Martin Luther King Jr. Day Office Closure
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices, including park visitor centers, will be closed for the state holiday, Monday, Jan. 19.
Specified Semiautomatic Firearms
Starting August 1, 2026, you must complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or transferring a Specified Semiautomatic Firearm (SSF). An SSF is defined as a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun with a detachable magazine OR a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine. Per statute, the Department of Revenue (DOR) will provide a list of SSFs and will continually update this list as new firearms are developed by manufacturers.
This law only affects those who will purchase and transfer of SSFs after August 1, 2026. Those who are in possession of an SSF prior to August 1, 2026 are not affected by this new legislation.
Specified Semiautomatic Firearms
Starting August 1, 2026, you must complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or transferring a Specified Semiautomatic Firearm (SSF). An SSF is defined as a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun with a detachable magazine OR a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine. Per statute, the Department of Revenue (DOR) will provide a list of SSFs and will continually update this list as new firearms are developed by manufacturers.
This law only affects those who will purchase and transfer of SSFs after August 1, 2026. Those who are in possession of an SSF prior to August 1, 2026 are not affected by this new legislation.
Exceptions
Specified Semiautomatic Firearms do not include:
- Most semiautomatic hunting shotguns are exempted with these provisions.
- Rimfire .22 caliber or lower firearms, unless the firearm has a separate upper and lower receiver.
- A firearm that is manually operated by a bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.
- A semiautomatic firearm with a permanently affixed magazine that is limited to 15 rounds of ammunition or fewer.
- A single- or double-action semiautomatic handgun that uses recoil to cycle the action of the handgun.
- A firearm that has been made permanently inoperable
- An antique firearm or curio or relic; Certain models of firearms, as they exist and are configured on August 1, 2026 as described in CRS 18-12-116(1)(d)(II)(e)
Upcoming Public and Stakeholder Meetings
Feb
9
Virtual Firearms Dealer Stakeholder Meeting
Monday, Feb 9
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
9
Virtual Firearms Dealer Stakeholder Meeting
Monday, Feb 9
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
9
Virtual Firearms Instructor Stakeholder Meeting
Monday, Feb 9
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
9
Virtual Firearms Instructor Stakeholder Meeting
Monday, Feb 9
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
19
Denver Firearms Dealers Stakeholder Meeting
Thursday, Feb 19
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
19
Denver Firearms Dealers Stakeholder Meeting
Thursday, Feb 19
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
9
Virtual Firearms Dealer Stakeholder Meeting
Monday, Feb 9
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
9
Virtual Firearms Dealer Stakeholder Meeting
Monday, Feb 9
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
9
Virtual Firearms Instructor Stakeholder Meeting
Monday, Feb 9
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
9
Virtual Firearms Instructor Stakeholder Meeting
Monday, Feb 9
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
19
Denver Firearms Dealers Stakeholder Meeting
Thursday, Feb 19
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
Feb
19
Denver Firearms Dealers Stakeholder Meeting
Thursday, Feb 19
Signed into law on April 10, 2025, SB25-003 requires individuals to complete a firearms safety course before purchasing or...
How to Purchase a Specified Semiautomatic Firearm
Eligible Applicants
Applicants who are eligible to apply for an Specified Semiautomatic Firearm:
- Do not have a state or federal conviction that would prohibit them from purchasing or possessing a firearm
- Will not violate relevant state law related to the purchase, possession, storage and lawful use of firearms
- Will only transfer a firearm pursuant to C.R.S. 18-12-112 and 18-12-116, and will not allow another person who the applicant believes would be a danger to themself or others access to a firearm in the applicant’s possession
Submit an Application
You must submit an online application. In addition to the online application submitted, you must physically present at the Sheriff's Office a government issued photographic identification of the applicant and the results of a completed name-based background check of national and Colorado public criminal history and judicial databases completed by a third party vendor with an attestation from the vendor that the background check was performed by the vendor. If the application is approved, the county Sheriff will enter your eligibility card information to your application ID, into the Firearms Safety System database.
Apply Online
The online application will not be available until July. All applications will need to be filled out online, assistance can be obtained at any CPW Office or your local Sheriff's Office. Internet access will be required to access the application link, submit the information and obtain an application ID number.
Application Fees
Applicants will have to pay a fee to process the application. The sheriff collects a Firearms Eligibility Record Fee and, if the application is approved, issues a Firearms Eligibility Card to the applicant. The Parks and Wildlife Commission will set the fee during the March commission meeting. The commission may adjust the fee, but not more than once per year. This fee is separate from any fee assessed by the sheriff for their administrative purposes and any fee charged by a private firearms instructor for the purpose of conducting firearms training classes for applicants. You will be charged these application fees whether or not your application is approved.
Complete the Firearms Safety Course
Once the application is approved, you will contact a verified (by the Sheriff) Firearms Safety Instructor to sign up for the appropriate class. The instructor will have access to CPW’s database to determine whether you are eligible for the Basic Firearms Safety Course or if you must take the Extended Firearms Safety Course.
Courses will instruct students on safe handling of Specified Semiautomatic Firearms and ammunition magazines, child safety and safe storage of firearms, firearm deaths associated with mental illness, extreme risk protection orders, and victim awareness and empathy.
Course Requirements
Already Completed a Course?
Applicants who have taken a hunter education course do not have to take the extended safety course.
Hunter Education Course Completion
Completion of a hunter education course certified by CPW will not qualify you for purchasing a SSF. In addition to your hunter education course, you will need to complete a basic firearm safety course with a minimum of four hours of instruction. You must have your hunter education credentials verified in CPW's records system. All out-of-state courses must be CPW-certified; if you took a course outside of Colorado, you must bring your hunter education card or record to a CPW office to verify your credentials.
Firearms Safety Course Completion
Completion of a non-CPW firearms safety course will not qualify you for purchasing an SSF. You will need to enroll in the Extended Firearms Safety Course. All background checks and courses taken for a concealed carry weapon (CCW) are not reciprocal for the Firearms Safety Program.
Extended Firearms Safety Course
If you have never taken a hunter education course or firearms safety course, you must enroll in an extended firearms safety course. The course provides a minimum of 12 hours of instruction, which must be provided on at least 2 different days.
Course Completion
Students must pass the course with a minimum score of 90% on their final exam. When the course is completed, the Instructor will input students' scores in the CPW Firearms Safety database within 3 days.
Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer
After completion of a firearms safety course, you will begin the Specified Semiautomatic Firearm purchase or transfer process with a Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) Dealer. The FFL will query CPW’s Firearm Safety System to attest that you have passed the firearm safety course, and then conduct a CBI Instacheck; you must pay an additional fee to the FFL to complete the Instacheck process. The FFL will complete the purchase or transfer process according to applicable state and federal law (three-day waiting periods, etc). You will then receive your SSF.