Colorado Gun Laws & Concealed Carry Guide (2026)

Colorado is not a permitless carry state. To carry a concealed handgun in public you need a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) from your county sheriff, and you must be at least 21. Open carry without a permit is legal at 18 in much of the state, but cities and counties can ban it, and Denver does.

This guide covers Colorado gun laws for carry: the permit and its in-person training rule, reciprocity, open carry, guns in cars, places you can’t carry, the 15-round magazine limit, local rules in Denver and Boulder, and the Make My Day law. Colorado lets local governments pass stricter gun rules, so check the city you are in too.

Colorado Concealed Carry At A Glance

Permitless carry	No
Minimum age to carry	21
Permit name	Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)
Issued by	County sheriff of residence
Permit fee	Set by each sheriff within a state cap, plus fingerprint fee (e.g., Boulder County $152.50 new, $63 renewal)
Permit length	5 years
Training required	Yes: At least 8 hours in person with a sheriff-verified instructor, live fire of at least 50 rounds at 70% accuracy, written test (80%); no part may be online. 2-hour in-person refresher to renew (C.R.S. § 18-12-202.5).
Online course counts?	No, in-person training required
Non-resident permit	No (Residents only; military on permanent duty orders in Colorado and their families count as residents. Colorado honors resident permits from 34 states for holders 21+.)
Lifetime permit	No
States that honor it	About 32 (handgunlaw.us); Colorado honors resident permits from 34 states (CBI)
Last verified	November 2, 2026

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Colorado?

Yes, to carry concealed. Carrying a concealed firearm is a class 1 misdemeanor unless an exception applies (C.R.S. § 18-12-105). The main exceptions are your own home, business or property, a private vehicle while traveling, and holding a valid CHP.

A 2026 bill to allow permitless concealed carry (HB26-1212) was postponed indefinitely in committee on April 7, 2026. The permit requirement stands.

To get a CHP you must be a Colorado resident, at least 21, and legally able to own a firearm. Prohibited persons include people barred under federal law, such as felons, people under certain protection orders, and unlawful drug users. The sheriff runs a fingerprint background check before issuing.

How To Get A Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit

You apply to the sheriff of the county where you live. Many sheriffs use an online portal for the application and appointment.

Take the required class. Complete the 8-hour in-person course from a sheriff-verified instructor (details below). Keep the original certificate. Boulder County requires it to be dated within 1 year of your appointment.
Apply to your county sheriff. Bring a Colorado driver’s license or ID, your training certificate and payment.
Get fingerprinted and photographed. This is usually done at your sheriff’s appointment.
Wait for approval. Boulder County says approved permits are mailed within 90 days of fingerprint submission.

Cost: Each sheriff sets the fee within a state cap, plus fingerprint processing. For example, Boulder County charges $152.50 for a new permit and $63 to renew, plus card fees.

How long it lasts: A CHP is valid for 5 years. Boulder County accepts renewals up to 120 days before expiration and up to 6 months after, with a late fee.

Do You Need A Class For A Colorado Carry Permit?

Yes. HB24-1174 set a statewide training standard for applications filed on or after July 1, 2025 (C.R.S. § 18-12-202.5). The class must:

Provide at least 8 hours of instruction. The hours do not need to be on the same day.
Be held in person, with the instructor and students at the same location. No part of the class may be done over the internet.
Be taught by an instructor verified by a Colorado sheriff’s office.
Include a live-fire exercise of at least 50 rounds with at least 70% accuracy.
Include a written, open-book test with a passing score of at least 80%.
Cover safe handling and storage, child safety, shooting fundamentals, state and federal law, deadly force in self-defense, and safe interaction with police.

To renew, you need an in-person refresher class of at least 2 hours, also with live fire and a written test. Certain military service, peace officer certification and instructor status can stand in for the class. Check with your sheriff.

Because Colorado bars any online portion, an online course cannot count toward the 8 hours. A short online safety course is still a useful primer before you book the required class. It can help you learn safe handling and basic law ahead of time, but it is not approved for the CHP and it is not a permit.

Get Started On Your Permit Online

Watch a short instructional video on firearm safety and responsible carry, take a 10-question quiz, and download your certificate of completion.

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The certificate is a training record, not a license or permit. In Colorado, you apply for the Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) through the County sheriff of residence.

Can Non-Residents Get A Colorado Carry Permit?

No. Colorado issues permits only to legal residents of the state. Military members stationed in Colorado on permanent duty orders, and their immediate family living here, count as residents.

Visitors can carry concealed with their home-state permit if Colorado honors it (see below). A Colorado resident cannot carry concealed in Colorado on another state’s non-resident permit, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Which States Honor The Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit?

About 32 states honor a Colorado CHP, according to handgunlaw.us. They include Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. Many of them also allow permitless carry for adults who can legally own a gun.

Colorado honors resident permits from 34 states, per the CBI reciprocity page. The visitor must be at least 21, live in the issuing state, carry an ID from that state, and that state must honor Colorado’s permit. States not on the list include California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, New York and Illinois.

Visitors should know Colorado’s magazine limit applies to them too. Bringing in a magazine that holds more than 15 rounds can be a crime here.

Going next door? See our guides to Utah gun laws, Wyoming gun laws, Nebraska gun laws, Kansas gun laws, Oklahoma gun laws, New Mexico gun laws and Arizona gun laws, or browse gun laws by state.

Can You Open Carry In Colorado?

Yes, in most of the state, with no permit, if you are 18 or older and can legally have a gun. But Colorado no longer has full state preemption. Local governments may pass gun laws that are stricter than state law (C.R.S. § 29-11.7-103), and may ban open carry in specific buildings or areas if they post signs at the entrances (C.R.S. § 29-11.7-104).

Denver: Open carry is generally banned in Denver under Revised Municipal Code § 38-117(b), according to Colorado Legal Defense Group.
Boulder: The City of Boulder bans open carry in public places under its 2022 ordinances. Boulder also set 21 as the minimum age to possess a firearm in the city.

Other cities and counties may have their own rules, so check local code before you open carry.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Colorado?

Yes. Anyone who can legally possess a firearm may carry it in a private vehicle for lawful protection while traveling, with no permit (C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(b)). Without a CHP, the gun must stay in the car, and carrying it concealed once you step out is illegal.

Rifles and shotguns: It is illegal to have a long gun in or on a motor vehicle with a round in the chamber (C.R.S. § 33-6-125). Handguns are not covered by this rule.
Leaving it in the car: Since January 1, 2025, a handgun left unattended in a vehicle must be in a locked hard-sided container, out of plain view, in a locked vehicle or locked trunk (HB24-1348). A violation is a civil infraction.
At work: Colorado has no law that guarantees employees the right to keep a gun in their car in the company lot. Private employers keep the right to set their own rules (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(5)).
At school: A CHP holder may keep a handgun in a vehicle on K-12 school property. If you leave the vehicle, the gun must be in a locked compartment and the vehicle locked (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(3)(a)).

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Colorado

A CHP lets you carry concealed in all areas of the state except these (C.R.S. § 18-12-214; SB24-131, effective July 1, 2024):

K-12 public school grounds and buildings, except in a vehicle as described above (C.R.S. §§ 18-12-214(3), 18-12-105.5)
Licensed child care centers and the grounds of colleges, universities and seminaries. CHP holders may carry only in the parking areas of these places (C.R.S. § 18-12-105.5)
The state capitol and legislative buildings, local government council and executive office buildings, and courthouses. CHP holders may carry in the adjacent parking area (C.R.S. § 18-12-105.3)
Polling locations, central count facilities and areas near ballot drop boxes during voting (C.R.S. § 1-13-724)
Public buildings with permanent metal-detector screening at every entrance where weapons must be checked (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(4))
Places where federal law bans guns, such as federal buildings (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(2))
Buildings or areas where a local government, special district or college board bans carry and posts signs (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(1)(c), (2.5)). Denver, for example, bans concealed carry in city parks and city buildings, even for permit holders, under a 2022 ordinance reported by Denverite
Private property where the owner, tenant or employer bans guns (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(5))

Colorado has no statute that bans carry in restaurants that serve alcohol. It is a crime to possess a firearm while intoxicated, though (C.R.S. § 18-12-106(1)(d)), so skip the drinks when you carry.

Duty to inform: Colorado has no law that requires you to tell an officer you are carrying, according to handgunlaw.us. You must show your permit and a photo ID when an officer asks, and an officer may disarm you temporarily during a lawful stop (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(1)(b)).

Colorado Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Colorado has a strong castle doctrine statute, often called the “Make My Day” law. It has no stand-your-ground statute, but its courts apply a no-duty-to-retreat rule.

Castle doctrine: An occupant of a dwelling may use any degree of force, including deadly force, against someone who has made an unlawful entry. The occupant must reasonably believe the intruder has committed or intends to commit a crime there, and might use any physical force, however slight, against an occupant (C.R.S. § 18-1-704.5).
Immunity: An occupant who uses force under that law is immune from criminal prosecution and from civil liability for injury or death. That immunity applies only inside the dwelling.
Outside the home: The general self-defense statute applies (C.R.S. § 18-1-704). In People v. Monroe (2020), the Colorado Supreme Court confirmed that only an initial aggressor must retreat before using force.

Even a lawful use of force can lead to arrest, charges or a lawsuit, especially outside the home. A legal defense can be expensive, even if you are never convicted.

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Colorado Gun Laws FAQ

Is Colorado A Constitutional Carry State?

No. You need a CHP to carry concealed. A 2026 permitless carry bill (HB26-1212) died in committee. Open carry without a permit is legal at 18 in much of the state, but not in Denver or Boulder.

What Is The Magazine Capacity Limit In Colorado?

Fifteen rounds. Since July 1, 2013, it has been illegal to sell, transfer or possess a magazine that holds more than 15 rounds (C.R.S. § 18-12-302). For shotguns, the limit is a tube holding more than 28 inches of shells, or a detachable magazine holding more than 8 shells (C.R.S. § 18-12-301). Magazines owned on July 1, 2013 and kept in continuous possession are exempt.

What Are Denver Gun Laws?

Denver bans open carry, and bans concealed carry in city parks and city buildings even for permit holders. State law, including the 15-round magazine limit, applies too.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Colorado?

Yes, with a CHP, unless the church bans guns. Colorado has no statute that names places of worship. A church can prohibit carry on its own property, and school or child care rules can apply if the church runs one on site. If you serve on a church safety team, look into legal protection for church security teams.

Can You Carry In A Bar In Colorado?

No state statute bans carry where alcohol is served. You may not possess a firearm while intoxicated. The owner can also ban guns, and local rules may apply.

Do I Need A Permit To Buy Some Guns In Colorado?

For certain semiautomatic firearms, yes. Under SB25-003, buying a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun with a detachable magazine, or a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with one, requires a sheriff-issued eligibility card and a firearms safety course, starting August 1, 2026. This is separate from the CHP, so check the rules before you buy.

Colorado Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide