Colorado's new gun law: what changed on August 1, 2026
Last verified against primary sources: · Updated
Since August 1, 2026, it has been illegal to manufacture, distribute, transfer, sell, or purchase a "specified semiautomatic firearm" in Colorado — most semiautomatic rifles and shotguns with detachable magazines, and gas-operated semiautomatic handguns with detachable magazines — unless the buyer has completed a state-verified firearms safety course (C.R.S. § 18-12-116, enacted by SB25-003).
Two things the law does not do: it does not ban possessing firearms you already own, and it creates no registration or surrender requirement. Most traditional handguns (recoil-operated pistols and revolvers) and all manual-action rifles and shotguns are unaffected.
Buying a covered rifle, shotgun, or gas-operated pistol now? You need a sheriff-issued eligibility card and an in-person safety course, and the state's application system opened July 20, 2026, but CPW says some sheriffs are not accepting applications at all, so check with yours first. Both steps take time, so the card is the part to start now — here is the step-by-step on the eligibility card and safety course.
What the law prohibits
SB25-003, signed April 10, 2025, added a new section to the Colorado criminal code, C.R.S. § 18-12-116. Its core prohibition carries an explicit start date:
On or after August 1, 2026, it is unlawful for any person to knowingly manufacture, distribute, transfer, sell, or purchase a specified semiautomatic firearm; except that a person may sell or transfer a specified semiautomatic firearm to an individual residing in another state or a federally licensed firearm dealer.
Note the verbs: manufacture, distribute, transfer, sell, purchase. Possession is not on the list. If you lawfully own a covered firearm before August 1, 2026, continuing to own it remains legal, with no registration required.
Which guns are covered
"Specified semiautomatic firearm" means any of the following, except as provided in subsection (1)(d)(II) of this section: (A) a semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun with a detachable magazine; or (B) a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine.
In practice that covers AR-15-pattern and AK-pattern rifles, most modern semiauto shotguns with box magazines, and gas-operated pistols (including AR-style pistols; the statute's "gas-operated" definition also expressly lists blowback-operated systems for handguns). Semiautomatic rifles and shotguns are covered regardless of operating system — for long guns the only question is whether the magazine is detachable. For the full covered-and-exempt breakdown, see which guns count as specified semiautomatic firearms.
What is exempt
The statute (§ 18-12-116(1)(d)(II)) excludes:
- .22-caliber and smaller rimfire semiautos — unless the firearm has a separate upper and lower receiver (so a Ruger 10/22 is exempt, but an AR-pattern .22 clone is covered);
- Manual actions: anything operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide;
- Fixed-magazine firearms holding 15 rounds or fewer (including conversions);
- Recoil-operated semiauto handguns (single or double action) — this is why ordinary pistols like most Glocks, SIGs, and 1911s, which cycle by recoil, are not covered;
- A named list of 35 historic and vintage rifle models as configured on the effective date — including the Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle, Mini Thirty, M1 Carbine, Browning BAR variants, several Remington models (4, 8, 740, 742, 750, 7400), Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue, and HK SL6/SL7;
- Permanently inoperable firearms, antiques (18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(16)), and curios or relics (27 C.F.R. § 478.11).
How you can still buy one: the eligibility-card pathway
The ban has a built-in exception (§ 18-12-116(3)(e)): a dealer may sell a specified semiautomatic firearm to a buyer who has completed the state's new safety-course sequence. The steps:
- Get a firearms safety course eligibility card from your county sheriff (application, government photo ID, a name-based background check, and a fee — a $52 state course-record fee set by Colorado Parks & Wildlife plus a county-set sheriff processing fee; where counties publish a fee, totals run $52 to $200 — see what the card costs by county). Sheriffs "shall issue" to qualified applicants; denials are limited to people who cannot lawfully possess a firearm, identity failures, or a documented-behavior "danger to self or others" finding, and every denial is appealable to court with the sheriff bearing the burden of proof. The card is valid five years. The state application system went live July 20, 2026, but CPW warns that some sheriffs are not accepting applications at all, and sheriffs differ on residency: some state no requirement, some charge applicants from outside the county more, and some accept only county residents. Check with your sheriff before you apply.
- Take the in-person course. If you hold a CPW-certified hunter education certificate: a basic course of at least 4 hours within 5 years before purchase. Otherwise: an extended course of at least 12 hours over at least two days. No part may be taken online, the instructor must be sheriff-verified, and the final exam requires a 90% score plus a hands-on safe-handling demonstration. Full detail: Colorado's firearms safety course and eligibility card.
- Buy the firearm — the normal rules still apply on top (background check, Colorado's 3-day waiting period, age 21, and the 15-round magazine limit).
Other exceptions
The prohibition does not apply to (§ 18-12-116(3)): law-enforcement agencies and certified peace officers; armed-services and National Guard members in official duties; transfers to licensed dealers for storage or disposal; gunsmiths for repair; accredited higher-education programs; blank-firing film props; and — importantly for families — inheritance: transfers "by operation of law or because of the death of a person" through an executor, administrator, or will-created trust. You can also sell a covered firearm to an out-of-state resident or any federally licensed dealer.
Penalties
Unlawful manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase of a specified semiautomatic firearm is a class 2 misdemeanor; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 6 felony.
Collateral consequences are wired into other statutes: a violating dealer loses its state dealer permit (§ 18-12-401.5(8)(a)(IV)(F)), a misdemeanor conviction blocks firearm purchases through CBI for five years (§ 24-33.5-424(3)(b.3)(XIII)), and a felony conviction is a permanent firearm-possession bar (§ 18-12-108(7)(jjj)).
Rapid-fire devices: a separate, immediate change
The same act reclassified "rapid-fire devices" — any part or kit that increases a semiauto's rate of fire, such as bump stocks or binary triggers — as dangerous weapons under C.R.S. § 18-12-102(1). Unlike the semiauto rules, that makes simple possession a crime, and it has been in effect since the April 10, 2025 signing. The act also raised the large-capacity magazine penalty from a class 2 to a class 1 misdemeanor.
Court challenge, status as of September 11, 2026: SB25-003's eligibility-card scheme is being challenged in federal court (Del Toro v. Polis, D. Colo., No. 1:25-cv-02725, filed Sept. 2, 2025, Second Amendment claims). The plaintiffs asked for a preliminary injunction on August 11, 2026; the state filed its opposition on September 1, and as of the docket's September 8 update the court had not ruled. No injunction blocks any part of the law, and the August 1, 2026 rules are in force. Court status here is read from the case docket as republished by CourtListener's RECAP archive, not from PACER directly, and can change quickly — we will update this page and email subscribers if it does.
Timeline: Colorado gun-law dates to know, 2025–2026
| Date | What happened / happens |
|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2025 | SB25-003 signed; act effective (safety clause) — rapid-fire-device reclassification and card/course infrastructure begin |
| Jul 1, 2026 | HB26-1144: manufacturing firearms, frames/receivers, large-capacity magazines, or rapid-fire devices by 3-D printing prohibited (bill page) |
| Jul 20, 2026 | State Firearms Safety System application portal opened (per CPW); CPW notes some sheriffs are not accepting applications |
| Aug 1, 2026 | § 18-12-116(2) purchase/sale/transfer/manufacture prohibition begins |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Plaintiffs in Del Toro v. Polis ask the federal court for a preliminary injunction against the card-and-course scheme; not ruled on as of the docket's Sept. 8, 2026 update |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Default effective date for several other 2026 acts, incl. HB26-1265 (law-enforcement eTrace participation) and HB26-1302 (CBI InstaCheck operating hours) |
Common questions
Is Colorado banning AR-15s?
Not exactly. From August 1, 2026, AR-15-pattern rifles cannot be manufactured, sold, transferred, or purchased in Colorado except to buyers who complete the state's new eligibility-card and safety-course process (C.R.S. § 18-12-116). Owning an AR-15 you already have stays legal, with no registration.
Do I have to give up or register guns I already own?
No. The prohibition covers manufacturing, distributing, transferring, selling, and purchasing — not possession. There is no surrender or registration requirement in the act.
Can I still buy a regular handgun after August 1, 2026?
Yes. Recoil-operated semiautomatic handguns — which is most common pistols — and revolvers are expressly outside the "specified semiautomatic firearm" definition. The new course requirement applies to gas-operated handguns with detachable magazines (e.g., AR-style pistols).
Did purchases before August 1, 2026 need the card?
No. The § 18-12-116(2) prohibition applies "on or after August 1, 2026." Purchases completed before that date followed only the existing rules: background check, 3-day waiting period, age 21, and the 15-round magazine limit. Those rules still apply now, on top of the card and course.
Has the law been blocked in court?
No, as of our September 11, 2026 check. The plaintiffs in a federal challenge (Del Toro v. Polis, D. Colo.) asked for a preliminary injunction on August 11, 2026, but the court had not ruled as of the docket's September 8 update, and the August 1, 2026 rules are in force. This can change — check the litigation callout above for our latest verification date.
How much does the eligibility card and course cost?
The state course-record fee is $52 (set by the Parks & Wildlife Commission), plus a sheriff processing fee that varies by county. Where counties publish a fee, the card totals $52 to $200; as of September 11, 2026, only 7 of Colorado's 64 counties had posted one. Course tuition from the sheriff-verified instructor for the 4-hour basic or 12-hour extended course is on top of that. See what the card costs, county by county.