Concealed Carry Class in Denver: Instructor, Application, and Renewal

Taking a concealed carry class in Denver means sitting through an in-person course from a sheriff-verified instructor, passing a written test and a live-fire qualification, and then using the certificate to apply for a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) through the Denver Police Department. The rules changed on July 1, 2025, so a class you take now looks different from one taken two years ago. Plan on roughly $300 or more all-in once you add the class fee to the state and local permit fees, and expect the full process to run a few months.

What the Class Must Cover

Colorado law sets seven topics every concealed carry class has to address. A class that skips any of them produces a certificate the sheriff won’t accept.¹ The required curriculum covers:

Safe handling of firearms and ammunition.
Safe storage and child safety in the home.
Shooting fundamentals: grip, stance, sight alignment, trigger control.
Federal and state firearms laws governing purchase, ownership, transportation, and possession.
Colorado’s deadly force and self-defense laws.
Interacting with law enforcement while carrying.
Avoiding and managing violent confrontations.

The entire class has to be in person. Colorado prohibits completing any portion of the training online or through an electronic device.² No Zoom, no pre-recorded video modules, no hybrid formats. You need to be in the same room as the instructor for the whole course.

Written Test and Live-Fire Qualification

Every new applicant since July 1, 2025 must pass a written test and a live-fire shooting qualification as part of the class. The written test requires a score of at least 80 percent, and the live-fire test requires at least 70 percent accuracy.³ This is a real departure from the old system, which had no mandatory range time and no exam.

If you’ve never fired a handgun before, book some range time before class day. The 70 percent accuracy threshold is manageable for someone with basic experience, but it can catch you flat if your first time pulling a trigger is during the qualification. Most Denver-area ranges rent lanes by the hour.

Picking a Sheriff-Verified Instructor

Colorado overhauled its instructor rules alongside the training changes. In the past, an instructor holding NRA certification or equivalent law enforcement credentials could teach the class.² Now, instructors must be specifically verified by a county sheriff.¹ A class taught by anyone else won’t produce a certificate Denver will take.

Before you pay, confirm the instructor is sheriff-verified. Reputable schools say so in their course description; if they don’t, ask. Classes in the Denver area typically run between $100 and $200, and that’s separate from the permit application fees. The certificate your instructor hands you after you pass has to carry the instructor’s original signature, and you’ll submit either the original or a photocopy showing that signature with your application.⁴

One deadline to track: your training certificate is good for only one year. File the permit application within 12 months of the class or you’ll have to retake it.¹

Who Qualifies for the Permit

Passing the class is only one piece. Colorado requires that you also meet the eligibility criteria the sheriff reviews before issuing a permit. You must:⁵

Be a legal resident of Colorado. Active-duty military stationed in Colorado and their immediate family count as legal residents.
Be at least 21 years old.
Be legally allowed to possess a firearm under state and federal law. A felony conviction disqualifies you, along with other categories.
Have no active protection orders against you, including domestic violence, temporary, and extreme risk protection orders.
Not chronically or habitually use alcohol to the point of impairment. A recovering alcoholic can qualify by submitting an affidavit from a licensed addiction counselor confirming at least three years of sobriety.
Not be an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.
Have no perjury conviction related to a prior concealed carry permit application.

Federal law adds its own prohibited categories under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), and the background check screens for those too. If you have any doubt about whether a past conviction disqualifies you, talk to a firearms attorney before paying for the class and application fees. The state background check fee is not refunded if you’re denied.

Applying Through the Denver Police Department

Denver residents file through the Denver Police Department rather than a county sheriff’s office. Pull these together before scheduling your appointment:⁶

The completed DPD application form, filled out accurately. False or incomplete answers can mean denial and perjury charges.
Proof of Denver residency: a current Colorado driver’s license or state-issued ID showing your Denver address.
Your training certificate, original or photocopy with the instructor’s original signature.
$100 local fee, by check or money order payable to the Denver Police Department.
$52.50 state fee, by cashier’s check or money order payable to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. This covers the state and federal fingerprint checks.

Both fees must be paid by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted.

You submit the application in person at Denver Police Department headquarters. During the process you’ll schedule a separate fingerprinting appointment, and the application isn’t complete until those prints are submitted.⁷

Denver runs a strict 60-day window. Once you submit the initial application, every follow-up document and your in-person appointment have to be done inside those 60 days. Miss the deadline or reschedule without resolving everything in time and Denver will withdraw your application; you’d get the CBI fee back and half the Denver fee, but you’d be starting over.⁶ No-show the appointment without notice and the department keeps $50 on top of that.

Processing Time and Denial Rights

Once your fingerprints are in, Colorado gives the issuing authority up to 90 days to approve or deny.⁸ If CBI and FBI fingerprint results haven’t come back inside that window, the sheriff decides without them. If the results later turn up a disqualifying issue, the permit can be revoked.

A denial has to come with written notice stating the specific grounds. You can request a second review by the sheriff, submit additional information, and ultimately seek judicial review in court.⁸ Denials can only rest on failure to meet the eligibility criteria or a finding that you’d be a danger. The sheriff can’t deny on subjective grounds outside the statutory list.

Renewal and Refresher Training

A Colorado CHP is valid for five years from the date it’s issued, and you can start renewing up to 120 days before it expires.³ Don’t let it lapse. Carrying on an expired permit is the same as carrying without one.

Renewal is no longer paperwork alone. Applicants have to complete a refresher class of at least two hours and pass the same 80 percent written test and 70 percent live-fire qualification the new applicants take.³ Refresher certificates are only valid for six months, so don’t take the class too early. The exceptions are narrow: people who retired from law enforcement within the past 10 years, recently separated military members, and active participants in organized shooting competitions.

1
Colorado General Assembly. HB24-1174 Concealed Carry Permits and Training
2
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado Code 18-12-202 – Definitions
3
Larimer County. New Colorado Law Changes Concealed Handgun Permit Process
4
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado Code 18-12-203 – Criteria for Obtaining a Permit
5
Justia Law. Colorado Code 18-12-203 – Criteria for Obtaining a Permit
6
Denver Police Department. Concealed Handgun Permits
7
Denver Police Department. Denver Police Department Colorado Online Concealed Handgun Permit Application
8
Justia Law. Colorado Code 18-12-206 – Sheriff – Loss or Destruction of Permit – Singling Out