Last week, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a bill into law that tightly restricts the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms. The law generally applies to semiautomatic rifles or shotguns with detachable magazines, as well as gas-operated semiautomatic handguns with detachable magazines. It prohibits most sales or transfers of these weapons unless the purchaser or recipient meets certain requirements.
The new law allows these transactions if the person buying or receiving the gun has completed an extended firearms safety course within the last five years. They also can get the firearm if they have completed a basic firearms safety course within the last five years and previously completed an extended firearms safety course or a hunter education course. Certain types of sales or transfers don’t need to meet these requirements, such as some transactions involving law enforcement agencies, educational programs, and armored vehicle businesses. (Selling a semiautomatic firearm to someone living in another state or a federally licensed firearm dealer also will remain legal.)
A Colorado resident can’t enroll in a firearms safety course (basic or extended) unless they get an eligibility card from a sheriff. An applicant for the eligibility card must submit the results of a criminal history background check, among other requirements. The sheriff has the discretion to deny an application if they reasonably believe that the applicant’s previous behavior makes it likely that they’ll pose a danger if they have an eligibility card.
These rules will take effect on August 1, 2026. A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor, which carries up to 120 days in jail and a fine of up to $750. A repeat offense is a class 6 felony, which could result in 12-18 months of imprisonment and a fine between $1,000 and $100,000.
The new law also classifies certain “rapid-fire devices” as dangerous weapons, which are generally prohibited under a separate law. These include devices, components, or tools that increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm above the standard rate of fire for that gun.
Like any major restriction on access to firearms, the law could face challenges in court. Gun rights groups may argue that it violates the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. How these challenges proceed could affect whether legislatures in other states pursue similar gun control measures.
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