Does Colorado have constitutional carry?

No. Colorado is a shall-issue state — a Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) is required to carry concealed, and the issuing authority must issue one to any applicant who meets the statutory requirements.

How much does a Colorado CHP cost?

The CHP application fee in Colorado is $52.5. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation's fee for a NEW CHP application is $52.50 (a $17.50 CCIC fingerprint check, a $13.00 InstaCheck fee, and a $22.00 FBI fingerprint check) under C.R.S. § 18-12-205(2)(b); renewal is $13.00 (§ 18-12-211) and a temporary emergency permit is $30.50 (§ 18-12-209). These fees are payable to CBI; the issuing sheriff's department may charge an additional administrative fee, so the total cost varies by county.

Does Colorado honor out-of-state concealed-carry permits?

Colorado honors concealed-carry permits from 34 other states, subject to the qualifiers (resident-only or permit-class restrictions) noted on each reciprocity pair. See the full inbound list on the "who Colorado honors" page.

Where is a Colorado CHP honored?

A Colorado CHP is honored by 35 other states. See the full outbound reciprocity list for exactly which states and any resident-only or class restrictions.

How long is a Colorado CHP valid?

A Colorado CHP is valid for 5 years before renewal is required.

This is not legal advice.Concealed-carry reciprocity changes frequently and carries serious legal consequences. Verify current law with the destination state's official source before you carry.

ColoradoConcealed Carry Permit & Reciprocity

Colorado is a shall-issue state — it is NOT a constitutional/permitless-carry state. To carry a handgun concealed you must hold a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP), issued by the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence after a fingerprint-based background check run by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (C.R.S. §§ 18-12-203, 18-12-205). Applicants must be a legal resident of Colorado, be 21 or older, not be prohibited from possessing a firearm, and demonstrate competence with a handgun; the permit is valid for five years (§ 18-12-204). Colorado issues a single permit class and does NOT issue a non-resident permit — the applicant must be a Colorado resident. HB24-1174 (2024) overhauled the training standard: beginning July 1, 2025 the handgun-training path requires an in-person initial course of at least eight hours (live-fire plus a written exam) completed within one year before applying, and renewal now requires re-demonstrating competence. Open carry of a handgun is legal statewide without a permit, but it is regulated by local county and municipal authorities — home-rule cities such as Denver prohibit open carry — so local ordinances must be checked. SB24-131 (2024) added C.R.S. § 18-12-105.3, prohibiting all firearm carry (open or concealed) in specified government buildings — the General Assembly's and local governing bodies' chambers and offices and courthouses, plus adjacent parking. Colorado imposes no general duty to proactively inform an officer you are armed; a permittee must only carry the permit and photo ID and produce them on demand (§ 18-12-204(2)). Under § 18-12-213 Colorado recognizes another state's permit only if that state reciprocally recognizes the Colorado CHP and the holder is both a resident of the issuing state and 21 or older — Colorado does not honor any state's non-resident permit.

Colorado Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)

Issuing authority: County Sheriff (of the applicant's county of residence); background check by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation
Carry regime: shall issue
Minimum age: 21
Fee: $52.5
Training: Required
Validity: 5 years

Full Colorado permit requirements →

Carry practicalities

Permitless carry

Not allowed

Colorado is NOT a permitless/constitutional-carry state. Carrying a handgun CONCEALED requires a Concealed Handgun Permit; carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is a crime (C.R.S. § 18-12-105), and a CHP is issued only to a qualified applicant who is a legal Colorado resident, is 21 or older, is not prohibited from possessing a firearm, and demonstrates competence with a handgun (§ 18-12-203). Two narrow exceptions in § 18-12-204(3) are NOT permitless concealed carry: a person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry one, and it is not deemed 'concealed,' while in a private automobile or other private conveyance for a legal use including self-defense, or while lawfully engaged in hunting.

official source · verified 2026-07-09

Open carry

Permitless

Open carry of a handgun is legal in Colorado without a permit for a person who may lawfully possess a firearm — no state statute prohibits general open carry. HOWEVER, the Colorado Department of Public Safety states that 'the actual open carrying of firearms is regulated by local county and municipal authorities,' and home-rule cities exercise that authority: Denver, for example, prohibits open carry within the city (Denver Revised Municipal Code § 38-117), and other municipalities post their own restrictions — so local ordinances must be checked before openly carrying. In addition, SB24-131 (C.R.S. § 18-12-105.3, effective July 1, 2024) prohibits ALL carry, open or concealed, in specified government buildings (see offLimitsLocations).

official source · verified 2026-07-09

Duty to inform

Not required

Colorado imposes NO general statutory duty to proactively inform a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a firearm. C.R.S. § 18-12-204(2) requires only that a permittee carry the permit together with valid photo identification while in actual possession of a concealed handgun and PRODUCE both upon demand of a law enforcement officer (failure to carry and produce is a class 1 petty offense, dismissible if a valid permit and ID are later shown). This is a produce-on-demand rule, not a notify-on-contact duty. A peace officer may temporarily disarm a permittee incident to a lawful stop and must return the handgun before releasing the permittee (§ 18-12-214(1)(b)).

official source · verified 2026-07-09

Off-limits locations

K-12 public school property — the real property and improvements of a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school (a permittee may keep a handgun in a locked vehicle or in a locked compartment if not in the vehicle; on-duty contracted school security officers are excepted) (§ 18-12-214(3))
public and private colleges, universities, seminaries, and vocational schools — SB24-131 (2024) repealed the concealed-handgun-permit exception that had allowed CHP holders to carry on higher-education campuses (§ 18-12-105.5)
government buildings, open OR concealed — buildings housing the General Assembly's chambers, galleries, or member/officer offices; buildings housing a local government governing body's chambers, meetings, or elected members'/chief executive's offices; and courthouses or any building or portion used for court proceedings — including their adjacent parking areas (§ 18-12-105.3, added by SB24-131, effective 2024-07-01; a CHP holder may keep a concealed handgun in the adjacent parking area)
public buildings where security personnel and electronic weapons-screening devices are permanently in place at, and screen everyone entering, each entrance (§ 18-12-214(4))
any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law (§ 18-12-214(2))
private property, businesses, tenants, and employers that prohibit firearms — a CHP does not limit a private property owner's, tenant's, employer's, or business's right to bar firearms (§ 18-12-214(5))

Curated key categories, not exhaustive. A Colorado CHP authorizes concealed carry in all areas of the state except as limited by C.R.S. § 18-12-214 (public K-12 schools, federally prohibited places, and permanently screened public buildings) and the newer sensitive-spaces statute § 18-12-105.3 (government buildings), added by SB24-131 (2024), which bars both open and concealed carry. SB24-131 also amended § 18-12-105.5 to remove the CHP exception for college/university grounds. A local government may enact its own ordinance restricting carry in a specified place (§ 18-12-105.3(4); § 29-11.7-104). Federal facilities and posted private property are also off-limits.

official source · verified 2026-07-09

Colorado reciprocity summary

Colorado honors 34 states' permits · honored by 35 states

Where a Colorado permit is honored →Whose permits Colorado honors →

Last verified 2026-07-09 against Colorado Bureau of Investigation — Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP).

Verify Colorado rules on the official page →

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Get notified when your state's reciprocity changes.

Colorado FAQ

Does Colorado have constitutional carry?: No. Colorado is a shall-issue state — a Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) is required to carry concealed, and the issuing authority must issue one to any applicant who meets the statutory requirements.
How much does a Colorado CHP cost?: The CHP application fee in Colorado is $52.5. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation's fee for a NEW CHP application is $52.50 (a $17.50 CCIC fingerprint check, a $13.00 InstaCheck fee, and a $22.00 FBI fingerprint check) under C.R.S. § 18-12-205(2)(b); renewal is $13.00 (§ 18-12-211) and a temporary emergency permit is $30.50 (§ 18-12-209). These fees are payable to CBI; the issuing sheriff's department may charge an additional administrative fee, so the total cost varies by county.
Does Colorado honor out-of-state concealed-carry permits?: Colorado honors concealed-carry permits from 34 other states, subject to the qualifiers (resident-only or permit-class restrictions) noted on each reciprocity pair. See the full inbound list on the "who Colorado honors" page.
Where is a Colorado CHP honored?: A Colorado CHP is honored by 35 other states. See the full outbound reciprocity list for exactly which states and any resident-only or class restrictions.
How long is a Colorado CHP valid?: A Colorado CHP is valid for 5 years before renewal is required.

Sources

Colorado Bureau of Investigation — Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) (2026-07-09)