Primary Statute: Article 14.5 of Title 13, C.R.S. (§ 13-14.5-101 et seq.)
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
Primary Statute: Article 14.5 of Title 13, C.R.S. (§ 13-14.5-101 et seq.)
Colorado's "Red Flag" law, formally known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) statute, was enacted in 2019 (HB 19-1177) and expanded in 2023 (SB 23-170). An ERPO is a civil court order that prohibits a person who poses a significant risk of causing personal injury to self or others in the near future from:
A person subject to an ERPO (the "respondent") must surrender all firearms in their possession or control. ERPOs also require the respondent to surrender any concealed carry permits.
The following individuals or entities may file a petition requesting an ERPO (expanded by SB 23-170 in 2023 and further expanded by SB 4 in 2026):
Concealed carry permit holders subject to an ERPO must:
Colorado law includes additional firearm prohibition provisions that may interact with ERPOs:
| Feature | ERPO | Domestic Violence Protection Order |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Civil restraining order | Civil or criminal protection order |
| Trigger | Significant risk to self or others | Domestic violence involving physical force |
| Duration | 364 days (renewable once) | See §§ 13-14-105.5, 18-1-1001 |
| Attorney appointed | Yes, at court's expense | Not addressed in firearm relinquishment statutes |
| Firearm surrender | Mandatory | Mandatory (if DV with physical force) |
| CCP surrender | Required | Not specifically addressed (statutes require firearm and ammunition surrender) |
| Statute | Subject |
|---|---|
| § 13-14.5-101 et seq., C.R.S. | Extreme Risk Protection Orders (primary ERPO statute) |
| § 13-14.5-103, C.R.S. | ERPO petition and hearing procedures |
| § 13-14-105.5, C.R.S. | Civil protection orders - firearm provisions |
| § 18-1-1001, C.R.S. | Criminal protection orders - firearm relinquishment |
| § 18-6-803.5, C.R.S. | Violation of protection orders |
| § 24-4.1-302, C.R.S. | Victim Rights Act - covered crimes |
United States v. Rahimi (2024). In United States v. Rahimi, 602 U.S. ___ (2024), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal firearm prohibition at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8) for persons subject to a qualifying domestic-violence restraining order, holding the federal disability survives the historical-tradition test of N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022). Rahimi is the controlling SCOTUS authority on the constitutionality of federal firearm disabilities tied to domestic-violence findings; it bears on any state-level red-flag / ERPO analysis to the extent those frameworks borrow federal § 922(g)(8) prohibitor mechanics.
This page covers one part of our Colorado concealed carry guide.
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