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Colorado Concealed Carry Permit

Colorado requires a Permit to Carry a Concealed Handgun (Concealed Handgun Permit) to carry. It is shall-issue, the minimum age is 21, and 8 hours of training is required.

Requirements at a glance

Permit name Permit to Carry a Concealed Handgun (Concealed Handgun Permit)
Issuing authority County sheriff (or city-and-county sheriff) of the applicant's county of residence; the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) runs the fingerprint and name-based background checks on the sheriff's behalf
System shall-issue
Minimum age 21 — C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(b) requires the applicant to be twenty-one years of age or older for a standard 5-year CHP. Separately, C.R.S. 18-12-209 authorizes sheriffs to issue temporary emergency permits, and the statute text (read in the official Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, Title 18) expressly permits a younger applicant: under 18-12-209(2)(a) the sheriff may issue a temporary emergency permit if the sheriff determines the person may be in immediate danger and the criminal history check shows the applicant meets the 18-12-203 criteria, 'except that the applicant need not demonstrate competence with a handgun and the applicant may be eighteen years of age or older.' A temporary emergency permit is valid for 90 days; the sheriff may renew it once for a further 90 days, 'except that, if the permittee is younger than twenty-one years of age, the sheriff may renew the temporary emergency permit for subsequent ninety-day periods until the permittee reaches twenty-one years of age' (18-12-209(2)(b)(I)). So the El Paso County Sheriff's statement that persons 18-21 may be eligible for an emergency permit is statutorily correct. 18-12-209 was last amended in 2014 (HB 14-1166).
Training required Yes — 8 hours, live fire required
State fee $152.50 initial / $63 renewal — the state's own charge, not the total
Valid for 5 years
Processing time Up to 90 days. C.R.S. 18-12-206(1) requires the sheriff to approve and issue, or deny, within ninety days after receipt of the items specified in 18-12-205; under 18-12-206(2), if the CBI/FBI fingerprint results have not come back within that period the sheriff must decide without them.
Fingerprints Required
Non-resident permit Not available

What it actually costs

The state fee is rarely the whole bill. Fingerprinting is usually charged by a private vendor, training is bought from an instructor, and several states add photographs, notarisation or other requirements on top.

State fee $52.50
Training course $75–$250 (private instructor)
Sheriff processing fee varies — set by each sheriff, capped at $100 for a new permit under C.R.S. 18-12-205(2)(b); El Paso County charges $82.50
Realistic total $128–$403

The $52.50 CBI portion is fixed statewide and itemised on CBI's fee table: $17.50 CCIC fingerprint check, $13.00 InstaCheck, $22.00 FBI fingerprint check. The sheriff's own fee is on top and varies by county up to the $100 statutory cap, so what you pay depends on where you live.

Fees are split between the sheriff and CBI and vary by county. CBI portion (fixed statewide and published on CBI's CHP page, verified 2026-09-15): $52.50 for a new application ($17.50 CCIC fingerprint check + $13.00 InstaCheck + $22.00 FBI fingerprint check); $13.00 InstaCheck for a renewal; $30.50 for a temporary emergency permit ($17.50 CCIC + $13.00 InstaCheck). Sheriff processing fee is set by each sheriff and is statutorily capped at $100 for a new permit (18-12-205(2)(b)), $50 for a renewal (18-12-211(1)(a)) and $25 for a temporary emergency permit (18-12-209(2)(a)). So the statutory ceiling is $152.50 new / $63.00 renewal - the numbers reported here. Real-world example: El Paso County charges $135.00 total for a new permit ($52.50 CBI + $82.50 county) and $63.00 to renew. Late renewal adds a $15 late fee (18-12-211(2)). CBI fees must be paid to the issuing sheriff's department by cashier's check or money order payable to CBI where the sheriff does not collect online. Fees are non-refundable if the application is denied, revoked or suspended.

How to apply

  1. Understand first that Colorado is NOT a permitless-carry state: carrying a concealed firearm without a permit is a class 1 misdemeanor under C.R.S. 18-12-105(1)(b), so a permit is required unless one of the narrow situational exceptions applies (your own home/business/property, a private vehicle while traveling, or lawful hunting).
  2. Confirm eligibility: age 21 or older, legal Colorado resident, not prohibited under C.R.S. 18-12-108 or federal law, and not otherwise disqualified under C.R.S. 18-12-203(1). There is no Colorado non-resident permit.
  3. Complete an 8-hour in-person concealed handgun training class under C.R.S. 18-12-202.5 - including the 50-round live-fire exercise at 70% accuracy and the open-book written exam at 80% - taught by a sheriff-verified instructor, and get the original training certificate bearing the instructor's printed name and original signature. It is valid for only 1 year. Each sheriff must post its list of verified instructors on its own website (C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(3)(c)); a certificate from a verified instructor in ANY Colorado county is accepted. Alternatively assemble proof of one of the statutory competency alternatives in 18-12-203(1)(h) (shooting competitions, current military service, current POST peace-officer certification, qualifying honorable discharge, or a Colorado law enforcement retirement certificate).
  4. Obtain the standardized application form from the sheriff of the county where you reside (or where you maintain a secondary residence or own/lease real property used in your business). Most counties now run intake through an online portal (e.g. Permitium).
  5. Appear IN PERSON before the sheriff, present valid photo identification, and sign the completed application in person before the sheriff upon a sworn oath that its contents are true and correct (C.R.S. 18-12-205(2)(a)). A knowing false statement exposes you to prosecution for perjury under 18-8-503.
  6. Submit the training/competency documentation and a passport-style color head photograph (or be photographed by the sheriff) - C.R.S. 18-12-205(3).
  7. Be fingerprinted: the sheriff takes two complete sets and submits them to CBI (C.R.S. 18-12-205(4)).
  8. Pay the sheriff's processing fee (capped at $100) plus the $52.50 CBI fingerprint/background fee.
  9. Wait for the CBI/NICS/CCIC background check and the sheriff's decision - up to 90 days (C.R.S. 18-12-206(1)). A denial may be appealed by seeking a second review by the sheriff, submitting additional information, and then judicial review under C.R.S. 18-12-207.
  10. Once issued, carry the permit together with valid photo ID at all times while in actual possession of a concealed handgun and produce both on demand; failure to do so is a petty offense, dismissed if you produce a valid permit and ID at or before your court appearance (C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)).
  11. Renew within the 120 days before expiration by re-demonstrating competence - typically a 2-hour refresher class (or the full 8-hour class) obtained within the prior 6 months - plus the renewal form, affidavit and a renewal fee capped at $50 (C.R.S. 18-12-211). Missing the expiry date adds a $15 late fee; a permit not renewed within 6 months after expiration permanently expires and you must reapply as a new applicant (C.R.S. 18-12-211(2)).
  12. SEPARATE ROUTE FOR 18-20 YEAR-OLDS AND URGENT CASES: if a sheriff has reason to believe you may be in immediate danger, the sheriff may issue a TEMPORARY EMERGENCY PERMIT under C.R.S. 18-12-209. Submit the 18-12-205 items to the sheriff of the county where you reside or where the emergency arose, but you need not submit evidence of handgun competence, and the applicant may be eighteen years of age or older. The sheriff fee is capped at $25 plus the $30.50 CBI fee. It is valid 90 days and renewable once for another 90 days - or, if you are under 21, for successive 90-day periods until you turn 21.

Apply on the official Colorado site

What disqualifies you

Where to get the required training

Colorado does not publish a central list of certified instructors. Confirm directly with County sheriff (or city-and-county sheriff) of the applicant's county of residence; the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) runs the fingerprint and name-based background checks on the sheriff's behalf that a course will be accepted before you pay for it.

Training providers in Colorado

Businesses in our directory that offer firearms training. These are not state-verified as certified permit instructors — check against the official list above, or ask the provider directly.

All firearms training in Colorado →

Reciprocity

Carrying into Colorado

Colorado recognizes permits from 34 other jurisdictions.

Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

33 jurisdictions honor a Colorado permit

Derived from what each of those states officially publishes.

Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Official Colorado reciprocity page Full reciprocity matrix →

Building your own in Colorado

Build for personal use
Prohibited
Serial number required
Yes

Colorado PROHIBITS making the regulated core of a firearm for personal use. The operative ban is C.R.S. 18-12-111.5(5)(a)(I), verified verbatim in both the enrolled act (SB23-279, Ch. 311, L. 2023) and the official Colorado Revised Statutes 2026: 'A person shall not manufacture or cause to be manufactured, including through the use of a three-dimensional printer, a frame or receiver of a firearm.' The only exception in 18-12-111.5(5)(a)(II) is a FEDERALLY LICENSED FIREARM MANUFACTURER - there is no personal-use, hobbyist, or 80%-kit exemption. Note the precise scope: subsection (5)(a) bans manufacturing a FRAME OR RECEIVER, so assembling a complete firearm from components whose frame or receiver was made and serialized by an FFL is not itself a (5)(a) offense; but because the frame or receiver is the part you may not make, self-manufacture as normally understood is unlawful. Supporting prohibitions: 18-12-111.5(1) bars knowingly possessing or transporting an unfinished frame or receiver unless serialized by a federal firearms licensee; 18-12-111.5(2) bars selling/offering/transferring/purchasing an unfinished frame or receiver; 18-12-111.5(3) bars possessing, purchasing, transporting or receiving any firearm or frame/receiver not imprinted with a serial number by an FFL; and 18-12-111.5(4) bars selling or transferring such an item (exceptions for FFL importers/manufacturers, permanently inoperable firearms, defaced firearms under 18-12-103, antique firearms per 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(16), and firearms manufactured before October 22, 1968). EFFECTIVE DATES: SB23-279 took effect on passage, June 2, 2023, except that 18-12-111.5(1) and (3) took effect January 1, 2024. Anyone who already owned a self-made unserialized firearm/frame/receiver on June 1, 2023 had until January 1, 2024 to have an FFL imprint a serial number (18-12-111.5(5)(b)). An FFL serializing under 18-12-111.5(7) must imprint a number beginning with the licensee's abbreviated FFL number, and returning the item is a transfer requiring a background check under 18-12-112.5. PENALTY: class 1 misdemeanor; a SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE IS A CLASS 5 FELONY (18-12-111.5(6)(b)). A 18-12-111.5 conviction is also a ground for denial of a firearm transfer under 24-33.5-424(3)(b.3)(XII) and, as a felony, a bar under 18-12-108(7)(iii). LAYERED ON TOP: HB26-1144 (approved May 4, 2026, Ch. 94, L. 2026) added a separate offense effective July 1, 2026, applicable to offenses committed on or after that date. IMPORTANT CITATION CORRECTION: the enrolled act says 'add 18-12-119', but the official Colorado Revised Statutes 2026 codifies it as C.R.S. 18-12-118 and carries an editor's note stating 'This section was numbered as 18-12-119 in HB 26-1144 but was renumbered on revision for ease of location.' Cite 18-12-118. It makes it a class 1 misdemeanor (class 5 felony on a second or subsequent offense) to knowingly manufacture or produce a firearm or firearm component by means of three-dimensional printing using a 3-D printer, CNC milling machine, or similar device; 'firearm component' means an unfinished frame or receiver, large-capacity magazine, or rapid-fire device; the section applies only to potentially functional firearms and components and not to non-functioning or prop firearm parts; and the only exceptions are a federally licensed firearm manufacturer and an instructor, student, or institution of an accredited gunsmithing program where the manufacture is solely for educational instruction within that program. SERIALIZATION: the serial number must be imprinted by a federal firearms licensee; Colorado does not operate a state firearm registry - C.R.S. 29-11.7-102 prohibits a local firearms database.

C.R.S. 18-12-111.5 (added by SB23-279); C.R.S. 18-12-118 (added by HB26-1144, effective July 1, 2026 - numbered 18-12-119 in the bill but renumbered to 18-12-118 on revision)

Federal law, gunsmithing schools, and tools →

Statutes

What we could not confirm

  • Colorado publishes NO single statewide list of verified concealed-handgun instructors. C.R.S. 18-12-202.7(3)(c) requires EACH sheriff to maintain a record of the instructors it has verified and to post that list, with expiration dates, on the sheriff's own website; a certificate from a verified instructor in any Colorado county is accepted statewide. instructorRegistryUrl is therefore null; county lists exist at El Paso County and Larimer County.
  • There is likewise no statewide online application portal. Applications go to the individual county sheriff (many use the third-party Permitium platform). officialApplicationUrl points at the CBI CHP page as the authoritative state landing point; the actual application must be started with your county sheriff.
  • Fees vary by county. Only the CBI portion ($52.50 new / $13.00 renewal / $30.50 temporary emergency) and the statutory sheriff-fee caps ($100 new / $50 renewal / $25 temporary emergency) are uniform. The reported initial fee of $152.50 is the statutory maximum, not a typical charge; El Paso County actually charges $135.00, of which $82.50 is the county's share.
  • C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(h)(II) still lets an initial applicant demonstrate competence by showing that he or she 'is a certified instructor', but the definition of 'certified instructor' at C.R.S. 18-12-202(2) was repealed effective July 1, 2025 and replaced by 'verified instructor' (18-12-202(9)). The parallel renewal provision, 18-12-211(3)(b), was updated to say 'verified instructor'. The initial-application text appears to be an un-cleaned cross-reference in the official Colorado Revised Statutes 2026; how a sheriff applies 18-12-203(1)(h)(II) in practice is unverified, and an instructor relying on it should confirm with the issuing sheriff.
  • The two CBI-hosted statute PDFs cited by the previous version of this record (C.R.S. 18-12-105 and 18-12-206) are STALE and should not be quoted: both carry the currency note 'Statutes current through Chapter 220 of the 2021 Regular Session'. The 18-12-105 PDF still prints the offense as a class 2 misdemeanor, which SB21-271 (Ch. 462, 2021) changed to class 1 effective March 1, 2022, and it predates the (2)(b.5) exception added by SB24-131 in 2024. CBI's live CHP page no longer links these PDFs at all - it now points to LexisNexis - and a third CBI statute PDF referenced previously (CHP 209.pdf) now returns HTTP 404. This record therefore relies on the official OLLS Colorado Revised Statutes 2026 for statute text.
  • The CBI reciprocity page displays no last-revised date. The 34-state list was re-retrieved live on 2026-09-15 and is byte-identical in substance to the 2026-08-10 capture; combined with CBI's 16-jurisdiction non-reciprocal list it accounts for all 49 other states plus DC, so the page appears complete. But reciprocity turns on other states' actions and can change without notice.
  • I did not fully enumerate the location restrictions in C.R.S. 18-12-214, 18-12-105.3 (unlawful carrying of a firearm in government buildings) and 18-12-105.5 (school, college, or university grounds), nor the full reach of the 2024 sensitive-spaces act (SB24-131, Ch. 301), nor local open-carry ordinances permitted by C.R.S. 29-11.7-104. A Colorado CHP is valid in all areas of the state EXCEPT as limited by those provisions (18-12-204(1)(b)).
  • Colorado's separate SB25-003 regime (signed April 10, 2025, Ch. 68) restricts the manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale and purchase of 'specified semiautomatic firearms' from August 1, 2026 and classifies rapid-fire devices as dangerous weapons. It governs ACQUISITION, not carry, and its eligibility-card training courses (a 4-hour basic and a 12-hour extended course) must not be confused with the 8-hour CHP class. The official amendment history confirms SB25-003 did not amend any part 2 concealed-carry permit section; it amended 18-12-101 definitions. I did not independently verify the SB25-003 course hours or the administering agency against a primary source in this pass, so treat that detail as carried forward rather than re-verified.
  • permitSystem is recorded as shall-issue because C.R.S. 18-12-203(1) says the sheriff 'shall issue' to a qualifying applicant, but note the residual discretion in 18-12-203(2): a sheriff MAY deny even a fully qualified applicant on a reasonable belief, based on documented previous behavior, that the applicant would present a danger to self or others. Some classifications would call this shall-issue-with-discretion.
  • leg.colorado.gov currently displays a site-wide notice that it is 'migrating legacy session data to a new location' and that links to that data 'may not be functional at this time'. The session-law download URLs cited here returned HTTP 200 on 2026-09-15, but they may move; the OLLS title PDFs at olls.info are the more stable statute source.

Sources