What are the requirements for buying a gun in Colorado?

The four requirements to purchase a firearm in Colorado include:

1. being a Colorado resident,
2. being at least 21 years old,
3. passing a Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) background check, and
4. observing a three-day waiting period.

In my experience, a valid Colorado driver’s license or ID card should be sufficient to prove age and residency. The background check requires you to fill out an ATF form 4473 at the gun store, which will submit it to the CBI InstaCheck system.

The approval/rejection process typically takes less than a half hour, though you must then wait three days before taking possession of the firearm. You do not have to register your guns in Colorado.

Note that CBI background checks are required for private gun sales as well. Any licensed gun store can perform one for a private sale.¹

Who cannot buy guns in Colorado?

Even if you are at least 21, live in Colorado, and would pass the CBI background check, a gun store may refuse to sell you a firearm if you:

• are drunk or smell of alcohol,
• are high or smell of marijuana, or
• seem to be under the influence of a controlled substance

Furthermore, you may not purchase firearms if you:

• are a convicted felon,
• have been convicted of domestic violence,
• are a fugitive,
• are a drug addict,
• are the subject of a restraining order for harassing, stalking, or threatening your child or intimate partner,
• are under indictment for a felony,
• have been adjudicated as mentally unfit,
• are an undocumented alien,
• have been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces, and/or
• have renounced U.S. citizenship.²

Penalties

If you buy a gun for someone you know who is prohibited from having guns (called a “straw purchase”), you can be charged with a class 4 felony in Colorado. This carries:

• 2 to 6 years in prison (with 3 years mandatory parole) and/or
• a fine of $2,000 to $500,000.³

Meanwhile, the person you bought the gun for faces charges for POWPO, short for “possession of weapon by previous offenders.” This is a class 5 felony, carrying:

• 1 to 3 years in prison (with 2 years mandatory parole) and/or
• a fine of $1,000 to $100,000.⁴

The minimum wage to purchase handguns and long guns in Colorado is 21.

What about concealed carry?

If you purchase a handgun in Colorado, you cannot carry it concealed unless you also have a current and valid concealed handgun permit (CHP) from Colorado or a reciprocal state. CHPs are also referred to as “carrying concealed weapons permits” (CCWs).

To obtain a CHP in Colorado, you must meet all the requirements listed above. In addition, you must:

• not ever have been convicted of perjury regarding information you supplied in a prior CHP application and
• show competence in using the gun, such as by having a certificate from a handgun training class.

Penalties

A first-time offense of carrying a concealed handgun with no CHP is a class 1 misdemeanor in Colorado. The penalty includes:

• up to 364 days in jail and/or
• a fine of up to $1,000.

A second or subsequent offense within five years is a class 5 felony. A conviction carries potential penalties of:

• 1 to 3 years in prison (with 2 years mandatory parole) and/or
• a fine of $1,000 to $100,000.

Note that you must produce your CHP if a police officer demands it. If you have one but forgot to bring it with you while carrying a concealed handgun, you face petty offense charges, carrying:

• up to 10 days in jail and/or
• a fine of up to $300.⁵

Also learn about Colorado’s open carry gun laws.

If you purchase a gun in Colorado, there is a three-day “cooling off” period.

Additional Resources

For more information, refer to these recent news articles:

• Colorado wants to hire lawyers to prosecute gun crimes in federal court, some of which are no longer illegal under state law – The Colorado Sun.
• Judge blocks Colorado law raising age to purchase a gun to 21 – PBS News Hour.
• Gun owners and conservative groups file lawsuit against Colorado’s new ghost-gun law – The Denver Post.
• Gun rights advocates have lost Colorado’s elections — but they may win the legal war – CPR News.
• Colorado’s grade on gun control improves to A minus, says Giffords center – Colorado Politics.

Go to our main page on Colorado gun laws.

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Legal References

1. C.R.S. 18-12-203, C.R.S. § 18-12-112, C.R.S. § 18-12-112.5, and C.R.S. § 24-33.5-424. See, for example, People v. Whisler (Colo.App. 2019) 459 P.3d 722.
2. C.R.S. § 18-12-106(1)(d), C.R.S. § 18-12-108, C.R.S. § 13-14-105.5, C.R.S. § 13-14.5-101 et seq. 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), 18 U.S.C. § 922(n), 21 U.S.C. § 802.
3. C.R.S. § 18-12-111. See, for example, Johnson v. People (Colo. 2023) 524 P.3d 36.
4. C.R.S. § 18-12-108.
5. C.R.S. § 18-12-105. Prior March 1, 2022, a first offense of carrying a concealed weapon was a Colorado class 2 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $250 to $1,000 and/or 3 to 12 months in jail. SB21-271. Forgetting to carry a permit was a class 1 petty offense carrying up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $500. SB21-271. C.R.S. § 18-12-203, C.R.S. § 18-12-204, C.R.S. § 18-12-213.