Where you can't carry a gun in Colorado
Last verified against primary sources: · Updated
Even where carry is otherwise legal, Colorado and federal law prohibit firearms in a defined set of places — government buildings, courthouses, and the legislature; K-12 schools, colleges, and licensed child care centers; polling places and drop boxes; public buildings with permanent security screening; federal facilities and post offices; and any building or area a local government has posted off-limits. Most of these apply whether you carry openly or concealed, and most apply even with a concealed-handgun permit.
Quick reference: prohibited places at a glance
| Place | Authority | Applies to | Permit exception? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government buildings, local governing-body buildings, courthouses (and adjacent parking) | § 18-12-105.3 | Open & concealed | Concealed only, in the adjacent parking area |
| K-12 public school grounds | § 18-12-105.5; § 18-12-214(3) | Open & concealed | Limited (in vehicle; on-duty school security officer; certain school hunting land) |
| Colleges, universities, seminaries; licensed child care centers | § 18-12-105.5; § 18-12-214(3.5) | Open & concealed | Permit no longer exempts carry in the parking area of a college or child care center |
| Polling places, drop boxes, central count facilities (100-ft buffer) | § 1-13-724 | Open & concealed | Private-property & security-guard exceptions only |
| Public buildings with permanent security screening at every entrance | § 18-12-214(4) | Concealed (permit scope) | No |
| Any building or area a local government posts off-limits | §§ 18-12-214(1)(c), 29-11.7-104 | Open & concealed (per signage) | Civil penalty; must leave when asked |
| Federal facilities; federal courthouses; post offices | 18 U.S.C. § 930; 39 C.F.R. § 232.1(l) | Open & concealed | No |
| Anywhere, while under the influence | § 18-12-106(1)(d) | Open & concealed | Permit is no defense |
This is a reference, not legal advice, and it does not list every private property that has posted a "no firearms" sign. For a live situation, consult a Colorado attorney.
Government buildings, courthouses, and the legislature (§ 18-12-105.3)
SB24-131 (2024) created a new offense for carrying a firearm in core government buildings. It applies whether the firearm is loaded or not and whether carried openly or concealed:
A person shall not knowingly carry a firearm, whether loaded or not loaded, in any of the following locations, including their adjacent parking areas: (a) On the property of or within any building in which: (I) the chambers, galleries, or offices of the general assembly, or either house thereof, are located; (II) a legislative hearing or meeting of the general assembly is being conducted; or (III) the official office of any member, officer, or employee of the general assembly is located; (b) unless permitted by a local government, as described in subsection (4)(b) of this section, on the property or within any building in which: (I) the chambers or galleries of a local government’s governing body are located; (II) a meeting of a local government’s governing body is being conducted; or (III) the official office of any elected member of a local government’s governing body or of the chief executive officer of a local government is located; or (c) a courthouse or any other building or portion of a building used for court proceedings.
Exceptions. The section does not apply to a peace officer; a member of the U.S. armed forces or Colorado National Guard on official duty; security personnel employed by the entity that controls the place; and law-enforcement, defense-counsel, and court personnel carrying in the performance of their official duties. Separately, a person with a valid concealed-handgun permit may carry a concealed handgun in the adjacent parking area of a listed location — a carve-out limited to concealed carry in parking areas.
A person commits unlawful carrying of a firearm in a government building if the person violates subsection (1) of this section. Unlawful carrying of a firearm in a government building is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Schools, colleges, and licensed child care centers (§ 18-12-105.5)
SB24-131 added a firearm-specific ban covering schools, colleges, and — new in 2024 — licensed child care centers, expressly reaching open and concealed carry alike:
A person shall not knowingly carry a firearm, either openly or concealed, in or on the real estate and all improvements erected thereon of any licensed child care center; public or private elementary, middle, junior high, high, or vocational school; or any public or private college, university, or seminary; except for the purpose of presenting an authorized public demonstration or exhibition pursuant to instruction in conjunction with an organized school or class, for the purpose of carrying out the necessary duties and functions of an employee of an educational institution that require the use of a firearm, or for the purpose of participation in an authorized extracurricular activity or on an athletic team.
A violation is a class 1 misdemeanor. Notably, SB24-131 downgraded this offense from a class 5 felony to a class 1 misdemeanor at the same time it broadened the prohibited-locations list to include open carry and child care centers.
How SB24-131 narrowed the campus concealed-carry exemption
Before 2024, any valid permit holder was broadly exempt from the school-grounds weapons offense. SB24-131 narrowed that. The permit statute now spells out where a permit does not authorize concealed carry:
A permit issued pursuant to this part 2 does not authorize a person to carry a concealed handgun: (a) Onto the real property, or into any improvements erected thereon, of a licensed child care center, as defined in section 18-12-105.5, or a public or private college, university, or seminary in violation of section 18-12-105.5; (b) In a government building in violation of section 18-12-105.3; or (c) At a polling location, drop box, or central count facility, in violation of section 1-13-724.
The practical change on college campuses: a permit still generally allows concealed carry on college and university grounds, but a permit holder can now be prosecuted for carrying in the parking area of a college, university, seminary, or licensed child care center — a restriction that did not exist before July 1, 2024.
K-12 public schools — the vehicle and security-officer exceptions
A permit issued pursuant to this part 2 does not authorize a person to carry a concealed handgun onto the real property, or into any improvements erected thereon, of a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school; except that: (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; (b) A permittee who is employed or retained by contract by a school district or charter school as a school security officer may carry a concealed handgun ... while the permittee is on duty; (c) A permittee may carry a concealed handgun on undeveloped real property owned by a school district that is used for hunting or other shooting sports.
Polling places, drop boxes, and central count facilities (§ 1-13-724)
Colorado's Vote Without Fear Act (HB22-1086, 2022) first banned open carry near voting sites. SB24-131 (2024) removed the word "openly," so the ban now covers open and concealed carry alike:
It is unlawful for any person to carry a firearm, as defined in section 18-1-901 (3)(h), within any polling location, or within one hundred feet of a drop box or any building in which a polling location is located, as publicly posted by the designated election official, on the day of any election or during the time when voting is permitted for any election.
The 100-foot buffer, the required signage, and the misdemeanor penalty carry forward from the 2022 law. Exceptions cover a person carrying on their own private property inside the buffer (or traveling directly between it and a point outside the buffer), a uniformed contract security guard, and certain security personnel. The penalty is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or up to 364 days in county jail, or both; for a first offense the fine may not exceed $250 and the jail term may not exceed 120 days.
Screened public buildings (§ 18-12-214(4))
A concealed-handgun permit does not reach a public building that runs universal weapons screening at every entrance:
A permit issued pursuant to this part 2 does not authorize a person to carry a concealed handgun into a public building at which: (a) Security personnel and electronic weapons screening devices are permanently in place at each entrance to the building; (b) Security personnel electronically screen each person who enters the building to determine whether the person is carrying a weapon of any kind; and (c) Security personnel require each person who is carrying a weapon of any kind to leave the weapon in possession of security personnel while the person is in the building.
Local signage bans (§§ 18-12-214, 29-11.7-104)
Since SB21-256 (2021), local governments may post buildings and areas off-limits. For a permit holder, a local concealed-carry ban is civil, not criminal — but refusing to leave when asked can escalate:
A local government, including a special district, or the governing board of an institution of higher education, including the board of directors of the Auraria Higher Education Center, may enact an ordinance, resolution, rule, or other regulation that prohibits a permittee from carrying a concealed handgun in a building or specific area within the local government’s or governing board’s jurisdiction ... An ordinance, resolution, or other regulation prohibiting a permittee from carrying a concealed handgun may only impose a civil penalty for a violation and require the person to leave the premises. For a first offense, the ordinance, resolution, or other regulation may not impose a fine that exceeds fifty dollars and may not impose a sentence of incarceration. A person who does not leave the premises when required may be subject to criminal penalties.
Open-carry signage bans operate under the parallel authority of § 29-11.7-104. Denver uses this framework to prohibit open carry citywide.
Federal facilities and post offices
Except as provided in subsection (d), whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a Federal facility (other than a Federal court facility), or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.
A "Federal facility" is a building or part of one owned or leased by the federal government where federal employees regularly perform their duties. Federal courthouses are carved out of subsection (a) because they are separately and more strictly regulated under § 930(e). U.S. post offices have their own flat ban:
Weapons and explosives. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, rule or regulation, no person while on postal property may carry firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, or explosives, either openly or concealed, or store the same on postal property, except for official purposes.
Carrying while under the influence (§ 18-12-106(1)(d))
Independent of any location, Colorado law makes it an offense to have a firearm in your possession while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a controlled substance (C.R.S. § 18-12-106(1)(d)). A concealed-handgun permit is no defense to that charge. This applies everywhere — including in a bar or restaurant. (Our sources disagree on the exact misdemeanor classification for this specific subsection, so we do not state a penalty class here.)
See whether you can carry a gun in a bar for how the under-the-influence rule interacts with sober carry in licensed establishments.
Private property
Beyond these public prohibitions, any private property owner, tenant, employer, or business may exclude firearms from their premises. The permit statute expressly preserves that right:
Nothing in this part 2 shall be construed to limit, restrict, or prohibit in any manner the existing rights of a private property owner, private tenant, private employer, or private business entity.
Common questions
Can you carry a gun in a government building in Colorado?
No. Carrying a firearm — openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded — is prohibited in buildings housing the general assembly, a local governing body, or court proceedings, including adjacent parking areas (C.R.S. § 18-12-105.3). It is a class 1 misdemeanor. A concealed-permit holder may keep a concealed handgun in the adjacent parking area only.
Can you carry a concealed gun on a college campus in Colorado?
A concealed-handgun permit still generally allows concealed carry on college and university grounds, but SB24-131 (2024) removed the blanket campus exemption. A permit holder can now be prosecuted for carrying in the parking area of a college, university, seminary, or licensed child care center, and open carry on campus is prohibited outright (C.R.S. §§ 18-12-105.5, 18-12-214(3.5)).
Can you bring a gun to a K-12 school in Colorado if you have a permit?
Not onto school grounds generally. A permit does not authorize concealed carry on public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school property, with narrow exceptions: the handgun stays in your vehicle (stored per § 18-12-114.5 if left unattended), an on-duty contracted school security officer, or undeveloped school-district land used for hunting or shooting sports (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(3)).
Can you carry a gun in a bar in Colorado?
No statute bans carrying in a bar or restaurant while sober, but it is a separate offense to possess a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance (C.R.S. § 18-12-106(1)(d)), and a permit is no defense. Private businesses may also post "no firearms" signs and exclude carriers. See our dedicated page on carrying in a bar.
Can you carry a gun at a polling place in Colorado?
No. It is unlawful to carry a firearm — open or concealed — within a polling location or within 100 feet of a drop box, a building housing a polling location, or a central count facility during voting (C.R.S. § 1-13-724). The 2024 amendment extended the original open-carry ban to concealed carry as well.
Can a Colorado permit holder carry in a courthouse or federal building?
No. Courthouses and court-proceeding buildings are prohibited under C.R.S. § 18-12-105.3, and a Colorado permit does not authorize carry where federal law bars firearms — federal facilities (18 U.S.C. § 930), federal courthouses (§ 930(e)), and post offices (39 C.F.R. § 232.1(l)).
Primary sources for this page
- SB24-131 enrolled act (PDF) — Colorado General Assembly
- SB21-256 enrolled act (PDF) — Colorado General Assembly
- C.R.S. § 18-12-214 (2025 current text) — Justia
- C.R.S. § 18-12-106 — Public.Law (Colorado Revised Statutes)
- 18 U.S.C. § 930 — Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute
- 39 C.F.R. § 232.1 — Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute