Colorado Passed One of the Country’s Most Expansive Gun Laws: Here’s What to Know

• Colorado’s SB25-003—now codified in C.R.S. 18-12-116—took effect August 1, 2026. It allows for semiautomatic firearm purchases after completing the state’s eligibility card and safety-course process. 

• The law covers “specified semiautomatic firearms.” Recoil-operated pistols, revolvers, manual-action guns, and most .22 rimfire firearms are exempt.

• Firearms you already own are unaffected. SB25-003 creates no registration, surrender, or possession requirement. 

• Buying a covered firearm now requires a firearms safety course eligibility card from your county sheriff, a background check, a safety course, a passing exam score of at least 90 percent, and fees.

• A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor, and a second offense is a class 6 felony. The law faces an active federal challenge.

States across the country have enacted assault weapons bans, which have been used to carry out some of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. Colorado’s efforts to pass a similar law failed, that is, until lawmakers introduced a new concept in Senate Bill 25-003. The SB-3 Colorado gun bill bans specific firearm parts rather than the entire gun. 

C.R.S. 18-12-116 generally limits the sale of these specified semiautomatic firearms:

• semiautomatic rifles and shotguns that accept detachable magazines, and

• semiautomatic handguns that accept detachable magazines and use recycled gas to eject spent cartridges and “prepare the firing mechanism to fire again.”  

No. SB-3 bans the sale of “rapid-fire trigger devices” that can be added to a semiautomatic firearm to maximize its firing rate. Examples include binary triggers and bump stocks, the latter of which were subject to a federal ban after the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas that the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned. 

The new law doesn’t apply to recoil-operated handguns, manual-action firearms (bolt, lever, pump, or slide action), revolvers, or shotguns. 

If you lawfully acquired any of the covered semiautomatics before August 1, 2026, the law does not apply to you—you may continue to legally possess your gun. 

Certain professionals and organizations, such as accredited gunsmithing instructors and educational institutions, are exempt from SB-3, including: 

• Law enforcement

• Military personnel

• Prison guards

• Firearms instructors

• Armored vehicle businesses

The bill also exempts Colorado gun companies that manufacture banned weapons for these purchasers.

The permitting exception, which likely played a critical part in the bill’s passage, offers a pathway for individuals who want to purchase a prohibited semiautomatic firearm. 

To qualify for this exception, prospective buyers must complete a vetting process. The Colorado Parks & Wildlife outlines the specified semiautomatic firearms process in the following steps on its website :

• Fill out an application

• Submit a background check to the appropriate county sheriff’s office

• Pay a fee of $52 or more, depending on the county

• Receive an eligibility card if you’re approved

• Enroll in a basic or extended safety course provided by an FSP Verified Firearms Instructor

• Score 90 percent or better on a written and hands-on practical exam 

County sheriff’s departments, which review applications, can deny them if they cannot positively identify the applicant or suspect they’re a threat to themselves or others. C.R.S. 18-12-116(5)(b)(VI)(C)

Individuals denied a safety course card have the right to appeal. If the court finds the safety card was improperly denied, the court can award the prevailing party their attorney’s fees. 

There are two pathways to complete the required safety course. If an applicant previously completed a hunter education course certified by the Division of Parks and Wildlife, the statute only requires four hours of basic gun safety training. Those who haven’t completed a hunting education course must complete an extended 12-hour gun training course. Training will vary by provider since the statute does not require a uniform curriculum, but it should include topics such as: 

• Handling of semiautomatic firearms and magazines

• Firearm storage and child safety

• Mental illness and firearm deaths

• Extreme risk protection orders

• Victim awareness and empathy 

Participants must complete the training in person over two days and score 90 percent or higher on the course exam to purchase a firearm. 

You could go to prison, face fines, and have a criminal record. C.R.S. 18-12-116 makes the unlawful manufacture, distribution, transfer, selling, or purchasing of a restricted semiautomatic firearm a class 2 misdemeanor. 

In Colorado, a class 2 misdemeanor is punishable by either or both of the following:

• three months to 364 days in prison;

• a $250 to $1,000 fine

Attempting to get around the law again becomes a class 6 felony under state law, punishable by either or both: 

• a 12- to 18-month prison sentence, followed by one year of mandatory parole;

• a fine ranging from $1,000 to $30,000 C.R.S. 24-18-206; C.R.S. 18-1.3-401

Additionally, because a “rapid-fire device” under Colorado law is considered a “dangerous weapon”, knowingly possessing one is a class 5 felony. C.R.S. 18-12-102

A class 5 felony in Colorado is punishable by either or both: 

• a three to six-year prison sentence; 

• a $100,000 fine; 

• a two-year mandatory parole period C.R.S. 18-1.3-401

The state can revoke individuals’ permits when they violate any part of the law. 

Individuals who knowingly make a false or misleading statement on the training card application or deliberately omit requested materials from the application commit second-degree perjury. C.R.S. 18-8-503

Your permit can be revoked if you are convicted of: 

• Selling or giving a firearm to an unauthorized person

• Selling or giving a firearm component or accessory to another person C.R.S. 18-12-401.5

A wrinkle emerged during the implementation of the new gun law. C.R.S. 24-35-122 directs the Department of Revenue’s Firearms Dealer Division to publish guidance identifying the specific models the law covers. The Division’s initial draft, circulated in May 2026, drew criticism from gun owners who argued it included firearms they believed the statute exempted. Lawsuits now cite the Firearms Dealer Division’s guidance as evidence that the state is interpreting the law more broadly than the legislature intended.

The Division published a final version on July 1, 2026, listing hundreds of makes and models across three categories: 

• Semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines

• Semiautomatic shotguns with detachable magazines

• Gas-operated semiautomatic handguns with detachable magazines

Notably, the guidance also states that frames, receivers, and weapons parts kits for these firearms fall within the definition of specified semiautomatic firearms, and that any AR-pattern rifle configured to meet the statutory criteria is covered. The Division cautions that the list is not exhaustive, will be updated annually, and does not constitute final agency action. In other words, dealers and buyers are responsible for confirming a specific firearm’s status, and can request a formal Statement of Position on a particular model. 

Gun rights organizations strongly oppose this law, and the litigation they promised has materialized. The primary challenge is the federal suit Del Toro v. Polis, brought by the Mountain States Legal Foundation on behalf of Israel Del Toro, the Colorado State Shooting Association, and others. 

The federal lawsuit argues that restricting the sale of most semiautomatic firearms violates the Second Amendment under New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen (2022). Under that framework, public-safety benefits alone aren’t enough to sustain a gun law. The government must ground the restriction in a historical tradition of comparable regulation. At the time of publication, no court has enjoined SB-3, Section 2 took effect on schedule, and the case remains pending. 

The broader federal landscape has also shifted. In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice filed separate lawsuits challenging Colorado’s 15-round magazine restriction and Denver’s AR-style rifle ban. While not directly tied to SB-3, these legal moves indicate that federal authorities are willing to challenge Colorado firearms restrictions. 

If you purchased one of the prohibited semiautomatic firearms before the law took effect on August 1, 2026, know where important documents are located, including your firearm purchase records and/or concealed handgun permits. 

Now that the law is in effect, prospective gun owners applying for a safety course eligibility card need to remember their legal rights in cases where a local sheriff’s office unjustly rejects an applicant. 

If you have taken any firearm safety courses in the past, I recommend finding out whether your certifications are still valid. The Colorado Division of Parks & Wildlife should be equipped to answer these questions. 

As a criminal defense lawyer who has worked with many people facing gun charges, I advise anyone affected by this law to be aware of the compliance steps. You may even consider monitoring pending litigation I mentioned earlier—most notably Del Toro v. Polis—which could still change how or whether parts of Colorado’s new gun law are enforced.

If C.R.S. 18-12-116 raises concerns about your rights, we encourage you to get in touch with Robinson & Henry’s Criminal Defense Team. We can apply the new law to your situation and help you address any challenges that arise. Call 303-688-0944 or book your consultation online.