Colorado gun laws set a minimum purchase age of 21, require a background check and a three-day waiting period on every sale, cap magazines at 15 rounds, ban unserialized firearms, and impose locked-storage duties at home and in unattended vehicles. Concealed carry runs through your county sheriff. Open carry is legal under state law but can be banned by city or county ordinance. The penalties for getting these rules wrong run from petty civil infractions up through multi-year felony sentences.
Who Cannot Own a Firearm
Anyone convicted of a felony in Colorado, another state, or under federal law is barred from possessing a firearm. The same applies to anyone adjudicated as a juvenile for an offense that would have been a felony for an adult, though that restriction lasts ten years from the end of the juvenile sentence rather than for life.1FindLaw. Colorado Code 18-12-108 – Possession of Weapons by Previous Offenders A first violation is a class 5 felony. If the person used or threatened to use the firearm during another crime, probation is off the table and the sentence must include prison.2Colorado Revised Statutes. Colorado Code 18-12-108 – Possession of Weapons by Previous Offenders
People under active protection orders and anyone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence also cannot possess firearms. Federal law adds more categories on top, including users of controlled substances, people committed to a mental institution, and those dishonorably discharged from the military.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
Buying a Gun: Age, Background Check, and Waiting Period
The minimum age to buy any firearm in Colorado is 21. HB23-1219 took effect in August 2023 and ended the previous rule that let 18-year-olds buy rifles and shotguns. Selling a firearm to anyone under 21 is a misdemeanor, and a person under 21 who tries to purchase one also commits a misdemeanor. Active-duty military members are exempt.4Giffords. Minimum Age To Purchase and Possess Laws in Colorado
Every sale requires a background check, including private sales between individuals. Under C.R.S. § 18-12-112, a private seller must arrange for a licensed dealer to run the check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation before handing over the gun. Skip that step and you face a class 2 misdemeanor plus a two-year loss of your own right to possess firearms.5Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-112 – Private Firearms Transfers – Sale and Purchase – Background Check Required – Penalty – Definitions
A separate statute, C.R.S. § 18-12-112.5, adds a three-day waiting period between the start of the background check and the physical delivery of the firearm. The clock starts when the check is submitted to CBI, not when it clears. The waiting period covers dealer sales and private transfers alike. Antique firearms and sales to military members facing deployment within 30 days are exempt. Handing the gun over early is a misdemeanor.
One point that surprises buyers: a Colorado concealed handgun permit does not substitute for the background check. The ATF’s Brady Permit Chart confirms Colorado’s permit does not qualify as an alternative to the federal NICS check, and state law requires a background check on every dealer transfer regardless of permit status.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Brady Permit Chart
What Is Banned
Large-Capacity Magazines
Colorado bans the sale, transfer, and possession of any detachable or fixed feeding device that holds more than 15 rounds.7Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-301 – Definitions A first offense is a class 2 misdemeanor. Possess one while committing a felony or a crime of violence and the charge becomes a class 6 felony.8Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-302 – Large-Capacity Magazines Prohibited – Penalties – Exceptions
Unserialized Firearms
SB23-279 made it illegal to possess, transport, sell, or manufacture firearms or frames that lack a serial number imprinted by a federal firearms licensee. Using a 3D printer to make a frame or receiver is banned unless you hold a federal firearms manufacturer’s license.9Colorado General Assembly. Senate Bill 23-279 – Concerning Prohibited Activity Related to Firearms Anyone who already owned an unserialized firearm when the law took effect had to have it serialized by a licensed dealer. A first violation is a misdemeanor; later offenses are felonies.
Machine Guns and Other NFA Items
Machine guns, short-barreled rifles (barrel under 16 inches), and short-barreled shotguns (barrel under 18 inches) are governed by the federal National Firearms Act. Civilians can only own machine guns that were lawfully registered before May 19, 1986.10ATF. National Firearms Act Colorado adds no extra state ban on NFA items, but possessing an unregistered one is a federal felony. An assault weapons bill introduced in 2024 (HB24-1292) was postponed indefinitely and never became law.
Concealed Carry Permits
Eligibility and Training
Colorado issues concealed handgun permits under C.R.S. § 18-12-203. You must be at least 21, a legal resident, and able to show handgun competence through a training course completed within the previous ten years. A signed instructor certificate is one of the accepted forms of proof.11Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-203 – Criteria for Obtaining a Permit Active-duty military stationed in Colorado on permanent orders count as residents, as do their immediate family members living in the state.
How to Apply
You apply in person at your county sheriff’s office. Staff take your fingerprints and submit them for state and federal background checks. The new-permit fee is $152.50 in most counties. Once the sheriff receives the completed application, fingerprints, and training documentation, the office has 90 days to approve or deny.12Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-206 – Issuance or Denial of Permits A denial must come with written grounds and notice of your right to request a second review or seek judicial review in court.13Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado Code 18-12-207 – Judicial Review An approved permit is valid for five years, and you must carry it along with a photo ID whenever you are armed.14Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado Code 18-12-204 – Permit Contents – Validity – Carrying Requirements
Reciprocity
Colorado honors concealed carry permits from states that also honor Colorado’s permit, provided the holder is a resident of the issuing state, is at least 21, and carries a matching state-issued ID. As of mid-2025, Colorado has reciprocity with 34 states, including Arizona, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. California, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Washington are not on the list. Permits issued to nonresidents of the issuing state are not recognized.15Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) Reciprocity
Open Carry and Local Ordinances
There is no statewide ban on openly carrying a firearm. But SB21-256, passed in 2021, declared firearm regulation a matter of both state and local concern. Cities and counties can pass their own rules on sales, possession, and carry, so long as those rules are not less restrictive than state law.16Colorado General Assembly. SB21-256 Local Regulation of Firearms Local governments can also bar concealed carry permit holders from specific buildings or areas, though the maximum fine for a first offense of violating a local concealed carry restriction is $50.
Denver, for example, has long prohibited open carry inside city limits. Check the municipal code before you assume open carry is legal where you are. The Colorado Department of Public Safety directs residents to confirm the rules with local authorities, because they vary by jurisdiction.17Colorado Department of Public Safety. Colorado Gun Laws
Places Where Firearms Are Prohibited
Even with a permit, you cannot carry a firearm into:
- K-12 schools and university campuses, public or private.
- Courthouses and any building used for court proceedings.
- The state capitol, including General Assembly chambers, galleries, offices, hearings, and meetings.
- Local government chambers and offices, under the same restrictions that apply to the state legislature.
- Licensed childcare centers.
- Public buildings with permanent security screening at every entrance; you must leave the firearm with security.
- Public transportation facilities, where carrying a loaded firearm without legal authority is prohibited.
- Polling locations and election facilities on election days, where open carry is banned inside or within 100 feet of a drop box or the building housing a polling place.
Federal law adds its own prohibitions. You cannot carry into any federal building under 18 U.S.C. § 930, and the Gun-Free School Zones Act bars possession within 1,000 feet of a school unless the firearm is unloaded and locked in a container, or you hold a concealed carry permit from the state where the school sits.
Storage at Home and in Vehicles
Under C.R.S. § 18-12-114, you must store your firearms responsibly if you live with a minor who could access them without parental permission, or if anyone in the household is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Responsible storage means the gun is on your person, locked in a safe or secure container, or secured with a locking device, and the key or combination is not accessible to the juvenile or prohibited person. A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor.18Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado Code 18-12-114 – Responsible and Secure Storage of Firearms
Vehicle storage is a separate rule. HB24-1348 took effect on January 1, 2025. If you leave a firearm in an unattended vehicle, a handgun must sit in a locked hard-sided container, out of plain view, inside a locked vehicle or locked trunk. A long gun can go in a hard-sided or soft-sided locked container, but if you use a soft-sided one, the firearm itself needs a locking device installed. Exceptions cover antique firearms, farm and ranch operations, people who live in their vehicles, and law enforcement. A violation is a civil infraction, not a criminal charge.19Colorado General Assembly. HB24-1348 Secure Firearm Storage in a Vehicle
Self-Defense Inside the Home
C.R.S. § 18-1-704.5, commonly called the Make My Day law, allows any occupant of a dwelling to use any degree of physical force, including deadly force, against someone who has unlawfully entered. Three conditions must line up: the entry was unlawful, the occupant reasonably believes the intruder has committed or intends to commit a crime beyond the entry itself, and the occupant reasonably believes the intruder might use physical force against anyone inside.20Justia. Colorado Code 18-1-704.5 – Use of Deadly Physical Force Against an Intruder An occupant who meets those conditions is immune from both criminal prosecution and civil liability. The statute covers any occupant, not just the owner, but it does not cover places of habitation inside detention facilities.
The threshold for “reasonable belief” of force is low: the occupant only needs to believe the intruder might use any physical force, “no matter how slight.” The protection only runs inside the dwelling itself. It does not reach your front yard, a detached garage, or your vehicle.
Extreme Risk Protection Orders
Colorado’s Extreme Risk Protection Order law, formally the Deputy Zackari Parrish III Violence Prevention Act, lets a court temporarily remove firearms from someone who poses a significant risk of harm to themselves or others. People who can petition include law enforcement officers, district attorneys, family members, household members, licensed educators, licensed medical professionals, and licensed mental health providers.21Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Extreme Risk Protection Orders
A judge can issue a temporary ERPO immediately if the evidence shows significant risk, and the person named must surrender all firearms. A full hearing follows within 14 days. If the court then finds by clear and convincing evidence that the risk continues, it can issue a final ERPO lasting up to 364 days, which also blocks the person from buying new firearms during that period. Early termination and extensions are both possible.22The National ERPO Resource Center. Colorado – Extreme Risk Protection Order