Are firearms legal in Colorado?

Q: Are firearms legal in Colorado?

Firearms in Colorado are legal only under specific conditions. Colorado requires a permit to carry concealed, and the minimum age is 21. The permit is the Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP), shall-issue through county sheriffs; Colorado is not constitutional carry.

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COLORADO · FIREARMS

Firearms

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Conditional: Colorado requires a permit to carry concealed, and the minimum age is 21.

Conditional

Summary

Colorado requires a permit to carry concealed, and the minimum age is 21. The permit is the Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP), shall-issue through county sheriffs; Colorado is not constitutional carry.

Source: cbi.colorado.gov → · Updated July 2, 2026

Colorado Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Colorado →Conditional
Colorado requires a permit to carry concealed, and the minimum age is 21.
Open Carry in Colorado →Conditional
State law does not ban open carry of a handgun and requires no permit, but cities and counties may ban it in buildings or areas they post, and Denver bans open carry.
Magazine Capacity in Colorado →Conditional
Colorado limits magazines to 15 rounds — it is illegal to sell or transfer a magazine that holds more than 15 rounds, but you may still possess a pre-ban magazine.
Gun Possession in Colorado →Conditional
Colorado has a red-flag law (Extreme Risk Protection Orders) and a 15-round magazine limit: large-capacity magazines may not be sold, transferred or possessed unless continuously owned since July 1, 2013.
Transporting Firearms in Colorado →Conditional
Anyone who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it in a private vehicle for a legal use, including self-defense, without a permit; it is not treated as concealed carry.
Duty to Inform Police in Colorado →Conditional
Colorado has no proactive duty to inform, but a permittee must carry the permit and a photo ID whenever possessing a concealed handgun and must produce both when an officer demands them (C.R.S. § 18-12-204(2)(a)); failure is a petty offense and raises a rebuttable presumption of no permit, which is dismissible if a valid permit is later shown.
Suppressors & Silencers in Colorado →Conditional
Suppressors are legal in Colorado once they are registered with the federal government.
Reciprocity — where is my Colorado permit honored? →
State-by-state map of which states honor a Colorado concealed-carry permit.

Other Colorado laws

Firearms in nearby states

Browse all state laws →

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