Colorado gun laws in a vehicle
Last verified against primary sources: · Updated
In Colorado you can carry a loaded handgun in your own private vehicle for self-protection without any permit — a standing exception in C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(b) that applies to residents and visitors alike. Two separate rules layer on top: a rifle or shotgun in a vehicle must have an empty chamber (C.R.S. § 33-6-125), and since January 1, 2025 any firearm you leave in an unattended vehicle must be locked in a container (C.R.S. § 18-12-114.5).
Handguns: the private-vehicle exception (no permit needed)
Colorado's concealed-carry offense in C.R.S. § 18-12-105 has a built-in list of things that are "not an offense." One of them is carrying a weapon in your own vehicle for self-protection while traveling — and it does not depend on holding a concealed-handgun permit:
(2) It shall not be an offense if the defendant was: … (b) A person in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance who carries a weapon for lawful protection of such person’s or another’s person or property while traveling; or
This is the core rule for a handgun in your car. A separate concealed-handgun permit (Part 2 of Article 12) is an independent basis for concealed carry that matters when you are not in your vehicle — for example carrying concealed on your person while walking. The vehicle exception stands on its own. See Colorado concealed carry for the on-your-person permit rules.
What "while traveling" covers
The statute's phrase is "for lawful protection … while traveling." Per the research this exception traces to the original 1971 recodification and has not been amended; it is a categorical defense for a person carrying a weapon in a private automobile or other private conveyance for lawful protection of person or property. The exception is not conditioned on a permit and, on its face, draws no distinction between residents and non-residents.
Long guns: the chamber must be empty
Rifles and shotguns are handled by a completely different statute — a wildlife/anti-poaching rule in Title 33 that applies to "any person," not just hunters:
It is unlawful for any person, except a person authorized by law or by the division, to possess or have under the person’s control any firearm, other than a pistol or revolver, in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber of the firearm is unloaded. Any person in possession or in control of a rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle shall allow any peace officer who is empowered and acting under the authority granted in section 33-6-101 to enforce articles 1 to 6 of this title 33 to inspect the chamber of any rifle or shotgun in the motor vehicle. For the purposes of this section, a ‘muzzle-loader’ shall be considered unloaded if it is not primed, and ‘primed’ means having a percussion cap on the nipple or flint in the striker and powder in the flash pan. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars and an assessment of fifteen license suspension points.
- Applies to rifles and shotguns only — pistols and revolvers are expressly excluded (handguns in vehicles run through Title 18, above).
- "Unloaded" means the chamber is empty. A loaded magazine inserted with no round chambered satisfies the statute.
- Penalty: a misdemeanor with a $100 fine plus 15 license suspension points (a hunting/wildlife-license points assessment, not driver's-license points).
- Officers empowered under § 33-6-101 may inspect the chamber of a rifle or shotgun in the vehicle.
Leaving a gun in an unattended vehicle (new since Jan. 1, 2025)
House Bill 24-1348 added C.R.S. § 18-12-114.5, a secure-storage duty that applies whenever you leave a firearm in an unattended vehicle. The enacted version sets different container rules for handguns and for long guns. For handguns:
(1)(a) A person shall not knowingly leave a handgun in an unattended vehicle unless the handgun is in a locked hard-sided container that is placed out of plain view, including a locked container that is permanently affixed to the vehicle’s interior, and the container is in any of the following: (I) A locked vehicle; (II) The locked trunk of a locked vehicle; or (III) A locked recreational vehicle, as defined in section 24-32-902.
For a firearm that is not a handgun (a rifle or shotgun), a soft-sided locked container is also allowed — with an added locking-device requirement:
(1)(b) A person shall not knowingly leave a firearm that is not a handgun in an unattended vehicle unless the firearm is in a locked hard-sided or locked soft-sided container, including a locked container that is permanently affixed to the vehicle’s interior, and the container is in any of the following: (I) A locked vehicle; (II) The locked trunk of a locked vehicle; or (III) A locked recreational vehicle, as defined in section 24-32-902. (c) A firearm that is not a handgun that is stored in a soft-sided container must have a locking device installed on the firearm while the firearm is stored in the soft-sided container. (d) For the purposes of this subsection (1), a locked glove compartment or the locked center console of a vehicle is a locked hard-sided container.
A violation is a civil infraction (C.R.S. § 18-12-114.5(2)) — not a criminal charge. Note the practical takeaways from the codified text: a locked glove compartment or locked center console counts as a locked hard-sided container; a handgun must be a hard-sided container placed out of plain view, while a long gun may use a soft-sided container if a locking device is on the firearm.
The statute lists exceptions in subsection (3), including antique firearms; a non-handgun in a vehicle used for farm or ranch operations on the person's own (or leased) farm or ranch; a person who lives in the vehicle or RV (who must instead store under § 18-12-114); a peace officer; a person with a valid resident or out-of-state hunting license engaged in lawful hunting; hunter-education instructors with the Division of Parks and Wildlife; and an active-duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces on duty. Subsection (4) accommodates people with a disability (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 12102) who use a locked soft-sided container.
Parking areas at government buildings, schools, and colleges
Two 2024 laws changed what happens in the parking areas of certain sensitive locations. Senate Bill 24-131 created C.R.S. § 18-12-105.3, which bans carrying a firearm in legislative buildings, local-government meeting buildings, and courthouses "including their adjacent parking areas." Crucially, it preserves your ability to store a gun in your vehicle there:
(5) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from securely storing a firearm in a vehicle, as required by state law, that is at a location described in this section.
SB24-131 also removed a permit-holder protection: as of July 1, 2024, a concealed-handgun permit no longer authorizes carrying a concealed handgun in the parking area of a college, university, seminary, or licensed child care center:
(II) In a parking area of a licensed child care center or a public or private college, university, or seminary;
Two non-permit vehicle defenses survive that change and remain available on their own terms — see the school-grounds rules next. Where you can and can't carry more generally is covered in where you can’t carry a gun in Colorado.
School, college, and university grounds
C.R.S. § 18-12-105.5 governs weapons on school and college grounds and contains two vehicle carve-outs that are not permit-dependent. First, an unloaded weapon kept inside a vehicle on college/university/seminary real estate:
(a) The weapon is unloaded and remains inside a motor vehicle while upon the real estate of any public or private college, university, or seminary; or
Second, the same private-automobile/travel exception that appears in the general concealed-carry statute:
(c) The person is in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance and is carrying a weapon for lawful protection of that person’s or another’s person or property while traveling; or
By its plain text, the "unloaded and remains inside a motor vehicle" exception in (3)(a) reaches only college/university/seminary real estate — it does not itself extend to K-12 property. For K-12 grounds, a permit holder's vehicle carve-out runs through C.R.S. § 18-12-214(3)(a), which HB24-1348 tied to the new secure-storage law:
(a) A permittee may have a handgun on the real property of the public school so long as the handgun remains in the permittee’s vehicle and, if the permittee leaves the vehicle unattended, the permittee stores the firearm pursuant to section 18-12-114.5;
Non-residents get the same vehicle exception
None of the Colorado vehicle statutes above — § 18-12-105(2)(b), § 33-6-125, § 18-12-114.5, § 18-12-105.5, or § 18-12-105.3 — draw any distinction between residents and non-residents. They all speak in terms of "any person" or "a person." The private-auto exception, the chamber-empty rule, and the unattended-storage law apply equally to a visitor driving through Colorado. (Colorado's concealed-handgun-permit issuance and reciprocity are a separate topic — see Colorado gun laws for non-residents and visitors.)
Driving through Colorado between two states: federal safe passage
If you are transporting a firearm through Colorado between two places where you may lawfully possess it, the federal Firearm Owners' Protection Act provides a "safe passage" protection:
Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.
FOPA is narrower than it is often assumed to be: it protects transport (unloaded, inaccessible or locked) between two places of lawful possession — not general carry. For someone traveling within Colorado, § 18-12-105(2)(b) is actually broader, because it does not require the firearm to be unloaded. FOPA matters most for a person passing through Colorado en route between two other states.
Denver
Denver is a home-rule city and has historically had its own vehicle-carry ordinances that differ from state law. Those specifics are covered on our Denver gun laws page — this page does not make any Denver-specific ordinance claims.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to carry a handgun in my car in Colorado?
No. C.R.S. § 18-12-105(2)(b) makes it "not an offense" to carry a weapon in your own private vehicle for lawful protection while traveling, and that exception is not conditioned on holding a concealed-handgun permit. A permit is a separate basis for carrying concealed on your person outside the vehicle.
Can I keep a loaded rifle or shotgun in my vehicle in Colorado?
No — the chamber must be empty. C.R.S. § 33-6-125 makes it unlawful to have any firearm other than a pistol or revolver in or on a motor vehicle unless the chamber is unloaded. A loaded magazine with no round chambered is allowed; a violation is a $100 fine plus 15 license suspension points.
How do I have to store a gun left in an unattended car in Colorado?
Since January 1, 2025, C.R.S. § 18-12-114.5 requires a handgun left in an unattended vehicle to be in a locked hard-sided container placed out of plain view, inside a locked vehicle, locked trunk, or locked RV. A locked glove compartment or center console counts as a hard-sided container. A rifle or shotgun may use a locked soft-sided container if a locking device is installed on the firearm. A violation is a civil infraction.
Does the vehicle exception apply to out-of-state visitors?
Yes. The Colorado vehicle statutes speak in terms of "any person" and draw no resident/non-resident distinction, so a visitor driving through Colorado has the same private-vehicle handgun exception, chamber-empty rule for long guns, and unattended-storage duty as a resident.
Can I have a gun in my car in a college or school parking lot in Colorado?
It depends on the location. On college, university, or seminary real estate, an unloaded weapon that remains inside your vehicle is a listed exception (C.R.S. § 18-12-105.5(3)(a)). As of July 1, 2024, a concealed-handgun permit no longer authorizes concealed carry in the parking area of a college, university, seminary, or licensed child care center (§ 18-12-105.5(3)(d.5)(II)). On K-12 public-school property, a permittee's handgun must remain in the vehicle and, if left unattended, be stored under § 18-12-114.5 (§ 18-12-214(3)(a)).
Is there a federal law that lets me transport a gun through Colorado?
Yes. 18 U.S.C. § 926A (FOPA) lets you transport a firearm through a state between two places where you may lawfully possess it, as long as the firearm is unloaded and neither it nor the ammunition is readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment (or, with no separate compartment, is in a locked container other than the glove box or console). It protects transport, not general carry.
Primary sources for this page
- C.R.S. § 18-12-105 — Colorado Bureau of Investigation (reproduction)
- C.R.S. § 33-6-125 — Colorado Bureau of Investigation (reproduction)
- C.R.S. § 18-12-105.5 — Colorado Bureau of Investigation (reproduction)
- SB24-131 enrolled/signed act — Colorado General Assembly
- HB24-1348 (secure firearm storage in a vehicle) enrolled/signed act — Colorado General Assembly
- 18 U.S.C. § 926A — Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. Code