State Gun Laws

In these gun laws pages, we refer to both “federal gun laws” and “state gun laws.”  The major difference between the two has to do with who makes the law, who prosecutes someone who violates the law, and what the penalty is for breaking the law.

One reason why it is important for you to know that there are these two sets of gun laws is so that you can understand all of the possible ways that the abuser might be breaking the law, and you can better protect yourself.  Throughout this section, we will be referring mostly to state laws.  Be sure to also read our Federal Gun Laws pages to see if any federal laws apply to your situation as well.  You will need to read both state and federal laws to see which ones, if any, the abuser might be violating.

If you are calling the police because you believe the abuser has violated a gun law, you do not necessarily need to be able to tell the police which law was violated (state versus federal) but local police cannot arrest someone for violating federal law, only for violating state/local laws.  Only federal law enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (“ATF”), can arrest someone for violating federal laws.  If the local police believe that a state law is being violated, they could arrest the abuser and hand the case over to the state prosecutor.  If the local police believe a federal law is being violated, hopefully, the police department will notify the ATF or perhaps the U.S. Attorney’s office in your state (which is the federal prosecutor).  For information on how you can contact ATF directly to report the violation of federal gun laws, go to Who do I notify if I think the abuser should not have a gun?  If the abuser is breaking both state and federal laws, s/he might be prosecuted in both state and federal court.

According to Colorado state law, a person can only get a permit to carry a concealed handgun if all of the following conditions are met. The applicant:

• is a legal resident of Colorado, including a military service member stationed in Colorado and his/her immediate family members;
• is at least twenty-one years old;
• has not been convicted of a felony, an attempted felony, or conspiracy to commit a felony;
• has not been convicted of perjury related to information provided on a concealed handgun permit application;
• does not chronically and habitually abuse alcohol unless a substance abuse counselor swears that the person is in recovery and has been sober for at least three years;
• is not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, drugs;
• does not have a temporary or final civil protection order issued against him/her based on domestic violence or based on stalking, sexual assault, physical harm/threats or abuse of the elderly/at-risk adult;
• does not have a protection order issued against him/her as part of a criminal court case, including a protection order based on a juvenile delinquent act;
• does not have a temporary or final extreme risk protection order issued against him/her.¹

Note: Even if the applicant meets all of the requirements above, the sheriff can still deny the permit if, based on the applicant’s previous behavior, the sheriff has a reasonable belief that s/he would likely be a danger to himself/herself or others if the permit were granted.²

In addition, as part of a temporary or final domestic violence protection order, the judge can make firearms-related orders. The judge can only do so, however, if, after reviewing the petition, the judge determines that an act of domestic violence took place and it involved physical force or the threat or attempt to use physical force. The judge must then order that the abuser:

• not have or buy any firearms or ammunition for the duration of the order; and
• give up any firearms or ammunition that s/he currently has in his/her possession or control to a licensed firearms dealer, private party or to law enforcement.³

In addition, it is illegal for anyone to possess a firearm if s/he is on probation after being convicted of a crime that involved domestic violence. An exception can be made, however, for a defendant whose job requires the use of a firearm if the judge believes that the victim and his/her child would not be endangered and the gun is not stored in the defendant’s home.⁴

Also, federal laws, which apply to all states, restrict an abuser’s right to have a gun if s/he was convicted of a felony or a domestic violence misdemeanor or if you have a final protection order against him/her that meets certain requirements. Go to the Federal Gun Laws page to get more information.

For additional information on gun laws in Colorado, you can go the the Giffords Law Center website.

¹ Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 18-12-203(1)(a)-(g); 18-12-108
² Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-203(2)
³ Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-14-105.5(1)(a), (2)(c)
⁴ Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-1.3-204(2)(b)(IV)