Tanner Gun Show's Protocol For Three Day Waiting Period
Colorado Law 18-12-115. Waiting period for firearms sales – background check required – penalty – exceptions. (1) (a) IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON WHO SELLS A FIREARM, INCLUDING A LICENSED GUN DEALER AS DEFINED IN SECTION 18-12-506 (6), TO DELIVER THE FIREARM TO THE PURCHASER UNTIL THE LATER IN TIME OCCURS: (I) THREE DAYS AFTER A LICENSED GUN DEALER HAS INITIATED A BACKGROUND CHECK OF THE PURCHASER THAT IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO STATE OR FEDERAL LAW; OR (II) THE SELLER HAS OBTAINED APPROVAL FOR THE FIREARM TRANSFER FROM THE BUREAU AFTER IT HAS COMPLETED ANY BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED BY STATE OR FEDERAL LAW. (b) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SUBSECTION (1) COMMITS A CIVIL INFRACTION AND, UPON CONVICTION THEREOF, SHALL BE PUNISHED BY A FINE OF FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS; EXCEPT THAT FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE, THE FINE SHALL BE NOT LESS THAN FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS AND NOT MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. (2) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO: (a) THE SALE OF AN ANTIQUE FIREARM, AS DEFINED IN 18 U. S .0 . SEC. 921 (a)(16), AS AMENDED, OR A CURIO OR RELIC, AS DEFINED IN 27 CFR 478.11, AS AMENDED; (b) THE SALE OF A FIREARM BY A PERSON SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES WHO WILL BE DEPLOYED OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE NEXT THIRTY DAYS TO ANY FAMILY MEMBER, INCLUDING: (I) REGARDLESS OF AGE, A BIOLOGICAL, ADOPTED, OR FOSTER CHILD; A STEPCHILD OR LEGAL WARD; A CHILD OF A DOMESTIC PARTNER; A CHILD TO WHOM THE SELLER STANDS IN LOCO PARENTIS; OR A PERSON TO WHOM THE SELLER STOOD IN LOCO PARENTIS WHEN THE PERSON WAS A MINOR; (II) A BIOLOGICAL, ADOPTIVE, OR FOSTER PARENT; A STEPPARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF THE SELLER OR SELLER’S SPOUSE OR DOMESTIC PARTNER; OR A PERSON WHO STOOD IN LOCO PARENTIS WHEN THE SELLER OR SELLER’S SPOUSE OR DOMESTIC PARTNER WAS A MINOR CHILD; (III) A PERSON TO WHOM THE SELLER IS LEGALLY MARRIED UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE OR A DOMESTIC PARTNER OF A SELLER; (IV) A GRANDPARENT, GRANDCHILD, OR SIBLING, WHETHER A BIOLOGICAL, FOSTER, ADOPTIVE OR STEP RELATIONSHIP, OF THE SELLER OR SELLER’S SPOUSE OR DOMESTIC PARTNER; OR (V) As SHOWN BY THE SELLER, ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL WITH WHOM THE SELLER HAS A SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL BOND THAT IS OR IS LIKE A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, REGARDLESS OF BIOLOGICAL OR LEGAL RELATIONSHIP; OR (c) A FIREARM TRANSFER FOR WHICH A BACKGROUND CHECK IS NOT REQUIRED PURSUANT TO STATE OR FEDERAL LAW. (3) PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY GRANTED IN SECTION 29-11.7-103, A LOCAL GOVERNMENT MAY ENACT AN ORDINANCE, REGULATION, OR OTHER LAW CONCERNING A WAITING PERIOD.
Most Recent Changes
- Semiautomatic Firearm Permit (SB25-003): * Effective August 1, 2026: You cannot purchase or transfer a “Specified Semiautomatic Firearm” (SSF) without a Firearm Safety Course Eligibility Card.
- Definition of SSF: Semiautomatic rifles/shotguns with detachable magazines and gas-operated handguns.
- Requirements: Applicants must pass a 12-hour safety course, a live-fire exam, and a fingerprint background check through their local Sheriff.
- Enhanced Concealed Carry Training (HB24-1174):
- Effective July 1, 2025: Training for a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) must be at least 8 hours, held in-person, and include a written exam (80% score) and live-fire qualification (70% accuracy).
- Rapid-Fire Device Ban: The possession, sale, or manufacture of “rapid-fire” devices (e.g., bump stocks, trigger cranks, binary triggers) is a Class 5 Felony.
- Firearms Excise Tax (HB24-1349): Following voter approval, a 6.5% excise tax is applied to the sale of all firearms and ammunition, with revenue dedicated to crime victim services and mental health.
Purchase & Sale Laws
- Universal Background Checks: Every transfer (including private sales) must go through a licensed dealer (FFL).
- 3-Day Waiting Period: There is a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the purchase/background check and the physical delivery of a firearm.
- Age Limit (21+): You must be at least 21 years old to purchase any firearm (handgun or long gun) or ammunition.
- State Dealer Permits: As of 2025, gun dealers must hold a state-issued permit in addition to their federal license (FFL).
Equipment & Magazine Restrictions
- High-Capacity Magazine Ban: It is illegal to sell or possess magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.
- Note: Magazines owned before July 1, 2013, are grandfathered in if you have maintained continuous possession.
- “Ghost Gun” Ban: Prohibits the possession or sale of firearms without serial numbers, including “unfinished” frames or receivers.
- NFA Items: Machine guns and silencers are generally prohibited unless they are lawfully registered under the National Firearms Act (NFA) with a federal tax stamp.
Carry & Storage Laws
- Concealed Carry: Colorado is a “Shall Issue” state for residents. Non-resident permits are only honored if the issuing state has reciprocity with Colorado and the holder is a resident of that state.
- Open Carry: Legal in most of the state for those 18+, but local governments (like Denver, Boulder, and Aurora) have the authority to ban it.
- Secure Vehicle Storage (HB24-1348): Effective January 1, 2025, guns left in unattended vehicles must be in a locked, hard-sided container (safe/glovebox) and out of plain sight.
- Safe Home Storage: Firearms must be locked if the owner knows a juvenile or a prohibited person can gain access.
- Sensitive Places: Guns are prohibited in K-12 schools, government buildings with security, and (since 2025) near polling places or election sites.
Public Safety & Reporting
- Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO): The “Red Flag Law” allows a court to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others.
- Mandatory Theft Reporting: You must report a lost or stolen firearm to police within 5 days of realizing it is gone.
- Alcohol/Drugs: It is illegal to possess a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.
