Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit

Issued to Colorado residents and active duty military stationed in Colorado.

The Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit costs a total $152.50 for the first 5 years. Renewals for subsequent 5-year periods cost approximately $50 to $75 depending upon the county. Some counties may require a new application instead of a renewal when the permit expires if the permit holder has moved between counties.

Even though issued at the local county level, the Colorado permit is valid statewide in all counties except for designated and restricted areas. In addition, the Colorado permit is accepted in up to 23 other states as of the last update to this page.

Colorado CCW Permit Reciprocity / Acceptance Map
Courtesy of Packing.org (Please visit & support!)

As of the last update to this page, the Colorado permit was valid* in the following states:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming

*See important note at the bottom of this page and at Packing.org regarding accuracy of this information!

If you have one of the following, you can apply now as a Colorado resident for the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit without taking a firearms course:

• Law enforcement experience within the past 10 years
  
• Honorable US Military discharge (DD214) within the past 3 years
  
• Honorable US Military discharge (DD214 w/pistol qual) within the past 10 years
  
• Original training certificate, or a copy with instructor’s original signature, from a handgun training class as defined in C.R.S. 18-12-202.5 obtained within the past 10 years.

If you already have proof of firearms training as outlined above, you may be ready to apply now for the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit! You’ll find links to the application, instructions and Colorado county sheriff offices on this website:  LINKS

If you do NOT have one of the 4 qualifications listed above, you will need to take a firearms safety class before you can apply for the Colorado permit.

You have a choice of courses at Safearms Academy to meet the minimum training requirements for the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit:

NRA Basic Pistol Course - OR - NACFI Handgun Safety CCW Course

NRA Basic Pistol Course

If you are brand new to handguns, we suggest that you take the NRA Basic Pistol Course which is delivered by Safearms Academy in its official 10-hour format.

While the NRA Basic Pistol Course taught at Safearms Academy meets the minimum training requirement for the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit, it does not include everything that you need to know in order to carry and use a handgun safely and effectively for defensive purposes. It is a basic firearms safety course that is excellent for those that are new to firearms in general, handguns in particular or as a basic safety review for those with firearms experience in the distant past.

We deliver the NRA Basic Pistol course in its full, official format. The class is one day scheduled for 10 hours and it includes up to 4 hours of range time! 

Family members and friends are welcome to take the class with you and we may be able to offer you a discount if you register more than 4 students at the same time.  Youth are encouraged to attend the class with permission from their parent or guardian although those under 21 may not apply for a regular Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit. Not everyone who takes this class is seeking a Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit and it is an excellent class for those that are brand new to firearms and/or specifically handguns.

The NRA Basic Pistol certificate is good for 10 years in Colorado with respect to applying for or renewing the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit while the permit itself must be renewed after 5 years.

Upon successful completion of the NRA Basic Pistol Course, you may apply for the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit. It can take up to 90 days for the permit to be issued depending upon the county in which you apply. You must apply in the county where your live, maintain a second home, own a business or real estate used in a business.

NOW, while you are waiting for your Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit to be issued, we strongly urge you to take additional defensive pistol training even if you take it from a provider other than Safearms Academy. The NRA Basic Pistol Course, by itself, does not prepare someone to carry and use a handgun for personal defense. Students that were brand new to handguns before taking the NRA Basic Pistol Course may enroll in the NACFI Handgun Safety CCW Course and/or the AFTAC Defensive Pistol Tactics Course.

NACFI Handgun Safety CCW Course

The unique NACFI Handgun Safety CCW Course includes an Online Pre-Course Study Guide so that students can prepare for the course at home or work, on their own time and at their own pace. By studying online before attending the classroom portion of the course, class time is optimized and students with some prior handgun shooting experience will be able to complete the classroom session in 4 to 5 hours depending upon the number of students in the class.

Since the students have read and studied the basic elements of the NACFI Handgun Safety CCW Course online in advance, such as the "book-learning" topics of handgun and ammunition components, class time can be spent teaching and/or verifying what the students really need to know, including but not limited to:

1. Correctly & safely handle a handgun
2. Conceal a handgun properly - holster selection, drawing safely
3. Know where they can & can't carry it legally
4. Understanding & using deadly force
5. CCW & deadly force laws

There is a Live-Fire Module for the NACFI Handgun Safety CCW Course which is required for those students who have NO handgun shooting experience and for all students who will be applying for a CCW permit in a Colorado county, or from another state, that specifically requires the qualifying handgun safety course to include a live-fire session on the range.

Colorado state law does not specifically require a live-fire session in the qualifying course and most Colorado counties do not require live-fire as well. The NACFI Handgun Safety CCW Course, even without the live-fire session, meets and exceeds all training requires stated in Colorado law. It goes far beyond what is covered in a basic firearms safety course and specifically covers CCW issues, state laws and the use of deadly force.

You can call your Colorado county sheriff's office, or the issuing authority if you will be applying for a CCW permit from another state, to verify their live-fire training requirements before registering for a course.

Again, regardless of the county/state requirements, Safearms Academy requires that students take the Live-Fire module unless they have acceptable handgun shooting experience as evidenced by at least ONE of the following:

1. Successful completion of the NRA Basic Pistol Course at Safearms Academy; OR
2. NRA Certificate showing successful completion of NRA Basic Pistol elsewhere at a recognized training academy or school; OR
3. Other documentation showing handgun shooting experience from a firearms class, employment, military service, or organized shooting competition; OR
4. Statement from an NRA Certified Instructor, NRA Range Safety Officer, Law Enforcement Officer or other acceptable source indicating that the student has handgun shooting experience, OR
5. Valid concealed handgun permit issued by any US county or state, OR
6. Other handgun shooting experience acceptable to Safearms Academy and its Utah CCW instructor. In most cases, the student's signed statement listing their prior handgun shooting experience in detail is sufficient when combined with their performance during safe handling exercises in class.

If you have considered applying for a Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit, and you need to take a handgun safety course, REGISTER now. You may then schedule your attendance later if you are unable to attend one of our scheduled classes at this time.

 

*Important Note!
Reciprocity between states may change as states are added or removed from each state list when individual state carry laws change and/or there are other developments. Therefore, it is critical that you keep yourself informed whether a given state will accept your permit(s) before you enter that state! There are websites that can help you with this task but to be safe, you should contact the state(s) directly. Safearms Academy and Packing.org are not responsible for changes in reciprocity/acceptance and/or for any consequences to you!