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