Colorado State Law Summary

Last updated October 25, 2010

In the publication Gun Laws Matter: A Comparison of State Firearms Laws and Statistics, LCAV ranked each state based on a review of state laws in 25 firearm-related policy areas. Colorado ranked 27th out of 50 – having enacted a modest amount of gun violence prevention laws. Among other things, Colorado does not:

Require a background check prior to the transfer of a firearm between private parties, except at gun shows;

Prohibit the transfer or possession of assault weapons, 50 caliber rifles or large capacity ammunition magazines;

License or significantly regulate firearms dealers;

Limit the number of firearms that may be purchased at one time; or

Regulate unsafe handguns.

Local governments in Colorado, with the exception of Denver, generally lack authority to regulate firearms or ammunition, and Colorado requires that local law enforcement issue a concealed handgun permit to any applicant who meets certain basic qualifications.

Colorado ranks 28th in number of gun deaths per capita. In 2007, 505 people died from firearm-related injuries in Colorado. Colorado supplied the 32nd highest number of crime guns to other states per capita in 2009, and exports more crime guns than it imports.

For details about specific firearms laws in Colorado, choose a topic below.

Overview

State "Right to Bear Arms"

Statistics

Local Authority to Regulate Firearms

State Firearms Policies