Restrictions | Colorado Concealed Carry

Colorado Weapon Restrictions for Concealed Carry Permit Holders

Prohibited Weapons

Under Colorado law, certain weapons are classified as illegal or restricted:

• Dangerous weapons include items such as machine guns, short rifles, short shotguns, ballistic knives, and rapid-fire devices (C.R.S. 18-12-102)
• Throwing stars and nunchaku are prohibited in public places except for authorized public demonstrations, exhibitions, or organized school/class instruction. When transporting for these purposes, they must be in a closed, non-accessible container (C.R.S. 18-12-106(1)(e))

Large-Capacity Magazine Prohibition

• House Bill 13-1224 prohibits the sale, transfer, and possession of "large-capacity ammunition magazines" in Colorado (Part 3 of Article 12, added effective July 1, 2013)
• Violation of the large-capacity magazine prohibition is a class 1 misdemeanor under C.R.S. 18-12-302(1)(a) (raised from a class 2 misdemeanor by SB25-003, effective April 10, 2025)
• The offense becomes a class 6 felony if the person possessed the large-capacity magazine during the commission of a felony or any crime of violence as defined in C.R.S. 18-1.3-406 (C.R.S. 18-12-302(1)(c))

Grandfather Clause for Magazines Owned Before July 1, 2013

C.R.S. 18-12-302(2) creates a possession exception for pre-ban magazines. You may lawfully possess a large-capacity magazine if you:

1. Owned the magazine on July 1, 2013, and
2. Maintained continuous possession of it since then

Both conditions must hold. There is no registration, permit, or paperwork attached to the exception.

The burden is on the prosecution. Under C.R.S. 18-12-302(2)(b), once a person charged under subsection (1) asserts that the grandfather exception applies, the prosecution has the burden of proof to refute the assertion. The defendant does not have to prove ownership on July 1, 2013.

Semiautomatic Firearms Restrictions (SB25-003)

Signed by Governor: April 10, 2025 Effective Date: April 10, 2025 (the prohibition on manufacture/sale/purchase took effect August 1, 2026 and is now in force)

Statute: C.R.S. 18-12-116. For the full purchase process, course tiers, instructor requirements, penalties, and pending litigation, see the SB25-003 section of this guide.

• "Specified semiautomatic firearm" is defined as a semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun with a detachable magazine, or a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine (certain models and types are excluded, including .22 or lower rimfire-only firearms without a separate upper and lower receiver, manually operated actions, permanently fixed magazines that cannot accept more than 15 rounds, recoil-operated semiautomatic handguns, 35 named models as configured on April 10, 2025, permanently inoperable firearms, and antiques, curios, and relics) (C.R.S. 18-12-116(1)(d))
• Beginning August 1, 2026, it is prohibited to knowingly manufacture, distribute, transfer, sell, or purchase a specified semiautomatic firearm (C.R.S. 18-12-116(2))
• Possession is not restricted. The prohibition reaches manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, and purchase only. Specified semiautomatic firearms you already own are unaffected, and there is no registration or surrender requirement
• The training exemption requires a sheriff-issued eligibility card first. To enroll in either the basic or the extended firearms safety course, you must already hold a valid firearms safety course eligibility card issued by your county sheriff (C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(a)(II) and (5)(b)). To get the card you submit an application on a CPW form with attestations, a government-issued photo ID, and the results of a third-party name-based background check of national and Colorado criminal history and judicial databases, plus the card fee (the sheriff's processing fee, which varies by county, plus the $52 CPW firearms training and safety course record fee, which is not refunded if the application is denied). The card is valid 5 years. A sheriff shall issue the card unless the applicant cannot lawfully possess a firearm or cannot be positively identified, and may deny it if documented previous behavior gives the sheriff a reasonable belief that the applicant would present a danger to themself or others. Denials and revocations carry written notice and judicial review under C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4) and (b), with the sheriff bearing the burden of proof
• Concealed handgun permit background checks and CCW training courses are not reciprocal with the Firearms Safety Program. Your Colorado CHP does not substitute for the eligibility card or the course
• Exceptions include:
  • Transfers to individuals in another state or to federally licensed firearm dealers
  • Transactions involving law enforcement agencies and peace officers
  • Department of corrections, armored vehicle businesses, military forces, gunsmiths
  • Educational programs, historical societies, and museums
  • Transfers by operation of law or due to death
  • Firearms used solely as props for film
  • Persons who completed a hunter education course certified by the Division of Parks and Wildlife and a basic firearms safety course within 5 years before purchase
  • Persons who completed an extended firearms safety course within 5 years before purchase
• Penalties: Unlawful manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase is a class 2 misdemeanor; a second or subsequent offense is a class 6 felony
• Rapid-fire devices are classified as dangerous weapons under Colorado law

Prohibited Use of Weapons (C.R.S. 18-12-106)

A person commits a class 2 misdemeanor if they:

• Knowingly and unlawfully aim a firearm at another person
• Recklessly or with criminal negligence discharge a firearm or shoot a bow and arrow
• Knowingly set a loaded gun, trap, or explosive device and leave it unattended
• Possess a firearm while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a controlled substance - Possession of a concealed handgun permit (CHP) is not a defense to this violation (C.R.S. 18-12-106(1)(d))

Secure Firearm Storage in a Vehicle (HB24-1348)

Signed by Governor: May 15, 2024 Effective Date: January 1, 2025

• Handguns left in an unattended vehicle must be stored in a locked hard-sided container, placed out of plain view, in a locked vehicle, locked trunk, or locked recreational vehicle
• Non-handgun firearms left in an unattended vehicle must be stored in a locked hard-sided or soft-sided container, placed out of plain view, in a locked vehicle, locked trunk, or locked recreational vehicle. If stored in a soft-sided container, a locking device must be installed on the firearm
• Persons with a disability may use a locked soft-sided container for any firearm
• Exceptions:
  • Antique firearms
  • Non-handgun firearms in vehicles used for farm or ranch operations
  • Persons who live in a vehicle or recreational vehicle
  • Peace officers and active members of the armed forces
  • Certain lawful hunting activities
• Violation is a civil infraction

Carrying Firearms in Vehicles (C.R.S. 18-12-105)

• Colorado 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 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
• 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 jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon (C.R.S. 18-12-105.6)

Firearms in Vehicles - Title 33 (Wildlife)

• It is unlawful to have any firearm other than a pistol or revolver in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber is unloaded

Prohibited Persons - State Prohibitors

The following persons are prohibited from possessing firearms under Colorado law:

• Adjudicated delinquent juveniles for a crime that would be a felony if committed as an adult - prohibited for 10 years from the felony adjudication (C.R.S. 18-12-108(3) and (4)(c))
• Persons who violate private firearms transfer background check requirements - prohibited from possessing a firearm for two years (C.R.S. 18-12-112(9)(a))
• Persons convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses on or after June 19, 2021 - prohibited for five years prior to transfer (C.R.S. 24-33.5-424(3)(b.3)), including:
  • Assault in the third degree (C.R.S. 18-3-204)
  • Sexual assault (C.R.S. 18-3-402(1)(e))
  • Unlawful sexual contact (C.R.S. 18-3-404)
  • Child abuse (C.R.S. 18-6-401)
  • Violation of a protection order (C.R.S. 18-6-803.5(1)(a) and (1)(c)(I))
  • Crime against an at-risk person (C.R.S. 18-6.5-103)
  • Harassment (C.R.S. 18-9-111(1)(a))
  • Bias-motivated crime (C.R.S. 18-9-121)
  • Cruelty to animals (C.R.S. 18-9-202(1)(a) and (1.5))
  • Possession of an illegal weapon (C.R.S. 18-12-102(4))
  • Unlawfully providing a firearm other than a handgun to a juvenile (C.R.S. 18-12-108.7(3))

Prohibited Persons - Federal Prohibitors (18 U.S.C. § 922(g))

The following persons are prohibited from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition:

• Persons convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1))
• Fugitives from justice (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(2))
• Unlawful users of or persons addicted to controlled substances (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3))
• Persons adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4))
• Aliens illegally or unlawfully in the United States (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5))
• Persons dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(6))
• Persons who have renounced U.S. citizenship (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(7))
• Persons subject to certain domestic restraining orders (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8))
• Persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9))
• Persons under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year (18 U.S.C. § 922(n))

Firearms on Federal Lands in Colorado

• National Forests: Firearms may be carried but may not be discharged 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 into or within any cave (36 CFR 261.10(d))
• National Parks: Firearms possession must comply with Colorado state law (16 USC 1a-7b). Firearms are prohibited in federal facilities within parks (18 USC 930)

Open Carry

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

No Gun Registration

• Colorado prohibits gun registration (C.R.S. 29-11.7-102)

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Federal context

Lautenberg Amendment - 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). A misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (MCDV) - any misdemeanor that has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed against a current or former spouse, parent, guardian, person with a child in common, cohabitant, or similarly situated person - triggers a federal LIFETIME firearm-possession bar that is independent of state law. The Lautenberg disability applies even when the state-court conviction did not involve a firearm and even when no firearm-related penalty was imposed at sentencing. United States v. Rahimi (2024) confirmed the constitutionality of related federal § 922(g)(8) DV-restraining-order disabilities under the Bruen historical-tradition test.