How to Get a Concealed Carry Permit in Colorado

To get a concealed carry permit in Colorado, you apply to the sheriff in the county where you live, submit proof of an in-person handgun training course, pass state and federal background checks, and pay the required fees. The permit is formally called a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP), it is valid statewide for five years, and the sheriff has up to 90 days to approve or deny your application once it is complete.

Who Qualifies for a Colorado CHP

You must meet every one of these requirements to be eligible:¹

At least 21 years old.
A legal resident of Colorado. Active-duty military stationed in Colorado on permanent orders, along with their immediate family living in the state, count as legal residents.
No felony conviction and no misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence under federal law.
Not subject to a permanent protection order, a temporary protection order, or an extreme risk protection order.
Able to demonstrate handgun competence through an approved training course.

Even if you check every box, the sheriff can still deny the permit if there is reasonable belief you would be a danger to yourself or others.

Colorado does not issue permits to non-residents. The only exception is the military category above.¹

The Training Course You Now Have to Take

Colorado overhauled its training requirements through HB24-1174, which took effect on July 1, 2025. The old rules let you use a training class completed up to ten years before applying, and online courses counted. Neither is true anymore.²

For an initial permit, the class must now be:

In person. No portion can be conducted online, and the instructor has to be physically present.
At least eight hours long, including both classroom instruction and a live-fire exercise.
Completed within one year before you submit your application.

Coursework covers safe handling and storage of firearms and ammunition, shooting fundamentals, federal and state firearms law, use of deadly force in self-defense, interacting with law enforcement during an emergency, and managing a violent confrontation. You have to pass both a written exam and a live-fire exercise. The statute requires a “passing score” on each but does not fix a percentage; the instructor sets the standard within guidelines approved by the sheriff.²

The only substitute for the class on an initial application is a current peace officer certification. Alternatives that used to count, like military service, organized shooting competitions, and honorable discharge, now apply only to renewals.²

How to Apply Through Your County Sheriff

Applications go to the sheriff’s office in the county where you live. You can also apply through the sheriff of a county where you own property used in a business or keep a secondary residence.

Your packet needs to include:

A completed application form from that sheriff’s office.
A Colorado driver’s license or state identification card.
Your original training certificate, dated within one year of your application. Copies are not accepted.
Fingerprints and a photograph, usually taken at the sheriff’s office or through its scheduling portal.

The sheriff forwards your fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI for background checks. State-mandated CBI fees for a new application total $52.50: $17.50 for the state fingerprint check, $13.00 for InstaCheck, and $22.00 for the FBI fingerprint check.³ Your county sheriff adds its own administrative fee on top, so total costs vary; expect somewhere in the range of $100 to $175 depending on where you apply.

By law, the sheriff must approve or deny a complete application within 90 days. Many counties move faster, often finishing within four to eight weeks. Once issued, the permit is good for five years and is valid throughout Colorado.⁴

Renewing the Permit

You can start renewing up to 120 days before your permit expires. The renewal packet is a renewal form, a notarized affidavit confirming you still meet the eligibility requirements, and the renewal fee, which the sheriff sets and the statute caps at $50.⁵

If you miss the expiration date, you can still renew by adding a $15 late fee. Don’t let it slip too far: once six months have passed after expiration, the permit is permanently dead and you have to start over with a full new application, including the eight-hour in-person course.

Renewal applicants also have to show handgun competence under the new law, but they have more options than first-time applicants. These include a shorter refresher class, current military service, or proof of participation in organized shooting competitions.²

What the Permit Does and Doesn’t Cover

A CHP lets you carry a concealed handgun throughout Colorado. Without one, carrying a concealed handgun is a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A firearm is concealed when it is hidden from ordinary observation, whether under clothing, inside a bag, or otherwise out of sight.⁶

One thing the permit is not required for: carrying a handgun in your personal vehicle. State law excludes from the concealed-carry offense anyone in a private automobile who is carrying a weapon for lawful protection of themselves or others, and the handgun can be loaded.⁶

Places Still Off-Limits With a Permit

The CHP does not override the following prohibitions:

Federal facilities, including courthouses, post offices, federal office buildings, and VA facilities. A first offense carries up to one year in prison; a federal court facility carries up to two.⁷
K-12 school grounds. The only exception is keeping a handgun locked inside a compartment of your vehicle while parked. A violation is a class 6 felony.⁸
Public or private colleges, universities, and seminaries, under the 2024 Sensitive Spaces Act. You may still keep a firearm in the parking area but cannot carry beyond it. A violation is a class 1 misdemeanor.⁹
Any public building with permanent security personnel and electronic weapons screening at every entrance.¹⁰
Additional sensitive spaces added by the 2024 law, including certain government buildings and their adjacent grounds. Private property owners may also prohibit firearms on their premises.⁹

If You Already Have a Permit From Another State

Colorado honors out-of-state permits only when all four of these conditions are met:¹¹

The issuing state also recognizes Colorado’s CHP.
You are a resident of the state that issued the permit.
You are at least 21 years old.
You carry a valid driver’s license or state ID from the same state that issued the permit.

Colorado will not honor a permit issued by one state to a resident of a different state. The CBI publishes a current list of reciprocity states.¹²

1
Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-203 – Criteria for Obtaining a Permit
2
Colorado General Assembly. HB24-1174 – Concealed Carry Permits and Training
3
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Concealed Handgun Permit
4
Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-204 – Permit Contents
5
Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-211 – Renewal of Permits
6
Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-105 – Unlawfully Carrying a Concealed Weapon
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
8
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado Code 18-12-105.5 – Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon on School Grounds
9
Colorado General Assembly. SB24-131 – Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces
10
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado Code 18-12-214 – Authority of Permit Holder Concerning Carry Restrictions
11
Justia. Colorado Code 18-12-213 – Reciprocity
12
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Concealed Handgun Permit Reciprocity