildings

2. Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Licensed Child Care Centers (§ 18-12-105.5, C.R.S.)

A person shall not knowingly carry a firearm, either openly or concealed, in or on the real estate and all improvements erected thereon of:

• Licensed child care centers (excluding family child care homes) - centers licensed by the Department of Early Childhood or exempt from licensing pursuant to § 26.5-5-304(1)(b) that operate with stated educational purposes
• Public or private elementary, middle, junior high, high, or vocational schools
• Any public or private college, university, or seminary

Penalty: Violation is a class 1 misdemeanor.

Exceptions:

• Presenting an authorized public demonstration or exhibition pursuant to instruction in conjunction with an organized school or class
• Carrying out necessary duties and functions of an employee of an educational institution that require the use of a firearm
• Participation in an authorized extracurricular activity or on an athletic team
• Concealed carry permit holders carrying a concealed handgun:
  • On the real property of a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school in accordance with § 18-12-214(3)
  • In a parking area of a licensed child care center or a public or private college, university, or seminary
• Security personnel employed or retained by a licensed child care center or a public or private college, university, or seminary while engaged in official duties
• When a licensed child care center is on the same real estate as another building or improvement that is not a school and is open to the public, carrying a firearm on an area of real estate or improvement that is not designated as a licensed child care center
• Law enforcement officers and security guards (existing law exemptions)
• Possession of a weapon for use in an educational program approved by a school

3. Polling Locations, Ballot Drop Boxes, and Central Count Facilities (§ 1-13-724, C.R.S.)

It is unlawful for any person to carry a firearm in any manner (openly or concealed) at:

• Any polling location, or within 100 feet of a ballot drop box or any building in which a polling location is located, on the day of any election or during the time when voting is permitted
• Any central count facility, or within 100 feet of any building in which a central count facility is located, during any ongoing election administration activity related to an active election

The designated election official shall visibly place a sign notifying persons of the 100-foot no-carry zone.

Penalty: Misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum $250 fine and up to 120 days' imprisonment in county jail; a second or subsequent offense is punishable by a maximum $1,000 fine and up to 364 days' imprisonment.

Exceptions:

• A person who carries a firearm they own on their private property that is within the 100-foot buffer zone, or while traveling directly between their private property and a place outside the buffer zone
• Uniformed security guards employed by a contract security agency acting within the scope of a contractual agreement for security services
• Security personnel described in § 24-33.5-216.7(5) while engaged in official duties

4. Local Government Restrictions (§ 29-11.7-104 and § 18-12-214, C.R.S.)

Local governments have additional authority to restrict firearms:

• A local government may prohibit open carry in a building or specific area within its jurisdiction. Signs must be posted at public entrances informing persons that open carry is prohibited.
• A local government may prohibit concealed carry permit holders from carrying a concealed handgun in a building or specific area within its jurisdiction. However, a local government may not impose criminal penalties for prohibited concealed carry. Signs must be posted at public entrances informing persons that concealed carry is prohibited.

5. Additional Notes

• Concealed carry permits authorize carry throughout the state except for places prohibited by state or local law (§ 18-12-214, C.R.S.).
• Carrying a concealed weapon in public without a permit is a class 1 misdemeanor (§ 18-12-105, C.R.S.).
• SB24-131 was approved by the Governor on May 31, 2024, and became effective July 1, 2024. This bill consolidated and strengthened prohibitions on carrying firearms in sensitive spaces, including government buildings, schools, child care centers, and election-related locations.
• Members of the General Assembly were temporarily exempt from the prohibition on carrying in state legislative buildings until January 5, 2025.

Key Statute References

Carrying Firearms in Vehicles in Colorado

General Vehicle Carry Rules

Colorado law permits carrying firearms in vehicles under the following provisions:

Title 18 - Criminal Code

• Lawful Protection Exception: Colorado allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle if its use is for lawful protection of such person or another person's person or property. [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)]

• Possession in an Automobile: Colorado law allows a person to possess a handgun in a dwelling, place of business, or automobile. However, when you carry the weapon into your home, business, hotel room, etc., it must be in plain view. [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)]

• No Concealed Carry Permit Required in a Vehicle: A permit is not required and a handgun is not considered concealed when a person is in a private automobile or other private transportation. [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)]

• Local Preemption: Local jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon. [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6]

Title 33 - Wildlife Laws

• Long Guns Must Have Unloaded Chambers: In accordance with Colorado wildlife laws, including C.R.S. 33-6-125, you may carry a weapon in your vehicle. However, it is unlawful for any person, except a person authorized by law or by the division (Colorado Parks and Wildlife), to possess or have under his control any firearm, other than a pistol or revolver, in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber of such firearm is unloaded.

• Muzzle-Loaders: A muzzle-loader shall be considered unloaded if it is not primed. For this purpose, "primed" means having a percussion cap on the nipple or flint in the striker and powder in the flash pan.

Key Distinctions

Carrying in National Parks and National Forests

• National Parks: In accordance with 16 USC 1a-7b, in any national park in Colorado, a person may possess a firearm if such possession is in compliance with Colorado state law. However, firearms are prohibited in "Federal facilities" (visitor centers, administrative offices, maintenance buildings) per 18 USC 930. Such facilities will be clearly marked with signs at all public entrances.

• National Forests: You may carry a weapon while visiting National Forests in Colorado. However, you must comply with federal regulations pertaining to the use of a firearm on National Forest System lands. Discharge restrictions apply per 36 CFR 261.10(d):

  • Not within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area
  • Not across or on a Forest Development road or adjacent body of water
  • Not into or within any cave

Important Notes

• Both Title 18 and Title 33 statutes are enforceable by any certified peace officer in the state. It is the individual's responsibility to abide by all sections of each statute to be in compliance.
• Colorado prohibits gun registration. [C.R.S. 29-11.7-102]
• Open carry regulations are governed by local county and municipal authorities; check local municipal codes for specific restrictions.

Reciprocity

Colorado honors concealed carry permits from 34 states, but only when the permit was issued to a resident of that state. This is the single rule that catches the most travelers, and it catches Colorado residents too. If you hold a non-resident permit from Utah, Florida, Arizona, or anywhere else, that permit is worthless in Colorado. It does not matter that the issuing state is on Colorado's reciprocity list. What matters is that the state on your permit matches the state on your driver's license.

The rule comes from C.R.S. 18-12-213, which was amended in 2007 to add the residency-match requirement. The statute says a permit issued by another state is valid in Colorado only if it was issued to a person who is "[a] resident of the state that issued the permit, as demonstrated by the address stated on a valid picture identification that is issued by the state that issued the permit and is carried by the permit holder." The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which distributes the reciprocity determination to Colorado law enforcement through the CCIC system, puts it plainly: "The State of Colorado does not recognize the validity of a concealed carry permit issued by any state, to a nonresident of that state (see C.R.S 18-12-213, as amended in 2007). Specifically, state law requires the state of residency of the person and the state of issue of a permit to match as proven by a valid driver's license or identification card issued by that same state."

The five conditions

CBI restates C.R.S. 18-12-213 as a checklist. Colorado recognizes an out-of-state permit only if all of the following are true:

• The issuing state recognizes and honors a Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP).
• The permit holder is a resident of the issuing state.
• The permit holder is carrying a matching state-issued driver's license or state ID showing residency in that same state.
• The permit holder is 21 years of age or older.
• The permit holder is carrying a valid, unexpired permit.

Two details about the ID. First, C.R.S. 18-12-213(2) defines "valid picture identification" narrowly: it "means a driver's license or a state identification issued in lieu of a driver's license." A passport, a military ID, or a concealed carry card that happens to have your photo on it does not satisfy this element. Second, the ID has to be on you. The statute requires that it "is carried by the permit holder." A Wyoming permit plus a Wyoming driver's license left in the hotel room is not a compliant carry.

Note what is not on the list. Colorado imposes no permit-class qualifier. Neither the statute nor CBI's reciprocity page distinguishes between "enhanced" and "standard" permits, between North Dakota Class 1 and Class 2, or between resident-issued permit tiers within a recognized state. The only conditions are the five above.

Colorado residents cannot use another state's permit

This is the part most guides get wrong. CBI states it directly:

"In addition to out of state visitors from reciprocal states, this state law also applies to Colorado residents. A Colorado resident may only carry concealed in the state using a Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP). A Colorado resident cannot legally carry concealed in-state using a nonresident permit issued by any other state."

The mechanism is the same residency-match test. If you live in Colorado and carry a Colorado driver's license, then no other state's permit can satisfy C.R.S. 18-12-213(1)(b)(I), because the address on your picture ID will never match the issuing state. The non-resident Utah or Florida permit that a Colorado resident buys to widen their travel options does nothing for them at home. It is not a shortcut around the Colorado application, the county sheriff, or the training requirement.

The practical consequence is a criminal charge, not a warning. Carrying a concealed firearm in Colorado is a class 1 misdemeanor under C.R.S. 18-12-105(1)(b) unless an exception in subsection (2) applies. The permit exception at C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)(c) covers a person who "held a valid permit to carry a concealed handgun or a temporary emergency permit issued pursuant to part 2 of this article." A reciprocal out-of-state permit reaches that exception only because C.R.S. 18-12-213 declares it "valid in this state in all respects as a permit issued pursuant to this part 2." Fail any of the five conditions and the permit is not valid in Colorado, the exception does not attach, and you are carrying concealed without a permit.

States Colorado recognizes

Per the CBI Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) Reciprocity page, "[c]oncealed carry reciprocity has been established with the following states" (34 states):

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The archived handgunlaw.us Colorado summary, last updated June 7, 2026, lists the identical 34 states, which corroborates the CBI page as current.

States Colorado does not recognize

This is the half that produces arrests, so know it cold. Per the same CBI page, reciprocity "has not been established with the following states" (15 states plus the District of Columbia):

California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, and Washington.

A resident-issued permit from any of these jurisdictions is not honored in Colorado. A Nevada resident with a Nevada CCW permit and a Nevada driver's license, all valid, still cannot carry concealed in Colorado. Two of Colorado's own neighbors are on this list, Nevada is a short drive from the western slope, and Washington and Oregon feed a lot of I-70 and I-25 traffic.

Together the two lists cover 49 states plus the District of Columbia, with Colorado itself as the fiftieth state. CBI's page does not address permits issued by Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or other U.S. territories, and the statute does not mention territories either. Treat territorial permits as unrecognized until CBI says otherwise.

Tribal land is a second silence of the same kind. Neither C.R.S. 18-12-213 nor the CBI reciprocity page says anything about the Southern Ute Indian Reservation or the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in southwestern Colorado, so nothing in this corpus tells you what carry rules apply there. Treat tribal land as its own jurisdiction and check tribal law directly before carrying on a reservation.

If Colorado does not honor your permit

Failing the C.R.S. 18-12-213 test does not strip you of every lawful option. It ends concealed carry on a permit. Four things in the Colorado and federal texts still work, and they are narrower than most travelers assume.

Your own dwelling, business, or property. C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)(a) says the concealed-carry offense does not reach "[a] person in his or her own dwelling or place of business or on property owned or under his or her control at the time of the act of carrying." Whether a hotel room or a short-term rental is "owned or under his or her control" is not answered by any source in this corpus. Do not treat a vacation rental as settled ground.

A private vehicle while traveling. C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)(b) exempts "[a] person in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance who carries a weapon for lawful protection of such person's or another's person or property while traveling." C.R.S. 18-12-204(3)(a) says the same thing from the permit side. A person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it "without obtaining a permit and the handgun shall not be considered concealed" when "[t]he handgun is in the possession of a person who is in a private automobile or in some other private means of conveyance and who carries the handgun for a legal use, including self-defense."

Lawful hunting. C.R.S. 18-12-204(3)(a)(II) gives the same not-considered-concealed treatment to a handgun in the possession of "a person who is legally engaged in hunting activities within the state." Subsection (3)(b) caps both branches: nothing in subsection (3) "shall be construed to authorize the carrying of a handgun in violation of the provisions of section 18-12-105 or 18-12-105.5."

Federal safe passage if you are only passing through. 18 U.S.C. 926A, as scraped from Cornell's U.S. Code archive, entitles a person not otherwise prohibited "to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm," on stated conditions: "the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle," and "in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console." That is a transport protection, not a carry protection. It covers the driver crossing Colorado on I-70 or I-25 whose firearm is legal at both ends of the trip. It does not permit loaded, accessible carry, and by its own terms it does nothing for a trip that begins or ends in a place where you may not lawfully possess and carry.

The hinge on all of this is the car door. Both vehicle provisions are about being in a private conveyance. Step out into a parking lot with a handgun concealed on you and no recognized permit, and you are carrying a concealed weapon under C.R.S. 18-12-105(1)(b) with no exception to point at. Whether you could instead carry openly outside the vehicle is a different question under different rules, including local ordinances, and this section does not answer it. See the Open Carry section. Nothing here is permission to carry openly.

Officers carrying under federal law, not reciprocity

"No recognized permit means no concealed carry" has one federal exception that has nothing to do with C.R.S. 18-12-213.

18 U.S.C. 926B, from the Cornell U.S. Code archive in this corpus, provides that "[n]otwithstanding any other provision of the law of any State or any political subdivision thereof, an individual who is a qualified law enforcement officer and who is carrying the identification required by subsection (d) may carry a concealed firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, subject to subsection (b)." 18 U.S.C. 926C does the same for a "qualified retired law enforcement officer." Both are federal grants that run directly against state law, so an officer relying on one of them is not asking Colorado to honor a state permit, and the residency-match rule in 18-12-213 is beside the point.

Two limits matter as much as the grant:

• The identification is an element, not a formality. Under 926B(d) the required identification is "the photographic identification issued by the governmental agency for which the individual is employed that identifies the employee as a police officer or law enforcement officer of the agency." Under 926C(d) a retired officer needs either an agency photo ID that also indicates the agency tested or found the individual to meet active duty firearms qualification standards "not less recently than one year before" the date of carry, or that agency photo ID plus a separate certification of qualification issued by the state of residence or a qualified certified firearms instructor within the same one-year window. Without the document in hand, the section does not apply.
• Property restrictions survive. Both 926B(b) and 926C(b) say the section "shall not be construed to supersede or limit the laws of any State that" either "permit private persons or entities to prohibit or restrict the possession of concealed firearms on their property" or "prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms on any State or local government property, installation, building, base, or park." Federal authority does not open Colorado's posted government buildings, and it does not override a private business that says no.

The statutory definitions of "qualified law enforcement officer" and "qualified retired law enforcement officer" in 926B(c) and 926C(c) are detailed, and they do the real work of deciding who is covered. Read them before relying on either section.

Colorado does not negotiate reciprocity agreements

Colorado's recognition is automatic by statute, not the product of a signed memorandum. CBI explains the design: "Colorado state law passes the authority to grant a reciprocal status to the other states, once our Colorado permit is honored, reciprocity may be established."

Read C.R.S. 18-12-213(1) and you can see why. The statute conditions Colorado's recognition on the issuing state's behavior: a permit "issued by a state that recognizes the validity of permits issued pursuant to this part 2 shall be valid in this state." There is no separate step where Colorado decides to reciprocate, no formal agreement to sign, and no termination clause to invoke. When another state starts honoring Colorado CHPs, Colorado's recognition follows from the statute. When another state stops, Colorado's recognition drops out the same way. That is why the CBI list can change without any legislative action in Colorado.

If you are moving to Colorado

C.R.S. 18-12-213(1)(b)(II) gives new residents a short bridge. Instead of proving residency in the issuing state, you can qualify as "[a] resident of Colorado for no more than ninety days, as determined by the date of issuance on a valid picture identification issued by Colorado and carried by the permit holder."

Read the clock carefully, because it is not measured from the day you moved:

1. Get your Colorado driver's license or state ID. The issuance date printed on that card starts the ninety days.
2. During those ninety days, carry both the Colorado card and your prior state's permit. Under subsection (1)(b)(II) the address-match requirement is what the Colorado card replaces, so you need the Colorado card in hand for the bridge to work.
3. Your prior state's permit must still be from one of the 34 recognized states, and you must still be 21 or older. The ninety-day provision waives only the residency-match element, not the other conditions in subsection (1).
4. Apply for a Colorado CHP through the sheriff of the county where you live. See the Application Process and Training Requirements sections for what that involves.
5. On day ninety-one, your out-of-state permit stops working in Colorado. There is no renewal, extension, or conversion of an out-of-state permit into a Colorado CHP.

One tension worth naming. On the face of the statute, subsection (1)(b)(II) does not require the prior permit to have been resident-issued, which would suggest a brand-new Colorado resident could ride out ninety days on a non-resident Utah card. CBI does not read it that way. CBI's page states the non-resident bar absolutely, with no ninety-day carve-out, and then applies it to Colorado residents by name. CBI is the agency that pushes this determination to Colorado law enforcement through CCIC, so the practical answer is that a non-resident permit will not be honored by an officer on the roadside regardless of how long you have lived here. Do not plan around the textual argument.

What a recognized out-of-state permit does not authorize

C.R.S. 18-12-213 makes a recognized permit valid "in all respects as a permit issued pursuant to this part 2." That cuts both ways. You get the same authority a Colorado permittee gets, and you inherit the same limits. Under C.R.S. 18-12-214, a part 2 permit authorizes carry "in all areas of the state, except as specifically limited in this section," and those limits apply to you as a visitor:

• Federal restrictions. Subsection (2) says a permit does not authorize carry "into a place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law."
• Local ordinances. Subsection (2.5) says a permit does not authorize carry where local ordinance prohibits concealed handguns. Subsection (1)(c)(I) lets local governments, special districts, and governing boards of higher education institutions ban permit carry in specific buildings or areas, and subsection (1)(c)(II) requires them to post signs at the public entrances of any building or area where they do.
• K-12 public school property. Subsection (3) bars carry on public elementary, middle, junior high, and high school property, with narrow exceptions for a handgun kept in your vehicle, school security officers, and undeveloped school land used for hunting or shooting sports.
• Government buildings, colleges, child care centers, polling places. Subsection (3.5) incorporates the prohibitions in C.R.S. 18-12-105.3, 18-12-105.5, and 1-13-724.
• Screened public buildings. Subsection (4) bars carry into public buildings that have permanent security personnel and electronic weapons screening at every entrance.
• Private property. Subsection (5) preserves the rights of private property owners, tenants, employers, and businesses to say no.

Two more points from the same statute. A peace officer may temporarily disarm you incident to a lawful stop and must return the handgun before releasing you from the scene, per subsection (1)(b). And carrying a concealed handgun in violation of C.R.S. 18-12-214 strips the permit exception in C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)(c), which converts a location violation back into a class 1 misdemeanor concealed-carry charge.

See the Prohibited Places section for the full list. Colorado has been an active jurisdiction for new location restrictions, and a visitor relying on a two-year-old list will be behind.

The permit and the ID you have to be carrying

The "in all respects as a permit issued pursuant to this part 2" language in C.R.S. 18-12-213 hands a visitor duties along with authority. C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(a) applies to you exactly as it applies to a Colorado permittee:

"The permittee shall carry the permit, together with valid photo identification, at all times during which the permittee is in actual possession of a concealed handgun and shall produce both documents upon demand by a law enforcement officer. Failure to produce a permit upon demand by a law enforcement officer raises a rebuttable presumption that the person does not have a permit. Failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand as required in this subsection (2) is a petty offense."

The same subsection supplies a cure for the paperwork offense. The charge "shall be dismissed by the court if, at or before the permittee's scheduled court appearance, the permittee exhibits to the court a valid permit and valid photo identification, both of which were issued to the permittee prior to the date on which the permittee was charged with failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand."

Now notice how the two requirements overlap. For a visitor, the "valid photo identification" that 18-12-204(2)(a) demands and the matching home-state "valid picture identification" that 18-12-213(1)(b)(I) demands are the same card. One forgotten wallet defeats both at once, and the two failures are not equally survivable:

• The 18-12-204(2)(a) failure is a petty offense, and the statute lets you cure it by exhibiting the documents to the court.
• The 18-12-213(1)(b)(I) failure is not a paperwork problem. On the face of the statute the ID must be "carried by the permit holder," so if it is not on you, the condition that makes your permit valid in Colorado is not met. The C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)(c) permit exception never attaches, and the exposure is the class 1 misdemeanor in C.R.S. 18-12-105(1)(b). No source in this corpus suggests producing the license later cures that.

See the Duty to Inform section for what you have to say, and when, during the encounter that produces this demand.

Recognition does not import Colorado's possession rules

A permit, honored or Colorado-issued, is permission to carry concealed. It is not permission to possess something Colorado bans, and it is not a key to places closed to everyone. Three items catch visitors.

Magazines. C.R.S. 18-12-302(1)(a) makes it a class 1 misdemeanor to sell, transfer, or possess a large-capacity magazine, "[e]xcept as otherwise provided in this section," and (1)(c) raises it to a class 6 felony where the possession occurs during a felony or a crime of violence. The grandfather in subsection (2)(a) is narrow. A person may possess a large-capacity magazine only if he or she "[o]wns the large-capacity magazine on July 1, 2013" and "[m]aintains continuous possession of the large-capacity magazine." A magazine bought lawfully in another state in 2020 satisfies neither prong. Nothing in 18-12-213, 18-12-204, or 18-12-214 creates a permit exception to 18-12-302. Subsection (2)(b) does place the burden of refuting a claimed grandfather on the prosecution, which is a trial rule, not a travel plan.

Specified semiautomatic firearms. Senate Bill 25-003, per the General Assembly's own bill summary, "prohibits knowingly manufacturing, distributing, transferring, selling, or purchasing a specified semiautomatic firearm on or after August 1, 2026," and channels lawful purchases through a hunter education or firearms safety course path plus a sheriff-issued firearms course eligibility card. That regime attaches to acquisition in Colorado, not to a carry permit. A visiting permit holder who buys a covered firearm in Colorado is inside the SB25-003 rules no matter what permit is in the wallet. See the Restrictions section.

Denver International Airport. The archived handgunlaw.us Colorado summary, a secondary source last updated 2026-06-07, reports "Airport Carry: Denver International Off Limits per Denver General Rule 30.19-1," and quotes the rule as making it unlawful "to possess or present any contraband or loaded firearm, as defined in Parts 10.17 and 10.29, on or about their person or property whether concealed or not, in the Airport Terminal, sterile, secured, or controlled areas, or while seeking to enter the sterile, secured, or controlled areas at DEN." That is a municipal rule reported by a secondary source, not a statute archived in this corpus. Confirm the current rule with Denver or the airport before relying on the details, and treat the terminal as closed to carry.

The Prohibited Places and Restrictions sections are the operative treatment for all three. This paragraph exists only so a reader who came here for reciprocity does not assume an honored permit answers a possession question.

An unsettled federal question: school zones

The Gun-Free School Zones Act is one place where an honored out-of-state permit and a Colorado-issued permit may not be equal, and no Colorado source in this corpus addresses it.

18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(A), from the Cornell U.S. Code archive, makes it unlawful "for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm that has moved in or that otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone." The license exception at 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) is written narrowly:

"if the individual possessing the firearm is licensed to do so by the State in which the school zone is located or a political subdivision of the State, and the law of the State or political subdivision requires that, before an individual obtains such a license, the law enforcement authorities of the State or political subdivision verify that the individual is qualified under law to receive the license"

A Colorado CHP fits that description. Colorado issued it, and C.R.S. 18-12-205(4)(c) requires the sheriff to verify the applicant against the C.R.S. 18-12-203(1) criteria through a national and state background check before the permit issues.

An out-of-state permit that Colorado merely honors is a harder question. C.R.S. 18-12-213 makes it "valid in this state in all respects as a permit issued pursuant to this part 2," which is a statement of Colorado law about Colorado's own permit scheme. It does not make Colorado the state that issued the license, and 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) asks who licensed the individual, not whose law treats the license as valid. On that reading, a Wyoming permit holder standing in a Colorado school zone has no (B)(ii) exception even though Colorado honors the permit for state-law purposes.

This is a genuine unsettled risk, not settled law. No Colorado statute, CBI page, or case in this corpus resolves it, and the argument runs both ways. The "in all respects" language is broad, and a court could read Colorado's adoption of the permit as satisfying the federal condition. Four points do not depend on how it comes out:

• 922(q)(2)(B)(i) excepts possession "on private property not part of school grounds."
• 922(q)(2)(B)(iii) excepts a firearm that is "not loaded" and "in a locked container, or a locked firearms rack that is on a motor vehicle."
• The federal term "school zone" is defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(26). It reaches in or on the grounds of a public, parochial, or private school, and also anywhere "within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds" of such a school. It does not stop at the school property line.
• Colorado imposes its own K-12 restriction through C.R.S. 18-12-214(3) regardless of the federal answer.

If you carry on an honored out-of-state permit, the conservative course near a school is to unload and lock, which satisfies (B)(iii) without needing (B)(ii) to be resolved in your favor.

Colorado issues no non-resident permits

There is no Colorado non-resident permit to apply for. C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(a) requires that an applicant "[i]s a legal resident of the state of Colorado." The statute carves out one group: a member of the armed forces stationed in Colorado on permanent duty station orders, and members of that person's immediate family living in Colorado, "shall be deemed to be a legal resident of the state of Colorado" for purposes of part 2.

The residents-only rule has been litigated and upheld. Per the annotation to C.R.S. 18-12-203, "[l]imiting issuance of concealed handgun permits to only state residents does not violate the second amendment or the privileges and immunities clause of article IV of the U.S. constitution." Peterson v. Martinez, 707 F.3d 1197 (10th Cir. 2013).

The military carve-out creates a question the sources do not answer. Because C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(a) deems a stationed service member a Colorado legal resident "[f]or purposes of this part 2," and C.R.S. 18-12-213 sits inside part 2, it is arguable that a service member stationed in Colorado is treated as a Colorado resident for the reciprocity test even while holding a home-state driver's license and permit. Neither the statute nor CBI addresses this directly. The clean answer for a service member stationed in Colorado is to apply for a Colorado CHP, which the deeming clause expressly permits.

The application machinery accommodates that service member, which is what makes the clean answer practical rather than theoretical. The archived handgunlaw.us Colorado summary reproduces C.R.S. 18-12-205(1)(a)(IV), which limits what the standardized application may ask to, among other items, "[w]hether the applicant is a resident of this state as of the date of application and whether the applicant has a valid driver's license or other state-issued photo identification or military order proving residence." A military order sits in that list alongside a driver's license, so a service member who kept a home-state license is not stopped at the residency question. The same source reproduces C.R.S. 18-12-205(4)(a) on identity: "[t]o verify the applicant's identity, the applicant shall present to the sheriff the applicant's valid Colorado driver's license or valid Colorado or military photo identification."

Note the asymmetry, because it is easy to get backwards. A military photo ID is expressly sufficient to prove identity when applying for a Colorado permit under 18-12-205(4)(a). It is expressly not sufficient to make an out-of-state permit valid in Colorado, because C.R.S. 18-12-213(2) limits "valid picture identification" to "a driver's license or a state identification issued in lieu of a driver's license." Military ID gets you a Colorado permit. It does not get you reciprocity.

Both 18-12-205 quotes come from a secondary source that reproduces the statute rather than from a scrape of 18-12-205 itself. Confirm the current wording with the sheriff of your county before building a plan on the exact language.

Carrying a Colorado CHP in other states

Colorado publishes no outbound list. CBI's page is an inbound determination: which permits Colorado honors. But because C.R.S. 18-12-213(1) conditions Colorado's recognition on the issuing state recognizing Colorado permits, each of the 34 states on CBI's list has been determined to honor the Colorado CHP. That is the inference the statute supports, and it is the closest thing Colorado offers to an outbound list.

It is not a travel plan. CBI's own instruction is to verify: "When traveling with a Colorado permit, it is advisable to contact the state you are visiting to confirm reciprocity and to review that state's firearms laws." Three reasons that matters:

• The destination state's conditions apply to you, not Colorado's. Age floors, duty-to-inform rules, prohibited places, vehicle rules, and school-zone rules are all set by the state you are standing in.
• Some states honor Colorado permits on terms Colorado does not require, and Colorado never publishes those terms. See the Minnesota example below.
• Recognition can move without notice on either side, since the trigger is each state's own law rather than a signed agreement.

Minnesota, the concrete example of a condition Colorado never imposes

A destination state can attach a condition to your Colorado permit that has no counterpart anywhere in Colorado law, and no Colorado source will warn you about it. Minnesota is the archived example.

The handgunlaw.us Colorado summary, a secondary source in this corpus last updated 2026-06-07, carries this note directly under its reciprocity map: "MN only Honors CO Permits issued or renewed on or after 8/1/24." The same document's changelog dates the change, "5/4/2025 - Minnesota Now Honors Colorado Permits Only Issued on or after 8/1/2024. Map Updated and Note Added Under Map," and records a separate later entry running the other direction, "2/1/2026 - Colorado Now Honors The Minnesota Resident Permit Only."

Read what that first note does to a Colorado permit holder. A Colorado CHP is valid for five years under C.R.S. 18-12-204(1)(b). A permit issued in 2022 and not renewed since is fully valid in Colorado, and Minnesota appears on CBI's recognized list, so both halves of the usual check come back clean. Per this source the permit is still not honored in Minnesota, because it was issued before 2024-08-01 and has not been renewed since. Nothing on the CBI page hints at that, and nothing about it is a Colorado defect. CBI publishes an inbound determination, which says which permits Colorado honors and is silent on the terms other states set.

Attribution, and what to do about it. That Minnesota condition is reported by handgunlaw.us, a secondary source. It is not stated by any Colorado or Minnesota government page archived in this corpus, and this section does not treat it as the operative rule. Treat it as a warning to verify. Before carrying a Colorado CHP in Minnesota, confirm the current position with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is the state authority for Minnesota permit-to-carry reciprocity. Then do the same thing for every other destination: find the destination state's own official list, and read the conditions printed on it rather than the state names. The condition that stops you will live in the destination state's law, and Colorado will never publish it.

Common misconceptions

An ambiguity in the statutory text

C.R.S. 18-12-213(1) speaks of "[a] permit to carry a concealed handgun or a concealed weapon" issued by another state, which is broader than handguns. But the authority a part 2 permit confers under C.R.S. 18-12-214 is handgun-specific, and the criminal exception at C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)(c) reaches an out-of-state permit only "if the weapon involved was a handgun." Nothing in CBI's guidance resolves the gap. The safe reading, and the one the rest of part 2 supports, is that Colorado reciprocity covers concealed handguns. Do not assume a broad out-of-state "concealed weapon" permit authorizes carrying a concealed knife or other weapon in Colorado.

Where to verify

• CBI Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) Reciprocity: https://cbi.colorado.gov/firearms/concealed-handgun-permit-chp-reciprocity. This is the operative list, and it is the same determination Colorado law enforcement sees through CCIC. Check it before every trip.
• The destination state's own authority before you carry a Colorado CHP across a state line, per CBI's instruction. For Minnesota specifically, that is the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, because of the issue-date condition described above.
• The relevant tribe before carrying on the Southern Ute or Ute Mountain Ute reservation. Colorado's statutes and CBI are silent on tribal land.
• Denver or the airport authority for the current Denver International Airport rule, which reaches this section only through a secondary source.

Key statutory references

Colorado Use of Force Laws for Concealed Carry Holders

Use of Physical Force in Defense of a Person (C.R.S. § 18-1-704)

Colorado law authorizes the use of physical force in self-defense under the following framework:

Non-Deadly Physical Force (§ 18-1-704(1))

A person is justified in using physical force upon another person to defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by that other person. The person may use a degree of force which he reasonably believes to be necessary for that purpose.

Deadly Physical Force (§ 18-1-704(2))

Deadly physical force may be used only if a person reasonably believes a lesser degree of force is inadequate AND one of the following conditions exists:

• (a) The actor has reasonable ground to believe, and does believe, that he or another person is in imminent danger of being killed or of receiving great bodily injury; or
• (b) The other person is using or reasonably appears about to use physical force against an occupant of a dwelling or business establishment while committing or attempting to commit burglary (§§ 18-4-202 to 18-4-204); or
• (c) The other person is committing or reasonably appears about to commit kidnapping (§ 18-3-301 or 18-3-302), robbery (§ 18-4-301 or 18-4-302), sexual assault (§ 18-3-402), or assault (§§ 18-3-202 and 18-3-203).

When Self-Defense is NOT Justified (§ 18-1-704(3))

A person is not justified in using physical force if:

• (a) With intent to cause bodily injury or death, the person provokes the use of unlawful physical force by the other person; or
• (b) The person is the initial aggressor - except that force becomes justifiable if the initial aggressor withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates the intent to withdraw, but the other person nevertheless continues or threatens unlawful physical force; or
• (c) The physical force involved is the product of combat by agreement not specifically authorized by law; or
• (d) The use of force is based on the discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of the victim's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation (added by SB 20-221, effective July 13, 2020).

No Duty to Retreat

Colorado follows the "no duty to retreat" doctrine. Under established case law and statutory interpretation:

• A person who is not the initial aggressor has no duty to retreat before using physical force, including deadly force, in self-defense.
• The Colorado Supreme Court in People v. Toler (No. 98SC858, September 11, 2000) held that "a person does not have to 'retreat to the wall' before using deadly force to defend himself, unless the person was the 'initial aggressor' in the encounter."
• The legislative comment to the original enactment of § 18-1-704 stated: "Subsection (2) omits the doctrine of 'retreat to the wall' which has never been the law in Colorado."
• In Idrogo v. People, 818 P.2d 752 (Colo. 1991), the Colorado Supreme Court confirmed that § 18-1-704(2) "contains no language reflecting any intention by the General Assembly to revive the doctrine of retreat."
• A person's right to self-defense is not dependent on location - even a trespasser retains the right to self-defense and is not required to retreat unless they are the initial aggressor (People v. Toler).

Make My Day Law / Use of Deadly Force Against an Intruder (C.R.S. § 18-1-704.5)

Colorado's "Make My Day" law provides strong protections for occupants of dwellings:

• (1) The General Assembly recognizes that citizens of Colorado have a right to expect absolute safety within their own homes.
• (2) Any occupant of a dwelling is justified in using any degree of physical force, including deadly physical force, against another person when:
  • That other person has made an unlawful entry into the dwelling; AND
  • The occupant has a reasonable belief that the intruder has committed a crime in the dwelling in addition to the uninvited entry, or is committing or intends to commit a crime against a person or property in addition to the uninvited entry; AND
  • The occupant reasonably believes the intruder might use any physical force, no matter how slight, against any occupant.
• (3) An occupant using force in accordance with this section is immune from criminal prosecution.
• (4) An occupant using force in accordance with this section is immune from any civil liability for injuries or death resulting from the use of such force.
• (5) "Dwelling" does not include any place of habitation in a detention facility (§ 18-8-211(4)).

Use of Physical Force in Defense of Premises (C.R.S. § 18-1-705)

A person in possession or control of any building, realty, or other premises, or a person licensed or privileged to be thereon, is justified in using reasonable and appropriate physical force upon another person when and to the extent reasonably necessary to prevent or terminate what he reasonably believes to be an unlawful trespass.

• Deadly force may be used only:
  • In defense of himself or another as described in § 18-1-704; OR
  • When he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent what he reasonably believes to be an attempt by the trespasser to commit first degree arson.

Use of Physical Force in Defense of Property (C.R.S. § 18-1-706)

A person is justified in using reasonable and appropriate physical force upon another person when and to the extent reasonably necessary to prevent what he reasonably believes to be an attempt by the other person to commit theft, criminal mischief, or criminal tampering involving property.

• Deadly physical force may be used under these circumstances only in defense of himself or another as described in § 18-1-704.

Use of Force by Private Persons Effecting an Arrest (C.R.S. § 18-1-707(7))

A private person acting on his own account is justified in using reasonable and appropriate physical force upon another person when and to the extent he reasonably believes it necessary to:

• Effect an arrest; or
• Prevent the escape from custody of an arrested person who has committed an offense in his presence.

However, a private person is justified in using deadly physical force only when he reasonably believes it necessary to defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of deadly physical force.

Key Definitions (C.R.S. § 18-1-901 and related statutes)

• Deadly physical force: Force, the intended, natural, and probable consequence of which is to produce death and which does, in fact, produce death.
• Serious bodily injury: Bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death; a substantial risk of serious permanent disfigurement; a substantial risk of protracted loss or impairment of the function of any part or organ of the body; or breaks, fractures, a penetrating knife or penetrating gunshot wound, or burns of the second or third degree (§ 18-1-901).
• Imminent: About to happen or likely to occur at any moment. Imminent does not mean immediate or instantaneous - an imminent danger may exist even if the suspect is not at that very moment pointing a weapon at someone.

Law Enforcement Use of Force Standards (C.R.S. § 18-1-707, as amended by SB 20-217)

SB 20-217 (Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity), effective September 1, 2020, established enhanced use of force standards for peace officers:

• Peace officers shall apply nonviolent means, when possible, before resorting to physical force (§ 18-1-707(1)).
• Physical force may be used only if nonviolent means would be ineffective in effecting an arrest, preventing an escape, or preventing an imminent threat of injury.
• Chokeholds are prohibited for peace officers (§ 18-1-707(2.5)).
• Officers must use only a degree of force consistent with the minimization of injury to others (§ 18-1-707(2)(b)).
• Deadly force to make an arrest is justified only when all other means of apprehension are unreasonable given the circumstances and specific conditions are met (§ 18-1-707(3)).
• Officers must identify themselves and give a clear verbal warning of intent to use deadly force with sufficient time for the warning to be observed, unless doing so would unduly place officers at risk (§ 18-1-707(4)).
• Officers have a duty to intervene when witnessing another officer use excessive force (§ 18-8-802).

Prone Restraint Policies (§ 18-1-707(2.7))

Effective July 1, 2025, all Colorado law enforcement agencies must adopt written policies and procedures concerning use of the prone position and prone restraint, including:

• When and how to request medical aid
• When to get medical clearance
• How and when to render appropriate medical aid
• How and when to transition a person from prone position to a recovery position

Training on these policies must be implemented by July 1, 2026.

Civil Liability Protections

• Under § 18-1-704.5 (Make My Day Law), occupants using justified force against intruders are immune from civil liability.
• Under C.R.S. § 13-80-119, there are limitations on civil suits against persons using physical force in defense of a person or to prevent the commission of a felony.

Important Notes for Concealed Carry Holders

1. Reasonableness standard: All use of force is judged by what a reasonable person would believe under the totality of the circumstances.
2. Proportionality: Deadly force is only justified when a lesser degree of force is believed to be inadequate.
3. No duty to retreat: Colorado does not require retreat before using force in self-defense, unless you are the initial aggressor.
4. Initial aggressor exception: If you provoke or initiate the confrontation, you must withdraw and communicate your withdrawal before claiming self-defense.
5. Defense of property alone: Deadly force is generally not justified solely to protect property - it must be in defense of a person.
6. Make My Day protections: Apply only within a dwelling and require an unlawful entry plus additional conditions.

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Federal context

N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen (2022) and United States v. Rahimi (2024). Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022), established the historical-tradition test for Second Amendment claims. Rahimi, 602 U.S. ___ (2024), then applied Bruen to uphold the federal domestic-violence-restraining-order firearm prohibition at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), confirming that not every firearm disability fails Bruen's test. Practitioners advising on use of force or firearm-disability questions should be familiar with both cases.

Castle Doctrine & Stand Your Ground Laws in Colorado

Stand Your Ground (No Duty to Retreat)

Colorado follows a "no duty to retreat" doctrine. Under Colorado law, a person who is not the initial aggressor has no obligation to retreat before using physical force, including deadly force, in self-defense.

Key Statute: C.R.S. § 18-1-704 - Use of Physical Force in Defense of a Person

Use of Physical Force (§ 18-1-704(1))

A person is justified in using physical force upon another person to defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by that other person, and may use a degree of force which he reasonably believes to be necessary for that purpose.

Use of Deadly Force (§ 18-1-704(2))

Deadly physical force may be used only if a person reasonably believes a lesser degree of force is inadequate and:

• (a) The actor has reasonable ground to believe, and does believe, that he or another person is in imminent danger of being killed or of receiving great bodily injury; or
• (b) The other person is using or reasonably appears about to use physical force against an occupant of a dwelling or business establishment while committing or attempting to commit burglary (C.R.S. §§ 18-4-202 to 18-4-204); or
• (c) The other person is committing or reasonably appears about to commit kidnapping (C.R.S. § 18-3-301 or 18-3-302), robbery (C.R.S. § 18-4-301 or 18-4-302), sexual assault (C.R.S. § 18-3-402 or 18-3-403), or assault (C.R.S. §§ 18-3-202 and 18-3-203).

When Self-Defense Is NOT Justified (§ 18-1-704(3))

A person is not justified in using physical force if:

• (a) With intent to cause bodily injury or death, the person provokes the use of unlawful physical force by the other person; or
• (b) The person is the initial aggressor - except that the use of force becomes justifiable if the initial aggressor withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates the intent to do so, but the other person nevertheless continues or threatens unlawful physical force; or
• (c) The physical force involved is the product of combat by agreement not specifically authorized by law.

Important: Only an "initial aggressor" has a duty to retreat before using physical force in self-defense. All other persons (non-aggressors) have no duty to retreat, even if they could safely do so. This principle was affirmed by the Colorado Supreme Court in People v. Toler (2000) and Idrogo v. People, 818 P.2d 752 (Colo. 1991).

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Castle Doctrine (C.R.S. § 18-1-704.5 - "Make My Day" Law)

Colorado's Castle Doctrine, commonly known as the "Make My Day" law, provides strong protections for occupants of dwellings.

Key Provisions:

1. Legislative Intent: The General Assembly recognizes that the citizens of Colorado have a right to expect absolute safety within their own homes.

2. Justified Use of Force: Any occupant of a dwelling is justified in using any degree of physical force, including deadly physical force, against another person when:

   • That other person has made an unlawful entry into the dwelling; and
   • The occupant has a reasonable belief that such other person has committed a crime in the dwelling in addition to the uninvited entry, or is committing or intends to commit a crime against a person or property in addition to the uninvited entry; and
   • The occupant reasonably believes that such other person might use any physical force, no matter how slight, against any occupant.

3. Criminal Immunity: Any occupant using physical force (including deadly force) in accordance with this statute shall be immune from criminal prosecution for the use of such force.

4. Civil Immunity: Any occupant using physical force (including deadly force) in accordance with this statute shall be immune from any civil liability for injuries or death resulting from the use of such force.

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Defense of Premises (C.R.S. § 18-1-705)

A person in possession or control of any building, realty, or other premises, or a person who is licensed or privileged to be thereon, is justified in using reasonable and appropriate physical force upon another person when and to the extent that it is reasonably necessary to prevent or terminate what he reasonably believes to be the commission or attempted commission of an unlawful trespass by the other person.

• Deadly force may be used in defense of premises only:
  • In defense of himself or another as described in C.R.S. § 18-1-704; or
  • When the person reasonably believes it necessary to prevent what he reasonably believes to be an attempt by the trespasser to commit first degree arson.

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Key Legal Precedent

• People v. Toler (2000), No. 98SC858 - The Colorado Supreme Court held that a person does not have to "retreat to the wall" before using deadly force in self-defense, unless the person was the "initial aggressor" in the encounter. The Court confirmed that neither C.R.S. § 18-1-704 nor Colorado caselaw deprives a person of the right to use physical force in self-defense based upon where that person is located at the time of the encounter.

• Idrogo v. People, 818 P.2d 752 (Colo. 1991) - The Court rejected the argument that a duty to retreat arises before a defendant may use deadly force in self-defense, confirming that § 18-1-704(2) "contains no language reflecting any intention by the General Assembly to revive the doctrine of retreat."

• Boykin v. People, 22 Colo. 496 (1896) - Colorado adopted the "no duty to retreat" rule as part of its common law.

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Summary for Concealed Carry Permit Holders

Colorado Duty to Inform Law Enforcement

The Headline

Colorado has no statutory duty to inform. Nothing in C.R.S. 18-12-105 (unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon) or in Part 2 of Article 12 (permits to carry concealed handguns) requires you to volunteer that you are armed when a law enforcement officer walks up to your car window or stops you on the street.

Colorado also has no statutory duty to answer. There is no provision in the scraped statutes that obligates you to say yes when an officer asks "are you armed."

What Colorado does have is a duty to carry and produce. Under C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(a), a permittee "shall carry the permit, together with valid photo identification, at all times during which the permittee is in actual possession of a concealed handgun and shall produce both documents upon demand by a law enforcement officer." That is the whole obligation at a stop. It is triggered by the officer's demand, not by the start of the encounter, and it is satisfied by handing over two pieces of paper, not by making a statement.

Colorado does impose reporting duties, but they run to the sheriff who issued your permit, not to the officer in front of you. C.R.S. 18-12-210 sets those deadlines and they are covered below. And there is exactly one statute in this archive that compels you to let an officer physically inspect a firearm, C.R.S. 33-6-125, which reaches the chamber of a rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle and no handgun at all.

Treat those as separate rules. Confusing the carry-and-produce duty with a duty to inform is the most common mistake students make about Colorado.

What 18-12-204(2)(a) Actually Requires

The statute sets out one requirement, one evidentiary consequence, one penalty, and one escape hatch:

• Carry both documents. The permit and valid photo identification must be on you at all times while you are in actual possession of a concealed handgun.
• Produce both on demand. A law enforcement officer's demand triggers the obligation. Produce the permit and the photo ID, both.
• Failure to produce creates a presumption against you. "Failure to produce a permit upon demand by a law enforcement officer raises a rebuttable presumption that the person does not have a permit." Rebuttable means you can defeat it, but the burden shifts.
• The penalty is a petty offense. "Failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand as required in this subsection (2) is a petty offense."
• The charge must be dismissed if you show the court your paperwork. A charge under subsection (2) "shall be dismissed by the court if, at or before the permittee's scheduled court appearance, the permittee exhibits to the court a valid permit and valid photo identification, both of which were issued to the permittee prior to the date on which the permittee was charged." Both documents have to predate the charge. You cannot cure a missing permit by applying for one after the stop.

By C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(b), all of this applies equally to a temporary emergency permit issued under C.R.S. 18-12-209.

Carrying Without a Permit Under 18-12-204(3)

The same statute that creates the carry-and-produce duty also describes two situations in which a person carries a handgun with no permit at all. C.R.S. 18-12-204(3)(a) says a person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry one "without obtaining a permit and the handgun shall not be considered concealed" when:

• (3)(a)(I) In a private conveyance. "The handgun is in the possession of a person who is in a private automobile or in some other private means of conveyance and who carries the handgun for a legal use, including self-defense."
• (3)(a)(II) While lawfully hunting. "The handgun is in the possession of a person who is legally engaged in hunting activities within the state."

C.R.S. 18-12-204(3)(b) limits both: the subsection "shall not be construed to authorize the carrying of a handgun in violation of the provisions of section 18-12-105 or 18-12-105.5." So (3) is not a license to carry into a school, a college, or a child care center covered by 18-12-105.5, and it does not authorize anything 18-12-105 forbids.

The consequence for this section is direct. A person carrying under 18-12-204(3) has no permit, so the produce-on-demand duty in 18-12-204(2)(a) does not attach. That duty runs to "the permittee," and what it commands is that the permittee carry and produce "the permit." Someone who was never issued a permit has no document the subsection (2) duty can reach and cannot commit the petty offense it creates. Note that 18-12-105(2)(b) reaches the same private-conveyance ground from the other direction, by making it not an offense under 18-12-105 to carry a weapon in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance for lawful protection while traveling.

One question the statute leaves open: a person who does hold a permit and who is carrying in a private automobile is, by the terms of (3)(a), carrying a handgun that "shall not be considered concealed." Whether that person is still "in actual possession of a concealed handgun" for purposes of the (2)(a) duty is not addressed in the scraped text. The safe practice is to carry the permit and photo ID anyway.

What You Must Report to the Issuing Sheriff

C.R.S. 18-12-210 is titled "Maintenance of permit - address change - invalidity of permit," and it creates two reporting duties. Neither one is owed to the officer at a stop. Both are owed to the sheriff who issued the permit.

The penalty is stated in the same subsection: "Failure to notify the sheriff pursuant to this subsection (1) is a civil infraction."

Then the part that matters more than the deadline. Under C.R.S. 18-12-210(2), "If a permit is lost, stolen, or destroyed, the permit is automatically invalid." Invalidity is automatic. It does not wait for a sheriff's determination, a hearing, or the end of the three-business-day reporting window. The replacement route is in the next sentence: "The person to whom the permit was issued may obtain a duplicate or substitute therefor upon payment of fifteen dollars to the issuing sheriff and upon submission of a notarized statement to the issuing sheriff that the permit has been lost, stolen, or destroyed."

Read 18-12-210(2) next to 18-12-204(2)(a) and the practical problem is obvious. The 204(2)(a) duty is to carry and produce a valid permit on demand. Once a permit is lost, stolen, or destroyed it is automatically invalid, so there is nothing valid to produce until the fifteen-dollar duplicate issues. In that gap an officer's demand meets no permit, and 18-12-204(2)(a) says: "Failure to produce a permit upon demand by a law enforcement officer raises a rebuttable presumption that the person does not have a permit."

The scraped text does not say whether a duplicate issued under 18-12-210(2) satisfies the 18-12-204(2)(a) dismissal condition, which requires the permittee to exhibit to the court "a valid permit and valid photo identification, both of which were issued to the permittee prior to the date on which the permittee was charged." A duplicate issued after the charge date replaces an original that predates it. Whether a court treats the duplicate's issue date or the original's as controlling is not resolved in the statutes in this archive. Do not plan on the answer. Report the loss inside three business days and pay for the duplicate.

C.R.S. 18-12-210(3) extends the entire section to temporary emergency permits issued under C.R.S. 18-12-209.

Two things 18-12-210 is not. It is not the lost or stolen firearm reporting statute, which is C.R.S. 18-12-113 with a five-day deadline, covered below. And it is not a general change-of-residence rule: the trigger the statute states is a change to "the address specified on his or her permit," which the statute does not further define.

The history line for 18-12-210 records the part added by L. 2003 effective May 17 of that year, and subsection (1) amended by SB 21-271, ch. 462, section 350, effective March 1, 2022.

The Officer Can Disarm You During a Stop

C.R.S. 18-12-214(1)(b) is the other statute that matters at a traffic stop: "A peace officer may temporarily disarm a permittee, incident to a lawful stop of the permittee. The peace officer shall return the handgun to the permittee prior to discharging the permittee from the scene."

Two things follow. The officer does not need your consent to take the handgun for the duration of a lawful stop. And the officer is required to give it back before you leave. If a stop ends without your handgun being returned, that is not what the statute contemplates.

The One Duty to Let an Officer Inspect: C.R.S. 33-6-125

Exactly one statute in this archive compels affirmative cooperation with an officer, and it is not in the criminal code's firearms article. It is in the wildlife title. C.R.S. 33-6-125, "Possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle," does two things:

1. A chamber must be unloaded. "It is unlawful for any person, except a person authorized by law or by the division, to possess or have under the person's control any firearm, other than a pistol or revolver, in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber of the firearm is unloaded." Handguns are carved out by name. The rule reaches every firearm "other than a pistol or revolver."
2. You must allow the inspection. "Any person in possession or in control of a rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle shall allow any peace officer who is empowered and acting under the authority granted in section 33-6-101 to enforce articles 1 to 6 of this title 33 to inspect the chamber of any rifle or shotgun in the motor vehicle."

Read the second duty narrowly. It is a duty to allow inspection of the chamber of a rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle. It is not a duty to inform, it is not a duty to answer questions, and it does not reach a handgun. The officer it names is a peace officer empowered under C.R.S. 33-6-101 to enforce articles 1 through 6 of title 33, which is a wildlife-enforcement authority rather than every law enforcement officer in the state.

The penalty is fixed in the statute: "Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars and an assessment of fifteen license suspension points."

The statute also supplies its own loaded-or-not rule for muzzle-loaders. A "muzzle-loader" is unloaded "if it is not primed," and "primed" means "having a percussion cap on the nipple or flint in the striker and powder in the flash pan."

C.R.S. 33-6-125 was amended by HB 19-1026, effective July 1, 2019.

What This Means at an Actual Stop

The statutory duties reduce to a short sequence:

1. Have your permit and a valid photo ID on your person before you carry, not in the glovebox with the registration.
2. If the officer demands the permit, produce the permit and the photo ID together.
3. Expect the possibility of a temporary disarm under 18-12-214(1)(b), and expect the handgun back before you are released from the scene.
4. If you have a rifle or shotgun in the vehicle, its chamber must be unloaded, and a wildlife peace officer may inspect that chamber under 33-6-125.
5. Off the roadside, keep the sheriff current: thirty days for an address change on the permit, three business days for a lost, stolen, or destroyed permit, under 18-12-210(1).

Volunteering that you are armed is a personal choice. It is not a Colorado legal requirement, and this section does not treat it as one.

What the Statutes Do Not Say

Being clear about the gaps matters as much as the rules:

• Lying to an officer. The scraped Colorado sources do not include a false-statement or obstruction statute, so this section does not cite one. "No duty to answer" is not the same thing as permission to give a false answer. Confirm the current state of Colorado's general false-statement and obstruction law before relying on this distinction.
• Passengers, body cameras, and roadside recording. No scraped Colorado source addresses these, so this section makes no claim about them.
• Notification duties owed to someone other than the officer in front of you. An earlier version of this page said the statutes impose none. That was wrong, and the correction is above: C.R.S. 18-12-210(1) requires notice to the issuing sheriff, and C.R.S. 18-12-113(1)(a)(I) requires a lost or stolen firearm report to a law enforcement agency. What no scraped Colorado source addresses is any duty to notify a private party, such as an employer, a landlord, or a school, so this section makes no claim in either direction on that.
• Federal buildings and school zones. C.R.S. 18-12-214(2) excludes places where carrying is prohibited by federal law, but this section does not work through the federal provisions themselves. See the Prohibited Places section.

Out-of-State Permit Holders Owe the Same Duty

C.R.S. 18-12-213(1) makes an out-of-state permit "valid in this state in all respects as a permit issued pursuant to this part 2" when the permit was issued to a person who is 21 or older and who is either a resident of the issuing state, "as demonstrated by the address stated on a valid picture identification that is issued by the state that issued the permit and is carried by the permit holder," or a resident of Colorado for no more than ninety days as shown by a Colorado picture ID carried by the holder. Reciprocity runs only to states that recognize Colorado permits.

Because the out-of-state permit is valid "in all respects" as a Colorado permit, the carry-and-produce duty in 18-12-204(2)(a) travels with it. C.R.S. 18-12-213(2) also defines what counts: "valid picture identification" means a driver's license or a state identification issued in lieu of a driver's license.

Note that 18-12-210 speaks to "the issuing sheriff," which no out-of-state permit has. The scraped text does not say how the 18-12-210 reporting duties apply, if at all, to a recognized out-of-state permit. Report a loss to the issuing authority in your home state under that state's rules.

Who Has No Permit to Produce

C.R.S. 18-12-105(2) lists every circumstance in which carrying a concealed weapon is not an offense under that section. As scraped, the list is:

There is no military, veteran, or retired peace officer exemption in 18-12-105(2). A previous version of this page claimed one. The statute does not contain it. Subsection (2)(d) reaches a peace officer only "when carrying a weapon in conformance with the policy of the employing agency," which is a duty-status and employment condition, not a status conferred by past service. Anyone relying on military service, an honorable discharge, or a retired credential as a substitute for a Colorado permit under this statute is relying on something the statute does not say.

That correction stands. It is also narrower than it looks, and the next subsection says why.

Note also that 18-12-105(1) grades unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon as a class 1 misdemeanor. SB24-131 amended the introductory portions of subsections (1) and (2) and added (2)(b.5), effective July 1, 2024.

Where military and officer status does matter

The 18-12-105(2) list is one statute. Two other bodies of law give status-based authority that 18-12-105(2) does not, and collapsing them into the permit question is what produced the original fabrication.

C.R.S. 18-12-105.3(2), the government-buildings offense. The SB24-131 offense created by 18-12-105.3(1) does not apply to:

So an on-duty Colorado National Guard member is outside the government-buildings offense. Be precise about what that is. It is an exemption from one place-based offense, conditioned on the lawful discharge of official duties. It is not a substitute for a permit under 18-12-105, and (2)(b) does not reach a veteran or a Guard member who is off duty.

LEOSA, 18 U.S.C. 926B and 926C. Federal law gives qualified active and qualified retired law enforcement officers concealed carry authority that does not run through Colorado's permit scheme at all. Both sections open the same way: "Notwithstanding any other provision of the law of any State or any political subdivision thereof, an individual who is a qualified law enforcement officer" (926C: "qualified retired law enforcement officer") "and who is carrying the identification required by subsection (d) may carry a concealed firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, subject to subsection (b)."

Two features of that sentence matter to this section.

• LEOSA has its own carry-and-produce discipline. The authority is conditioned on "carrying the identification required by subsection (d)." For an active officer, 926B(d) requires "the photographic identification issued by the governmental agency for which the individual is employed that identifies the employee as a police officer or law enforcement officer of the agency." For a retired officer, 926C(d) requires agency photographic identification, either carrying its own current qualification indicator under (d)(1) or paired with a state or certified-instructor qualification certification under (d)(2). Without the credential on your person the federal authority does not apply, which is functionally the same rule as 18-12-204(2)(a): the document has to be on you.
• LEOSA does not clear state, local, or private property restrictions. 18 U.S.C. 926B(b) and 926C(b) each say the section "shall not be construed to supersede or limit the laws of any State that" (1) "permit private persons or entities to prohibit or restrict the possession of concealed firearms on their property" or (2) "prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms on any State or local government property, installation, building, base, or park." Colorado's government-buildings rule, screened-building exclusion, K-12 rule, and local-ordinance authority all sit inside that carve-out, as does the private property reservation in 18-12-214(5).

The archive's copy of both federal sections is the Cornell LII mirror, which is tagged in _sources/ as a secondary-tier source rather than a primary government one. Confirm the operative text against the U.S. Code before relying on it in class.

None of this rescues the original claim. There is still no 18-12-105(2) exemption for a veteran or for a retired peace officer as such. What exists is a place-based exemption in 18-12-105.3(2) tied to official duties, and a separate federal authority in 926B and 926C that requires a qualifying agency credential in hand.

An ambiguity worth flagging

Subsections (2)(b.5) and (2)(c) of 18-12-105 pull in opposite directions and the statute does not reconcile them.

Subsection (2)(b.5) says it is not an offense under 18-12-105 if the defendant was "carrying a concealed firearm at a specific location in violation of section 1-13-724, 18-12-105.3, or 18-12-105.5." Read plainly, that channels place-based violations into the place-based statute instead of stacking a concealed-carry charge on top.

Subsection (2)(c) says the permit exemption does not apply, and it is an offense under 18-12-105, if the person was "carrying a concealed handgun in violation of the provisions of section 18-12-214." But 18-12-214(3.5) defines carrying in violation of 214 partly by reference to 18-12-105.5, 18-12-105.3, and 1-13-724, the same three statutes (2)(b.5) carves out.

The scraped text does not resolve which subsection controls for a permit holder who carries into one of those locations. Do not teach a confident answer here. Treat carrying into a prohibited location as exposing you to charges under the place-based statute and possibly under 18-12-105 as well.

Where a Permit Does Not Authorize Carry

The permit is not a statewide pass. C.R.S. 18-12-214(1)(a) grants authority to carry concealed "in all areas of the state, except as specifically limited in this section." The limits, as scraped:

• Federal-law places are excluded by 18-12-214(2).
• Places prohibited by local ordinance, resolution, rule, or regulation are excluded by 18-12-214(2.5).
• Public K-12 school property is excluded by 18-12-214(3), except that the handgun may stay in the permittee's vehicle (and must be stored under 18-12-114.5 if the vehicle is left unattended), except for a permittee employed or retained by contract as a school security officer while on duty, and except on undeveloped school district land used for hunting or other shooting sports.
• Child care centers, colleges, universities, and seminaries in violation of 18-12-105.5, government buildings in violation of 18-12-105.3, and polling locations, drop boxes, and central count facilities in violation of 1-13-724 are excluded by 18-12-214(3.5).
• Screened public buildings are excluded by 18-12-214(4), where security personnel and electronic weapons screening are permanently in place at each entrance, each person entering is electronically screened, and anyone carrying a weapon must leave it with security.
• Local government and higher education buildings or specific areas may be closed to permittees under 18-12-214(1)(c)(I). Those rules may impose only a civil penalty plus an order to leave, capped at fifty dollars with no incarceration for a first offense. Refusing to leave can carry criminal penalties. Signs must be posted at the public entrances under 18-12-214(1)(c)(II).
• Private property is untouched. C.R.S. 18-12-214(5) says nothing in part 2 limits the existing rights of a private property owner, private tenant, private employer, or private business entity.

By 18-12-214(6), these provisions also apply to temporary emergency permits issued under 18-12-209.

SB24-131 changed the map on July 1, 2024

SB24-131 was approved by the Governor on May 31, 2024 and took effect July 1, 2024. It created C.R.S. 18-12-105.3, which prohibits knowingly carrying a firearm, loaded or unloaded, in state legislative buildings, local government governing-body buildings, and courthouses or other buildings used for court proceedings, including their adjacent parking areas. Violation is a class 1 misdemeanor under 18-12-105.3(3).

Two carve-outs matter to permit holders. C.R.S. 18-12-105.3(2)(e) lets a permit holder carry a concealed handgun in the adjacent parking area of a listed location, not inside the building. C.R.S. 18-12-105.3(5) preserves securely storing a firearm in a vehicle as required by state law at such a location. A local government may permit carry at its own governing-body buildings under 18-12-105.3(4)(b).

SB24-131 also converted the election-location rule from an open-carry prohibition into a prohibition on carrying "in any manner," and exempted members of the general assembly from the state legislative building prohibition until January 5, 2025. For the full location list, see the Prohibited Places section.

Lost or Stolen Firearms: the Reporting Statute Is 18-12-113

Do not confuse this with a lost or stolen permit. That is C.R.S. 18-12-210, three business days to the issuing sheriff, and the permit goes automatically invalid. What follows is the rule for a lost or stolen firearm.

A previous version of this page cited C.R.S. 18-12-114 for lost and stolen firearm reporting. That is the wrong statute. C.R.S. 18-12-114 is "Secure firearm storage required." The reporting statute is C.R.S. 18-12-113, "Failure to report a lost or stolen firearm," known and citable as the Isabella Joy Thallas Act under 18-12-113(6).

What 18-12-113 requires:

1. Report within five days. An owner with reasonable cause to believe a firearm has been lost or stolen "shall report such fact to a law enforcement agency not more than five days after discovering that the firearm has been lost or stolen."
2. Describe the firearm. The report must include, and the receiving agency must request, an accurate and detailed description: manufacturer, model, serial number, caliber, and any other identification number or distinguishing mark, to the extent known.
3. A family member or co-resident may report instead. Under 18-12-113(1)(a)(II), a member of the owner's family or a person who resides with the owner may make the report. If they do, the owner is not required to report. Making that report is not an acknowledgment of ownership for any other purpose.
4. Report a recovery too. Under 18-12-113(1)(b), anyone who finds or recovers a previously reported firearm must report the recovery to the agency that received the original report.

Penalties under 18-12-113(2):

Three more details from the statute. Licensed gun dealers, as defined in C.R.S. 18-12-506, are excluded by 18-12-113(3). The receiving agency must enter available descriptive information into the Colorado Bureau of Investigation crime information center database within five days, under 18-12-113(4). And under 18-12-113(5), a person who reports a lost or stolen firearm is immune from criminal prosecution for a storage offense in part 1 and from the civil infraction of unlawful storage of a firearm in a vehicle described in C.R.S. 18-12-114.5.

C.R.S. 18-12-113 was added by SB 21-078 effective September 7, 2021. Subsection (5) was amended by HB 24-1348 effective January 1, 2025.

A Note on Purchase Age

SB23-169 raised the legal age to purchase a firearm in Colorado to twenty-one. It was approved by the Governor on April 28, 2023 and took effect August 7, 2023. Unlawful purchase by a person under 21 is a class 2 misdemeanor, and it is unlawful for a licensed or unlicensed gun dealer to facilitate such a sale. The bill summary lists exceptions for active members of the United States armed forces and for peace officers or persons certified by the P.O.S.T. board.

This is a purchase rule. It creates no disclosure duty, and it does not change the concealed handgun permit age, which was already twenty-one. The scraped archive contains no source on the litigation history of SB23-169, so this section makes no claim about its current enforcement status. Verify before relying on it.

Quick Reference

Statutes Cited

Colorado Training Requirements: CHP and the New Firearms Safety Program

Colorado now has two separate firearms training systems, and completing one does not satisfy the other:

1. Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) training - the 8-hour class required to get a concealed handgun permit (C.R.S. 18-12-202.5, as amended by HB24-1174, effective July 1, 2025).
2. Firearms Safety Program (FSP) training - the state-run course system required to purchase a specified semiautomatic firearm (SSF) on or after August 1, 2026 under SB25-003 (C.R.S. 18-12-116).

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) states this directly: all background checks and courses taken for a concealed carry permit are not reciprocal for the Firearms Safety Program. Your CHP class does not qualify you to buy an SSF, and an FSP course does not qualify you for a CHP.

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Part 1: Concealed Handgun Permit Training

Overview

Effective July 1, 2025, Colorado House Bill 24-1174 (HB24-1174) significantly changed the training requirements for concealed handgun permits (CHP). All training must now be conducted by a verified firearms instructor - an instructor verified by a Colorado county sheriff's office. Training certificates submitted for a CHP must be completed through a verified instructor.

Governing Statutes: C.R.S. 18-12-201 through 18-12-215; C.R.S. 18-12-202.5 (training class requirements); C.R.S. 18-12-202.7 (instructor verification)

What Counts as a Concealed Handgun Training Class

C.R.S. 18-12-202.5(1) defines the class itself. A concealed handgun training class is either:

1. A law enforcement training firearms safety course; or
2. A firearms safety course taught by a verified instructor and offered by a law enforcement agency, an institution of higher education, or a public or private institution, organization, or firearms training school, that is open to the general public.

The open-to-the-general-public element matters if you teach. A course offered only to a closed group, to one employer's staff, or to a private membership does not fit the second category on its face. If you run CHP classes as a business, keep enrollment open to the public.

New Applicant Training Requirements

Minimum 8-Hour Concealed Handgun Training Class

The class must be held in person with the instructor at the same location as the students. No part of the class may be conducted via the internet. The eight hours of instruction do not need to be consecutive.

Online courses and Hunter Education certificates are NOT accepted.

Required Curriculum Elements

The 8-hour training class must include the following elements:

1. Knowledge and safe handling of firearms and ammunition
2. Safe storage of firearms and child safety
3. Safe firearms shooting fundamentals
4. Federal and state laws pertaining to the lawful purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms, including instruction on:
   • Extreme Risk Protection Orders (Article 14.5 of Title 13)
   • Requirements for reporting lost or stolen firearms (C.R.S. 18-12-113)
   • Secure firearms storage requirements (C.R.S. 18-12-114)
   • Any other state law enacted within five years before the class pertaining to firearms
5. State law pertaining to the use of deadly force for self-defense
6. Best practices for safely interacting with law enforcement personnel responding to an emergency
7. Techniques for avoiding a criminal attack and managing a violent confrontation, including conflict resolution and judgmental use of lethal force

Testing Requirements (New Applicants)

• Live-Fire Shooting Exercise: Minimum 70% accuracy score as determined by the instructor, conducted on a range, requiring discharge of at least 50 rounds of ammunition. Does not need to be conducted in a single day.
• Written Concealed Handgun Competency Exam: Minimum passing score of 80%, testing knowledge of the curriculum subjects listed above. The exam must be administered as an open book exam.

Training Certificate Validity

• Original training certificate must be dated within one (1) year of the application appointment date.
• Must include the printed name and original signature of the class instructor.
• Photocopies or digital versions are not accepted - the original certificate is required.
• The certificate must clearly indicate whether the student completed a concealed handgun training class or a refresher class.
• County divergence on the one-year window: the statute sets one year for a new application, but handgunlaw.us reports that the El Paso County Sheriff applies a 6-month window instead. Check with the sheriff you plan to apply to before you schedule a class.

Renewal Applicant Training Requirements (Refresher Class)

Minimum 2-Hour Concealed Handgun Refresher Class

The refresher class must be held in person with the instructor at the same location as the students. No part of the class may be conducted via the internet.

Required Refresher Curriculum Elements

• Instruction on changes to federal and state laws related to firearms enacted within five years before the refresher class
• A live-fire shooting exercise conducted on a range, requiring discharge of at least 50 rounds of ammunition
• A written concealed handgun competency exam testing knowledge of the same subjects required for new applicants

Testing Requirements (Renewal Applicants)

• Live-Fire Shooting Exercise: Minimum 70% accuracy score as determined by the instructor
• Written Concealed Handgun Competency Exam: Minimum passing score of 80%, administered as an open book exam

Refresher Training Certificate Validity

• Original training certificate must be dated within six (6) months of the renewal application appointment/submittal date.
• Must include the printed name and original signature of the verified instructor.
• Photocopies or digital versions are not accepted.

Renewal Timing

• Renewal applications may be submitted up to 120 days before the permit expiration date (per C.R.S. 18-12-211(1)(a)).
• Expired permits have a 6-month grace period in which to renew.
• Applications renewed after July 1, 2025 are subject to the new training requirements regardless of when the original permit was issued - there is no grace period for the new training requirements.
• Applications beyond the 6-month grace period will not be accepted.

Alternative Qualifications (New and Renewal Applicants)

In lieu of the standard training class, the following may satisfy the training requirement:

For New Applicants:

1. Evidence of experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competitions, current military service, or current certification as a peace officer pursuant to Article 2.5 of Title 16
2. Proof of honorable discharge from a branch of the United States Armed Forces within three (3) years preceding submittal of the application
3. Proof of honorable discharge from a branch of the United States Armed Forces that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within ten (10) years preceding submittal of the application
4. Evidence that the applicant is a certified firearms instructor at the time of application
5. A certificate showing retirement from a Colorado law enforcement agency that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within ten (10) years preceding submittal of the application

For Renewal Applicants:

1. Evidence of experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competitions, current military service, or current certification as a peace officer pursuant to Article 2.5 of Title 16
2. Proof of honorable discharge from a branch of the United States Armed Forces that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within ten (10) years preceding submittal of the application
3. Evidence that the applicant is a certified firearms instructor at the time of application
4. A certificate showing retirement from a Colorado law enforcement agency that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within ten (10) years preceding submittal of the application

Verified Firearms Instructor Program

Per C.R.S. 18-12-202.7, each sheriff shall verify as a firearms instructor a person whose principal place to conduct firearms training is in the sheriff's county.

Statutory Eligibility (C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(2))

Two requirements come straight from the statute:

1. You must hold a valid Colorado permit to carry a concealed handgun issued under Part 2, and it must not be a temporary emergency permit issued under C.R.S. 18-12-209.
2. You must be certified as a firearms instructor by one of four entity categories, each of which must itself have instructors certified by a nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training:
   • A federal, state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency
   • A college or university
   • A nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training
   • A firearms training school

Revocation is mandatory when eligibility lapses. Under C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(4)(a) a sheriff shall revoke a verification if the verified instructor ceases to meet the requirements for verification. Suspension for teaching a class that fails the statutory requirements is the separate, discretionary track under (4)(b).

Instructor Verification Requirements:

• Valid Colorado Driver's License or ID
• Valid Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit
• Proof of certification as a firearms instructor (e.g., NRA instructor certificate or Colorado POST instructor certificate)
• Class training location must be within the verifying county
• Concealed handgun training class syllabus/lesson plan
• Completed Verified CHP Firearms Instructor Application

Verification Details:

• Verification is valid for 10 years and may be renewed at any time before expiration (C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(3)(a)), provided the instructor's proof of firearms training certification remains valid
• Verification is issued by the sheriff of the county where the instructor's principal place to conduct firearms training is located (C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(1)). An instructor whose principal training location is in a different county applies to that county's sheriff instead.
• The statute does not require a student to train with an instructor verified by the same sheriff the student applies to. C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(h)(VI) requires an original training certificate carrying the printed name and original signature of a verified instructor, and states that the applicant has discretion in selecting which concealed handgun training class to complete.
• Verified instructors are listed publicly on the verifying sheriff's website, along with the expiration date of each verification (C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(3)(c))
• Instructors must notify the sheriff's office of certification renewals. Per sheriff guidance (Boulder County Sheriff's Office), there is no grace period for expired instructor certifications, and letting a certification lapse results in suspension of verified status and removal from the public list.
• Per sheriff guidance (Boulder County Sheriff's Office), if the instructor's principal place of business changes location, the instructor must notify the CHP unit within 30 days of the new business address
• A sheriff may suspend a verification if the instructor issues a training certificate for a class that failed to meet the statutory class requirements. A person suspended on that ground may apply for reinstatement no earlier than 30 days after the suspension (C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(4)(b)).

County Application Mechanics (For Example, Boulder County)

The statute leaves the paperwork and the fee to each sheriff. Boulder County publishes its process in full, and it is a useful model for what to expect elsewhere. Confirm the details with your own county before you rely on them.

1. Pay the verification fee. Boulder County charges $100 for a first-time verification and $50 for a renewal. Cash, check, and credit card are accepted; credit card payments run through a third-party vendor that adds a $0.75 base charge plus 2.25%.
2. Submit the forms. Boulder County uses a Verified CHP Firearms Instructor Application and an Instructor Certification of Compliance Form, sent by email with a copy of your Colorado driver's license or ID, your valid Colorado CHP, and proof of instructor certification.
3. Wait for processing. Boulder County says the process may take up to 30 days. An application missing any required document will not be processed.
4. Get listed. Once the fee, application, and documentation clear review, the sheriff issues a verified instructor certificate and adds your name and verification expiration date to the county's public list.

Two class-level rules from the same county guidance are worth building into your operation:

• ADA compliance. Classes must meet the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
• Certificate formatting. The certificate you hand a student must carry the instructor's printed or typed name and original signature, the student's printed name, and the date the student completed the class, and it must state clearly whether the class was a new training class or a refresher. Digital or electronic signatures, stamps, and cursive fonts are not acceptable.

Deceptive Trade Practice (C.R.S. 6-1-707)

It is a deceptive trade practice to claim to be a verified instructor for a firearms safety course that satisfies CHP training requirements unless the person is actually verified by a sheriff pursuant to C.R.S. 18-12-202.7.

Judicial Review of Instructor Verification Denial

Per C.R.S. 18-12-207(4)(a), if a sheriff denies a person's application for verification as a firearms instructor, or suspends or revokes a person's firearms instructor verification, the person may seek judicial review of the sheriff's decision. The sheriff must first notify the person in writing, stating the grounds and informing the person of the right to seek judicial review (C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(4)(c)).

Under C.R.S. 18-12-207(4)(b), the sheriff has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the person does not meet the requirements to be verified as a firearms instructor, or that the person satisfies the criteria for suspension or revocation of a verification. The procedure and timelines follow rule 106(a)(4) and (b) of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure (C.R.S. 18-12-207(2), (4)(a)).

General Applicant Eligibility Requirements

• Must be 21 years of age or older (C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(b))
• Must be a legal resident of the state of Colorado (C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(a)). A member of the armed forces stationed at a Colorado military installation under permanent duty station orders, and members of that person's immediate family living in Colorado, are deemed legal residents for this purpose.
• Must provide a valid Colorado Driver's License or Colorado ID
• Must submit proof of required firearms training
• Must successfully complete a background investigation (fingerprints sent to CBI and FBI, Criminal History Review through CBI's InstaCheck System)
• Must not be an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance as defined in C.R.S. 18-18-102(5), per C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(f) - this includes medical or recreational marijuana users. Whether an applicant is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance is determined as provided in federal law and regulations.

Where you apply: the permit application is submitted in person to the sheriff of the county or city and county where you reside, or to the sheriff of the county or city and county where you maintain a secondary residence or own or lease real property used by you in a business (C.R.S. 18-12-205(2)(a)). Residency in the county is not itself an eligibility criterion; the statutory requirement is legal residency in Colorado.

CHP Fees (Vary by County)

Note: Fees vary by county. Some counties (e.g., Elbert County) offer free training classes for county residents.

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Part 2: Firearms Safety Program Training for Buying Semiautomatic Firearms (SB25-003)

Since August 1, 2026, you cannot buy a "specified semiautomatic firearm" in Colorado unless you have completed the state's Firearms Safety Program pathway (C.R.S. 18-12-116, enacted as SB25-003 and signed April 10, 2025). The statute is captioned as enforcement of the large-capacity magazine ban, and the definition tracks that purpose: a specified semiautomatic firearm (SSF) means a semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun with a detachable magazine, or a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine, with certain firearm types and specific models excluded. Rimfire firearms, manually operated actions, firearms with a permanently fixed magazine that cannot accept more than fifteen rounds, recoil-operated semiautomatic handguns, a list of named models as configured on April 10, 2025, permanently inoperable firearms, and antiques and curios and relics all fall outside the definition.

Simply owning an SSF you already had does not require you to take training. What triggers the requirement is a transfer, sale, or purchase on or after August 1, 2026, and some of those transactions involve firearms you already own. See the pawn and consignment note below.

This training requirement is administered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), not by CHP instructors as such, and it uses its own application system, its own eligibility card, and its own courses.

Who Is Covered

C.R.S. 18-12-116(2) makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly manufacture, distribute, transfer, sell, or purchase an SSF on or after August 1, 2026. This is not a dealer-only rule, and the section is not limited to retail sales.

• Private-party sales and gifts are covered. The exemption that makes an ordinary transfer lawful, C.R.S. 18-12-116(3)(e)(I), runs through the person receiving the firearm. If you give an AR-pattern rifle to your adult child, that is a transfer, and your child is the one who needs the firearms safety course eligibility card and the completed course. Your own training does not carry over to them.
• Out-of-state buyers and licensed dealers are carved out of subsection (2) itself. A person may sell or transfer an SSF to an individual residing in another state or to a federally licensed firearm dealer.
• Inheritance and operation of law are exempt. C.R.S. 18-12-116(3)(f) excludes a transfer that occurs by operation of law, or because of the death of a person for whom the prospective transferor is an executor or administrator of an estate or a trustee of a trust created in a will.

Pawn Redemptions and Consignment Returns

The Firearms Dealer Division addressed this directly in Bulletin 26-02, issued July 24, 2026. Transfers by dealers, including pawn brokers, are governed by C.R.S. 18-12-112.5, under which "transfer" carries the meaning set out in C.R.S. 24-33.5-424(1)(d). That definition expressly includes redemption of a pawned firearm by any person who is not a federally licensed dealer. The Division also treats the return of a consigned firearm to the consignor as a transfer, because the return is a delivery of the firearm from the dealer to the consignor.

The consequence is concrete: if you redeem a pawned SSF, or take back an SSF you left on consignment, on or after August 1, 2026, the training requirements of C.R.S. 18-12-116(3)(e) apply to you, regardless of when the firearm was originally pawned or consigned. The Division encourages pawn brokers and consignment dealers to raise this with customers before writing the agreement. Questions go to the Firearms Dealer Division at dor_fdd@state.co.us.

Qualifying Pathways

Under C.R.S. 18-12-116(3)(e)(I), a transfer, sale, or purchase of an SSF is lawful when the person receiving or purchasing it:

• Completed a hunter education course certified by CPW and, within 5 years before the purchase, completed a basic firearms safety course; or
• Within 5 years before the purchase, completed an extended firearms safety course; or
• Completed an extended firearms safety course more than 5 years before the purchase and completed a basic firearms safety course within 5 years before the purchase.

Per CPW: a hunter education course alone does not qualify you. Out-of-state hunter education must be verified in CPW's records; bring your hunter education card or record to a CPW office. Completion of any other firearm safety course (including CHP/CCW training) does not satisfy the SSF purchase requirement.

Separately, Colorado raised the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21 under SB23-169, with limited exceptions. That age floor applies on top of the SSF training pathway.

Step-by-Step Process (per CPW)

1. Apply through the Firearms Safety System (FSS) at coloradofss.com. Create an account and complete the application. If you have hunter education, add it during this step. Your application goes to your county sheriff's queue.
2. Complete the sheriff's office requirements. Provide a name-based background check and government-issued photo ID to your county sheriff. Fees are collected at this step: the $52 CPW firearms training and safety course record fee plus a processing fee each sheriff sets. Fees are charged whether or not the application is approved.
3. Receive your firearms course eligibility card. The sheriff reviews the documentation, determines eligibility, and issues an eligibility card valid for 5 years. You receive an automated email either way; if denied, your sheriff's office contacts you. A sheriff must issue the card unless you cannot lawfully possess a firearm under state or federal law or cannot be positively identified, and may deny or revoke based on a reasonable belief, from documented previous behavior, that you would present a danger to yourself or others. Denials and revocations are subject to judicial review.
4. Take the course from a verified FSP instructor. With a valid eligibility card you can enroll in the Basic course (4 hours) or the Extended course (12 hours, delivered over at least 2 different days) anywhere in the state. Courses are in-person only. You must pass the final exam and a hands-on practical with a score of 90% or better. The instructor enters your result into the CPW database (within 3 business days per CPW), and you receive an email confirmation.
5. Purchase. The dealer confirms your course completion and eligibility in the FSS before the sale. Passing the course gives you a 5-year window to purchase SSFs; after 5 years you must start over from step 1.

Which Sheriff Do You Apply To?

This is an open question and worth raising with your local office before you file. C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(b) says only that "each sheriff shall issue firearms safety course eligibility cards" and that the applicant submits the application "to the sheriff." Unlike the CHP statute, which spells out residence and business-property options in C.R.S. 18-12-205(2)(a), the Firearms Safety Program statute names no venue rule.

CPW's guidance fills the gap in practice rather than in law: the FSS routes a submitted application to your county sheriff's queue, and CPW tells applicants to contact their county sheriff's office for the name-based background check and document submission. CPW also warns that some counties did not begin reviewing applications until August 1, 2026 and that others are not accepting applications at all. Call your sheriff's office before you pay anything, because the fee is not refundable if the application is denied.

What the Eligibility Card Application Requires

Under C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(b)(II), the application form is created by CPW and requires your full name and date of birth plus three attestations:

1. You do not have a state or federal conviction that would prohibit you from purchasing or possessing a firearm.
2. You will not violate relevant state law related to the purchase, possession, storage, and lawful use of firearms.
3. You will only transfer a firearm pursuant to C.R.S. 18-12-112 and 18-12-116, and you will not allow another person who you believe would be a danger to themselves or others to access a firearm in your possession.

Under C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(b)(III) you must also submit:

• Government-issued photographic identification issued to you; and
• The results of a completed name-based background check of national and Colorado public criminal history and judicial databases, performed by a third-party vendor that conducts those checks as a normal part of its business, plus an attestation from the vendor that it performed the check.

The attestations have teeth. Under C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(b)(IV), knowingly making a false or misleading statement on the application, or deliberately omitting material information the application asks for, is perjury in the second degree under C.R.S. 18-8-503. On top of any criminal penalty, if you are convicted of perjury on that application the sheriff shall revoke a card issued before the conviction.

If Your Eligibility Card Is Denied or Revoked

A sheriff shall deny an application if you cannot lawfully possess a firearm under state or federal law, or if the sheriff cannot positively identify you. A sheriff may deny or revoke based on a reasonable belief that documented previous behavior makes it likely you would present a danger to yourself or others. Either way the sheriff must notify you in writing, state the grounds, and tell you about the right to seek judicial review.

C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(b)(X) sets out that review:

• Procedure: rule 106(a)(4) and (b) of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure govern the timelines for the complaint, the answer, and briefing.
• Burden: the sheriff carries it, not you. The default standard is preponderance of the evidence that you are ineligible for a card.
• Higher standard for the dangerousness ground: if the denial or revocation rests on the sheriff's determination that you would present a danger to yourself or others, the sheriff must prove that determination by clear and convincing evidence.
• Fees: following completion of the review, the court may award attorney fees to the prevailing party.

What the Course Costs

Colorado does not regulate what an instructor may charge for a basic or extended firearms safety course. CPW says only that "a cost may be associated with this step" and confirms that the $52 firearms training and safety course record fee is separate from any fee assessed by the sheriff and from any fee charged by a private firearms instructor for conducting the class. No source in this corpus states a dollar amount for the course itself, so treat course pricing as an open market question and ask the instructor directly.

Course Content

CPW states the courses cover safe handling of semiautomatic firearms and ammunition magazines, child safety and safe storage of firearms, firearm deaths associated with mental illness, extreme risk protection orders, and victim awareness and empathy, along with other firearms safety topics. CPW establishes the course requirements for both the basic and extended courses under the act.

A Note on the 90% Score

The statute and the agency guidance do not line up exactly here. C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(a)(V) requires the instructor to administer an exam at the conclusion of a basic or extended course, testing knowledge of the subjects taught and requiring the student to demonstrate safe handling and mastery of gun safety. But the statute states the 90% threshold expressly only for the basic course: to complete a basic firearms safety course, a student must achieve a score of at least ninety percent on the exam. The statute sets no numeric score for the extended course.

CPW's guidance applies 90% to both. It lists "students must pass the course with a minimum score of 90% on their final exam" as a general course requirement, and repeats the same 90% figure in its description of the extended course. Plan on 90% for either course, because that is the threshold the instructor will apply and enter into the CPW system. The gap here is between statute and agency guidance, not a conflict about what happens in the classroom.

For Instructors: Teaching FSP Courses

To teach Firearms Safety Program courses you must first be a sheriff-verified firearms instructor under C.R.S. 18-12-202.7 (the same verification used for CHP training), and then complete CPW's FSP Train the Trainer program, which covers the curriculum, teaching and testing guidelines, and the Firearms Safety System (student registration and score entry). CPW offers these trainings free of charge, virtually and in person, with a 50-attendee cap per class, first come first served. This is a distinct business line from CHP classes: FSP course completions must be entered in CPW's system, and instructors verify each student's eligibility card through the FSS before enrollment. Statute puts that verification on the instructor. Under C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(a)(II), before allowing a student to attend, the instructor shall verify that the student holds a valid eligibility card by requesting information from the firearms training and safety course record system created in C.R.S. 33-9-115.

Once you are through Train the Trainer, CPW lists you on its public roster of verified FSP instructors, which is how students find you. To reach the program directly, CPW publishes a Firearms Safety Program phone line at 303-291-7143 and an email address at dnr_cpw_firearmsafety@state.co.us.

Penalties and Enforcement

• Unlawful manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase of an SSF is a class 2 misdemeanor; a second or subsequent offense is a class 6 felony.
• A felony conviction under this section prohibits the person from possessing firearms and certain other weapons; the Colorado Bureau of Investigation must deny a firearm transfer to a person convicted of the misdemeanor within the previous 5 years.
• The Department of Revenue must revoke the state firearms dealer permit of a dealer who unlawfully manufactures, distributes, transfers, sells, or purchases an SSF.
• Exemptions exist for specified transactions involving law enforcement agencies and peace officers, the Department of Corrections and other detention institutions, armored vehicle businesses, military forces, gunsmiths, accredited gunsmithing courses and approved educational programs, historical societies and museums holding permanently inoperable firearms, forensic laboratories, transfers by operation of law or death, film props capable of firing only blanks, and transfers to out-of-state residents or federally licensed dealers.

The Law Enforcement and Military Exemptions Are Narrower Than People Assume

This is the most commonly overstated part of the statute. Read C.R.S. 18-12-116(3)(a)(II) and (3)(b) closely:

• Peace officers. The exemption reaches a peace officer described in C.R.S. 16-2.5-101 who is certified by the POST board, and only if the agency that employs the officer requires or permits the officer to carry an SSF for use in the officer's official capacity. A separate provision, C.R.S. 18-12-116(3)(a)(I), covers a law enforcement agency acquiring SSFs to equip its own officers.
• Armed services. The exemption reaches members of the armed services or reserve forces of the United States, or of the Colorado National Guard, in the performance of their official duties.

Neither provision exempts a personal purchase. An officer or a service member buying an SSF for personal use, outside the official-capacity and official-duties limits, stands in the same position as any other Colorado buyer and needs the eligibility card and the course. The exemption attaches to the official role and the agency's requirements, not to the person's occupation.

Legal Challenge

SB25-003 is being challenged in federal court. Del Toro v. Polis, No. 1:25-cv-02725 (D. Colo.), was filed September 2, 2025 by six individual plaintiffs and the Colorado State Shooting Association against state and local officials including Governor Jared Polis, raising civil rights claims under 42 U.S.C. 1983. Plaintiffs filed a first amended complaint on December 22, 2025, which superseded the original complaint and mooted the first round of dismissal briefing; further dismissal briefing was underway as of early 2026.

No injunction has issued. The law took effect August 1, 2026 as scheduled and is enforceable now. Plan around the statute as written. If the case later produces an injunction or a ruling on the merits, that would change the picture, but nothing in the docket to date has paused any part of the Firearms Safety Program.

Which Firearms Are Covered

The Firearms Dealer Division publishes a Specified Semiautomatic Firearms Guidance document listing specific models the law applies to. The list is not all-inclusive and is reviewed on an ongoing basis, and new firearms are added after research and industry and public feedback. If you need to determine whether a specific firearm is an SSF, you may petition the Firearms Dealer Division for a statement of position.

Timing note from CPW: the FSS application link opened July 20, 2026, some counties did not begin reviewing applications until August 1, 2026, and others are not accepting applications at all. Check with your local sheriff's office first. See "Which Sheriff Do You Apply To?" above.

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Key Statutory References

• C.R.S. 18-12-201 through 18-12-215 - Concealed Handgun Permit statutes
• C.R.S. 18-12-202.5 - CHP training class requirements
• C.R.S. 18-12-202.7 - Verified firearms instructor requirements
• C.R.S. 18-12-203 - Permit eligibility criteria
• C.R.S. 18-12-205 - Sheriff, application, procedure, background check (where and how to apply)
• C.R.S. 18-12-207 - Judicial review of permit denial, suspension, or revocation, and of denial, suspension, or revocation of instructor verification
• C.R.S. 18-12-211 - Permit renewal provisions
• C.R.S. 18-12-215 - Immunity provisions
• C.R.S. 18-12-116 - Specified semiautomatic firearms: purchase prohibition, firearms safety courses, eligibility cards, penalties (SB25-003, effective August 1, 2026)
• HB24-1174 - House Bill establishing new CHP training requirements (signed 2024, effective July 1, 2025)
• SB25-003 - Senate Bill creating the Firearms Safety Program purchase-training requirement (signed April 10, 2025; purchase prohibition effective August 1, 2026)
• SB23-169 - Senate Bill raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21, with limited exceptions
• C.R.S. 6-1-707 - Deceptive trade practice regarding false claims of instructor verification
• C.R.S. 18-12-112.5 - Firearm transfers by dealers; adopts the definition of "transfer" used in C.R.S. 24-33.5-424(1)(d)
• C.R.S. 24-33.5-424(1)(d) - Definition of "transfer," which expressly includes redemption of a pawned firearm
• C.R.S. 18-12-209 - Temporary emergency permits, which do not satisfy the instructor eligibility requirement
• C.R.S. 18-8-503 - Perjury in the second degree, the penalty for a false statement on an eligibility card application
• C.R.S. 33-9-115 - Firearms training and safety course record system and record fee
• C.R.S. 16-2.5-101 - Definition of peace officer, referenced by the SSF peace officer exemption

Agency Guidance and Litigation

• Firearms Dealer Division Bulletin 26-02 (July 24, 2026) - Pawn redemption and consignment sales of specified semiautomatic firearms
• CPW Specified Semiautomatic Firearms guidance - Customer journey, fees, course requirements, verified instructor roster, and Train the Trainer schedule
• Del Toro v. Polis, No. 1:25-cv-02725 (D. Colo., filed September 2, 2025; first amended complaint December 22, 2025) - Federal constitutional challenge to SB25-003. No injunction has issued.

Application Process for Colorado Concealed Handgun Permits

Overview

Colorado Concealed Handgun Permits (CHP) are governed by Colorado Revised Statutes Title 18, Article 12, Part 2 (C.R.S. 18-12-201 through 18-12-216), as amended by Colorado House Bill 24-1174. Applications must be submitted to the County Sheriff's Office where the applicant resides, owns property, or owns a business.

Effective Date of New Requirements: July 1, 2025

Application Methods

Online Application System

• All applications (new, renewal, address changes, name changes, and replacements) must be submitted through Permitium, the online CHP application software used by Colorado Sheriff's Offices
• No walk-in appointments are available
• Applications typically take less than 10 minutes to complete online
• Computer terminals are available at Sheriff's Office lobbies for applicants without computer access

Accessibility

Applicants who cannot complete the online process due to disability or special circumstances may contact their County Sheriff's Office for assistance.

New Concealed Handgun Permit Applications

Eligibility Requirements

• Minimum Age: 21 years old at time of application
• Residency: Must apply in the county where applicant resides, owns property, or owns a business
• Valid Identification: Colorado Driver's License or State-issued Identification Card required

Training Requirements (Effective July 1, 2025)

8-Hour Concealed Handgun Training Class

General Requirements:

• Must be taught in-person by a Verified Concealed Handgun Instructor certified by a Colorado Sheriff's Office
• No portion of the class may be held online
• Classes must meet requirements of the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990"
• Training certificate must be dated within one (1) year of application submission date
• Original certificate required - copies will NOT be accepted
• Certificate must include printed name and original signature of verified instructor

Required Course Elements per C.R.S. 18-12-202.5:

1. Duration: Minimum 8 hours (does not need to be consecutive)
2. Instructor-led Education: Topics defined in C.R.S. 18-12-202.5
3. Live-Fire Exercise:
   • Minimum 50 rounds discharged on a range
   • Minimum accuracy score: 70%
   • Does not need to be conducted in a single day
4. Written Competency Exam:
   • Tests knowledge of subjects in C.R.S. 18-12-205.5 (3)(a) through (3)(f)
   • Minimum passing score: 80%
   • Must be an open-book exam

Alternative Training Qualifications

Applicants may demonstrate competence through:

• Evidence of experience through participation in organized shooting competitions, current military service, or current certification as a peace officer pursuant to Article 2.5 of Title 16
• Evidence that applicant is currently a verified instructor
• Proof of honorable discharge from U.S. Armed Forces within 3 years preceding application
• Proof of honorable discharge from U.S. Armed Forces reflecting pistol qualifications obtained within 10 years preceding application
• Certificate showing retirement from Colorado law enforcement agency reflecting pistol qualifications obtained within 10 years preceding application

Application Process Steps

1. Complete Required Training (within one year of application)
2. Access Permitium Portal to begin online application
3. Complete Application Form through Permitium
4. Schedule Fingerprint/Photo Appointment (scheduled via Permitium)
5. Pay Application Fee through Permitium portal
6. Attend Fingerprint/Photo Appointment
   • Bring valid Colorado Driver's License or State ID
   • Bring original training certificate
   • Be prepared for photo
   • Allow approximately 30 minutes
   • Arrive on time (late arrivals may result in cancellation)
7. Background Check Processing
   • Fingerprints electronically submitted to Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
   • Criminal background check conducted per C.R.S. 18-12-205
8. Sheriff Review and Approval (if no disqualifying factors found)
9. Permit Issuance
   • Procedures vary by county: some counties mail the permit to the address provided on the application; others require a final in-person appointment to sign the application, take a photo, and print the permit

Processing Time

• Applications can take up to 90 days to process from fingerprint submission date

Fees (as of 2025)

• New CHP Application: $110-$152.50 (varies by county; includes background check)
  • Example: Delta County - $110; Boulder County - $152.50
• Credit card processing fees may apply

Renewal Applications

Renewal Eligibility and Timing

• May apply no more than 120 days (4 months) prior to expiration date
• Applications submitted earlier than 120 days before expiration will be returned
• Must apply with Sheriff's Office in county where applicant currently resides (even if original permit was issued by a different Colorado county)
• Grace Period: Expired permits may be renewed within 6 months of expiration
• Permits expired more than 6 months require a new application with full training requirements and new application fees

Training Requirements for Renewal (Effective July 1, 2025)

IMPORTANT: All renewal applications received on or after July 1, 2025 are subject to new training requirements with no exceptions or grace period.

2-Hour Refresher Class

General Requirements:

• Must be taught by a Verified Concealed Handgun Instructor
• Training certificate must be dated within six (6) months of renewal application submission
• Original certificate required - copies will NOT be accepted
• Refresher class certificates are only valid for renewals and cannot be used for new applications

Required Course Elements:

1. Duration: Minimum 2 hours
2. Live-Fire Exercise:
   • Minimum 50 rounds discharged on a range
   • Minimum accuracy score: 70%
3. Instruction on Legal Changes:
   • Federal and state firearms laws enacted within 5 years prior to refresher class
4. Written Competency Exam:
   • Tests knowledge of subjects in C.R.S. 18-12-205.5 (3)(a) through (3)(f)
   • Minimum passing score: 80%
   • Must be an open-book exam

Alternative Renewal Qualifications

Permittees may demonstrate competence through:

• Evidence of competence through participation in organized shooting competitions (within one year), current military service, or current certification as a peace officer pursuant to Article 2.5 of Title 16
• Evidence that applicant is currently a verified instructor
• Proof of honorable discharge from U.S. Armed Forces reflecting pistol qualifications obtained within 10 years preceding renewal
• Certificate showing retirement from Colorado law enforcement agency reflecting pistol qualifications obtained within 10 years preceding renewal

Renewal Process Steps

1. Complete Required Training (within 6 months of renewal submission)
2. Access Permitium Portal to begin renewal application
3. Complete Renewal Form online
4. Submit Required Documentation through portal
5. Pay Renewal Fee through Permitium
6. Background Check Processing
7. Permit Issuance (if approved; one county source states approximately 4 weeks by mail)

Renewal Fees

• Current Permit Renewal: $45-$63 (varies by county)
  • Example: Delta County - $45; Boulder County - $63
• Late Renewal (within 6 months expired): $60-$78 (includes $15 late fee per state law)
  • Example: Delta County - $60; Boulder County - $78
• Credit card processing fees may apply

Out-of-State Permits

• Out-of-state permits are NOT eligible for renewal
• Former Colorado residents seeking a Colorado CHP must submit a new application with full requirements

Address Changes

Legal Requirement

Per state law, permit holders must notify the issuing agency of address changes within 30 days of moving.

Within Colorado

• Submit Change of Address Form through Permitium portal
• Must notify the Sheriff's Office that issued the permit (not necessarily current county of residence)
• Form does not need to be notarized
• No fee
• No new card issued

Moving Out of State

• Submit Change of Address Form through Permitium portal to issuing agency
• Form does not need to be notarized
• No fee
• Permit becomes invalid upon obtaining another state's driver's license
• Must return permit to issuing Sheriff's Office

Name Changes

Requirements

• Submit Name Change Form through Permitium portal
• Form must be notarized
• Upload copy of court documents showing legal name change
• Submit to Sheriff's Office that issued the permit
• New CHP card will be issued

Replacement Permits

Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed Permits

• Must contact Sheriff's Office within three (3) business days of loss, theft, or destruction
• Submit replacement request through Permitium portal
• $15 replacement fee payable to the issuing sheriff, plus any credit card fees (C.R.S. 18-12-210(2))

Required Documentation Summary

For All Appointments

• Valid Colorado Driver's License or State-issued Photo ID
• Original training certificate (as applicable)
• Be prepared for photograph

Fingerprint Appointments

• Allow approximately 30 minutes
• Arrive on time (must call if delayed to avoid cancellation)
• Bring government-issued photo ID

Relevant Colorado Revised Statutes

Colorado Concealed Handgun Permits are governed by:

• C.R.S. 18-12-201 - Legislative declaration
• C.R.S. 18-12-202 - Definitions
• C.R.S. 18-12-202.5 - Training requirements
• C.R.S. 18-12-203 - Criteria for obtaining a permit
• C.R.S. 18-12-204 - Permit contents, validity, carrying requirements
• C.R.S. 18-12-205 - Sheriff application procedure and background check
• C.R.S. 18-12-205.5 - Competency exam subjects
• C.R.S. 18-12-206 - Sheriff issuance or denial of permits, report
• C.R.S. 18-12-207 - Judicial review, permit denial, suspension, revocation
• C.R.S. 18-12-208 - Colorado Bureau of Investigation duties
• C.R.S. 18-12-209 - Issuance of temporary emergency permits
• C.R.S. 18-12-210 - Maintenance of permit, address change, invalidity
• C.R.S. 18-12-211 - Renewal of permits
• C.R.S. 18-12-212 - Exemption
• C.R.S. 18-12-213 - Reciprocity
• C.R.S. 18-12-214 - Authority granted by permit, carrying restrictions
• C.R.S. 18-12-215 - Immunity
• C.R.S. 18-12-216 - Permits issued prior to effective date
• C.R.S. 18-12-105 - Unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon
• C.R.S. 18-12-105.5 - Unlawfully carrying weapon on school, college, or university grounds
• C.R.S. 18-12-105.6 - Limitation on local ordinances regarding firearms in private vehicles
• C.R.S. 29-11.7-101 through 29-11.7-104 - Local regulation restrictions

Federal Statutes

• 18 USC 926A - Interstate transportation of firearms
• 18 USC 926B - Carrying of concealed firearms by qualified law enforcement officers
• 18 USC 926C - Carrying of concealed firearms by qualified retired law enforcement officers

Important Notes

1. County-Specific Variations: While state law governs CHPs, individual counties may have variations in procedures, fees, and issuance methods (e.g., mailing vs. in-person pickup). Always verify with your specific county Sheriff's Office.

2. Verified Instructors: Lists of verified instructors are maintained by each county Sheriff's Office and available on their websites.

3. No Exceptions: The July 1, 2025 training requirements apply to ALL applicants with no exceptions or grace periods for renewals.

4. Certificate Validity: Training certificates for new applications are valid for one year; refresher certificates for renewals are valid for six months.

5. Original Certificates Required: Copies of training certificates will not be accepted under any circumstances.

6. Background Checks: All applicants undergo fingerprint-based criminal background checks through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation per C.R.S. 18-12-205.

Contact Information

For assistance with the application process, contact the Sheriff's Office in your county of residence. Applications and inquiries must be directed to the county where you reside, own property, or own a business.

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Fact-Checked Information:

• The minimum age for a Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) is 21 years old. Multiple official Colorado county sheriff's office websites consistently state that applicants must be at least 21 years of age at the time of application. This requirement is codified in Colorado Revised Statutes 18-12-203(1)(b). (Sources: Concealed Handgun Permits | Elbert County, CO, Concealed Handgun Permits | Delta County, CO - Official Website, Concealed Handgun Permit | San Miguel County, CO - Official Website, Concealed Handgun Permits | Elbert County, CO)
• In Colorado, a concealed handgun permit (CHP) application can take up to 90 days to process from the date fingerprints are submitted. This is the statutory maximum. Boulder County states the permit will be mailed 'within 90 days (or less) from the date your fingerprints were submitted.' Delta County also confirms 'Applications can take up to 90-days to process.' Renewal permits may be processed faster - Boulder County notes renewals take 'approximately four weeks.' The exact processing time varies by county, but the legal maximum is 90 days for new applications. Neither AI model provided a defined answer (both returned 'undefined'), so neither was correct. (Sources: Concealed Handgun Permit - Boulder County, Concealed Handgun Permit - Boulder County, Concealed Handgun Permits | Delta County, CO, Concealed Handgun Permits | Elbert County, CO)

Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) Renewal Process

Overview

Colorado concealed handgun permits are valid for five (5) years from the date of issuance. Renewal is handled by the county sheriff's office in the county where the permit holder currently resides, even if the original permit was issued by a different Colorado county. Out-of-state permits are not eligible for renewal in Colorado; holders must apply as new applicants.

Renewal Timeline

• Earliest renewal: No more than 120 days (approximately 4 months) prior to the permit expiration date. Applications submitted before the 120-day window will be returned/not accepted.
• Grace period after expiration: Permits may be renewed within a 6-month (180-day) grace period after the expiration date, subject to a $15 late fee (per C.R.S. § 18-12-211).
• Permanently expired: A permit that is more than 6 months past its expiration date cannot be renewed under state law. The holder would need to apply as a new applicant.

Training Requirements for Renewal (Effective July 1, 2025 - HB24-1174)

House Bill 24-1174, signed into law in 2024 and effective July 1, 2025, significantly changed renewal training requirements. All renewal applications received on or after July 1, 2025, must comply with the new requirements - there is no grace period for the training mandate.

Standard Renewal Training

A renewal applicant must demonstrate competence with a handgun by submitting one of the following:

1. Refresher Course Certificate - A training certificate from a minimum 2-hour concealed handgun refresher class conducted by a verified instructor (verified by a Colorado Sheriff's Office), obtained within six (6) months prior to submitting the renewal application. The refresher class must include:

   • A written concealed handgun competency exam with a minimum passing score of 80%
   • A live-fire exercise with a minimum passing score of 70% accuracy
   • The certificate must be the original with the printed name and original signature of the verified instructor
   • Alternatively, a certificate from a full 8-hour concealed handgun training class obtained within 6 months is also accepted

2. Organized Shooting Competitions / Active Military / Peace Officer - Evidence of experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competitions (within one year), current military service, or current certification as a peace officer pursuant to Article 2.5 of Title 16.

3. Verified Instructor Status - Evidence that, at the time of application, the applicant is a verified instructor.

4. Honorable Military Discharge - Proof of honorable discharge from a branch of the United States Armed Forces that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within the ten (10) years preceding submittal of the renewal form.

5. Retired Colorado Law Enforcement - A certificate showing retirement from a Colorado law enforcement agency that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within the ten (10) years preceding submittal of the renewal form.

Important notes on training:

• Online training and hunter education courses are not accepted
• All classes must be conducted in-person by a verified instructor; no portion of the class may be virtual
• Photocopies, digital versions, carbon copies, or emailed/printed certificates are not accepted - only the original signed certificate

Verified Instructor Requirement (HB24-1174)

As of July 1, 2025, concealed handgun training classes (both initial and refresher) must be conducted by a certified firearms instructor who has been "verified" by a Colorado Sheriff's Office. Key points:

• Instructors must be verified by the sheriff's office in the county where the majority of their training is conducted
• Verification is statewide (a verified instructor from any county is accepted)
• Verified instructors are listed on the respective sheriff's office website
• Verification is valid for 10 years or until the instructor's certification expires

Renewal Fees

Note: Some counties charge additional credit/debit card processing fees (e.g., 2.39%). Payment methods vary by county (cash, check, money order, credit/debit card).

Fee breakdown may vary slightly by county. For example, Park County lists $50 for the permit + $13 for the background investigation = $63 total.

Required Documents for Renewal

1. Completed CHP Renewal Application - Do not sign until your appointment (signature is witnessed by sheriff's office staff)
2. Original training certificate - From a verified instructor, dated within 6 months of application (or qualifying military/law enforcement documentation)
3. Valid Colorado Driver's License or State ID - Must show a current address in the county where you are applying
4. Current concealed handgun permit - Especially required if renewing in a different county than the one that issued the original permit
5. Payment - $63 for current permits; $78 for late renewals

Additional documentation may be required, including proof of address (lease, utility bill), proof of name change (court documents, marriage certificate), etc.

Out-of-County Renewals

If you have moved to a different Colorado county since your permit was issued:

• You must renew in the county where you currently reside (per state law)
• Bring your current permit issued by the previous county
• Standard renewal requirements and fees apply ($63)
• Contact the new county's sheriff's office to schedule an appointment

Name Change During Permit Period

If a renewal applicant has undergone a name change (marriage, divorce, or otherwise) since first acquiring the permit:

• A copy of court documents or marriage certificate must be included with the renewal paperwork
• State law requires a fresh set of fingerprints for renewal applicants who have undergone a name change

Processing Time

Processing times vary by county:

• Boulder County estimates approximately four weeks for renewal permits to be mailed
• New permits may take up to 90 days from fingerprint submission
• Some counties (e.g., Weld County) process renewals on the spot with no waiting period

Address Change Requirement

Permit holders must notify the issuing sheriff's office of a change of address within 30 days of moving. Lost or stolen permits must be reported within 30 days (some counties specify 3 business days for lost/stolen reporting).

Key Statutory References

• C.R.S. Title 18, Article 12, Part 2 - Concealed Handgun Permits
• C.R.S. § 18-12-202.5 - Concealed handgun training class and refresher class requirements
• C.R.S. § 18-12-211 - Late renewal fee provisions
• HB24-1174 - Legislative changes effective July 1, 2025 (verified instructor program, enhanced training requirements, refresher course mandate)