Colorado Gun Laws (With 2021 Updates)

An overview of Colorado gun laws

Colorado state law allows residents aged 18 and older to own or possess legal firearms and ammunition unless they are otherwise prohibited from doing so.

To help you better understand Colorado’s gun laws, our Colorado criminal defense lawyers discuss the following, below:

• 1. Who is prohibited from owning a gun in Colorado?
• 2. What are the consequences of unlawful gun possession?
• 3. What guns are legal in Colorado?
• 4. What guns are illegal in Colorado?
• 5. Where may I legally carry a gun in Colorado?
• 6. Who may legally obtain a Colorado permit to carry a concealed weapon?
• 7. Are ghost guns legal in Colorado?
• 8. List of related gun offenses

1. Who is prohibited from owning a gun in Colorado?

You may not legally possess or carry a gun in Colorado (even an otherwise legal one) if:

• You are subject to a protective order that prohibits gun possession;
• You are a fugitive from justice;
• You are an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any controlled substance;
• You have been adjudicated as a “mental defective” or have been committed to any mental institution;¹
• You are illegally or unlawfully in the United States;
• You have been admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa;
• You have been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions;
• You have renounced your U.S. citizenship; or
• Under the laws of any U.S. state or federal law, you have been convicted of or are under indictment for:
  • a felony,
  • any crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year,
  • an attempt to commit a felony,
  • an act that would constitute a felony if committed in Colorado, or
  • a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Note that non-residents cannot openly carry if they are from a state that does not have gun reciprocity with Colorado.

The state’s “red flag” law permits police or family members to ask a judge to temporarily confiscate guns of someone deemed to be an “extreme risk” to others or themselves. These are called extreme risk protection orders. (CO House Bill 1177 (2019))

Note that gun buyers must pass a CO Bureau of Investigations (CBI) background check by a licensed firearms dealer in order to purchase a firearm. A licensed dealer is necessary even in private sales.

2. What are the consequences of unlawful gun possession?

Possession of a firearm by a felon is itself a felony. Depending on what crime you were convicted of and when the conviction occurred, penalties for being a Colorado felon with a firearm can run as high as:

• Up to 6 years in prison, and
• A fine of up to $500,000.

Otherwise, depending on the circumstance, unlawful possession of a gun is often a misdemeanor. Punishment for misdemeanor gun possession can be as much as:

• 1 – 3 years in prison, and/or
• A fine of $1,000 — $100,000.

3. What guns are legal in Colorado?

Legal firearms include:

• Handguns, pistols, revolvers, or other firearms with a barrel more than 12” in length (not counting any revolving, detachable, or magazine breech),
• Full-length rifles (long guns),
• Full-length shotguns,
• Antique firearms manufactured not later than 1898, and
• Firearms defined as curios or relics under U.S. law.²

People who are otherwise permitted to possess firearms may open carry these weapons in the state, as long as the location permits firearms.

4. What guns are illegal in Colorado?

Guns that are illegal to own include (but are not limited to) any gun or gun accessory that has been classified under federal or state law as a dangerous weapon, including:

• Armor-piercing ammunition,
• Firearm silencers,
• Machine guns,
• Short shotguns (those having a barrel or barrels less than eighteen inches long or an overall length of less than twenty-six inches),
• Short rifles (those with a barrel less than sixteen inches long or an overall length of less than twenty-six inches),
• Any defaced firearm (that is, one in which the manufacturer’s serial number, or other distinguishing number or identification mark, has been removed, defaced, altered, or destroyed, except by normal wear and tear), and
• Large capacity ammunition magazines (capable of holding more than 15 rounds), if purchased after July 1, 2013.³

Certain local governments have banned assault weapons, such as Vail and Boulder. Preemption renders these local laws unenforceable. However, the assault weapon ban in Denver is valid.⁴

Note that the Colorado Supreme Court recently upheld a ban on large-capacity gun magazines. It is not a violation of rights to limit magazines to 15 rounds.⁵

5. Where may I legally carry a gun in Colorado?

State residents who may lawfully possess guns may carry:

• A lawful firearm in a private automobile / motor vehicle for the purpose of protecting their own or someone else’s property or self-defense while traveling;⁶
• A lawful firearm in their home or place of dwelling, private property, or a business they own; or
• A lawful concealed handgun, if:
  • They are a current or retired state law enforcement officer or member of the military permanently stationed in Colorado;
  • They hold, and have on their person, a current, valid Colorado permit to carry a concealed handgun; or
  • They hold, and have on their person, a current, valid permit to carry a concealed handgun issued by a state that has reciprocity of concealed weapons laws with Colorado⁷

Under the state’s carry laws, firearms are prohibited in public buildings with security checkpoints, such as courthouses. People may carry firearms in national forests in the state, but they must abide by federal regulations as well as state laws. People may not possess firearms on a snowmobile unless it is unloaded, in a case, or in a scabbard.

For a list of states with current concealed firearms reciprocity with Colorado, see the Colorado Bureau of Investigation Department of Public Safety’s page on Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) Reciprocity.

6. Who may legally obtain a Colorado permit to carry a concealed weapon?

Colorado is a shall issue state for CCW permits. You can obtain a Colorado concealed carry permit if:

• You are a legal resident of the state of Colorado or you or an immediate family member is in the armed forces and is stationed pursuant to permanent duty station orders at a military installation in the state;
• You are twenty-one years of age or older;
• You are not ineligible to possess a firearm under state or federal law;
• You have not been convicted of perjury under CRS 18-8-503 in relation to information provided or deliberately omitted on a concealed carry permit application;
• You do not chronically and habitually use alcoholic beverages to the extent that your normal faculties are impaired (unless a licensed professional counselor or addiction counselor specializing in alcohol addiction confirms you are a recovering alcoholic who has refrained from using alcohol for at least three years);
• You are not an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance;
• You are not subject to a protection order that prohibits you from carrying a firearm; and
• You submit documentary proof of handgun competency, such as a safety course.

Non-residents usually cannot get Colorado CCW state permits unless they show good cause.

The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act allows qualified law enforcement agency officers and peace officers (current and retired) to carry concealed firearms even when state and local laws forbid concealed carry. (This amends the Gun Control Act of 1968.)

For more information on becoming a permittee to carry a concealed weapon, please see our article “How to Become a Permit Holder for Carrying a Concealed Handgun in Colorado”--CRS 18-12-203.

7. Are ghost guns legal in Colorado?

It is legal in Colorado to make, possess, or own ghost guns – handmade firearms without a serial number. People typically do this by ordering gun parts online to assemble whole guns or even 3D-printing guns using blueprints available online. But people must be licensed with the federal government in order to make a gun for the purpose of selling it.⁸

Moreover, the Biden Administration has signaled through executive actions that it will be cracking down on ghost guns. In the near future, gun parts and kits may be treated as firearms with their own serial numbers. And people may need to pass a background check to purchase them.⁹

8. List of related gun offenses

In addition to laws against crimes that can be committed with a firearm (such as homicide, assault and robbery), Colorado has a number of offenses addressed specifically at guns.

Such laws include (but are not limited to):

• Unlawfully carrying of firearms that are concealed — CRS 18–12–105
• Unlawfully carrying a weapon on school grounds — CRS 18–12–105.5
• Prohibited use of weapons — CRS 18–12–106
• Use of stun guns — CRS 18–12–106.5
• Illegal discharge of a firearm — CRS 18–12–107.5
• Possession of weapons by previous offenders — CRS 18–12–108
• Possession of handguns by juveniles — CRS 18–12–108.5
• Unlawfully providing or permitting a juvenile to possess a handgun — CRS 18–12–108.7
• Unlawful purchase of firearms — CRS 18–12–111
• Large-Capacity Magazines Prohibited — CRS 18–12–302
• Shooting from a public road — CRS 33-6-126

Note that Colorado is a castle doctrine state. People may use deadly force if necessary to protect themselves inside of their home.

Call our law firm for legal advice. We offer free consultations.

Colorado Legal Defense Group
4047 Tejon Street
Denver, CO 80211

Arrested in California? See our California firearms laws article.

Arrested in Nevada? See our Nevada firearms laws article.

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