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. The state defendants' renewed motion to dismiss has been fully briefed since May 1, 2026 and remains undecided as of August 11, 2026; District Attorney Allen withdrew his own motion and answered the complaint on May 8, 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.