As the Colorado legislative session closes, 2025 will long be heralded as a historic assault on the Second Amendment. The worst-case scenario of erasing the fundamental and constitutional protections of the Second Amendment with the stroke of a pen came true for Coloradans and one all Americans should take note of.
With Governor Jared Polis signature on three consequential firearm bills, the stark reality is that these laws take effect next year, and while the legal fight will continue, it is critical for citizens to fully understand the application and effect of these egregious laws.
SB 25-003 mandates that beginning August 1, 2026, Coloradans’ constitutional right is now accessible only after adhering to various government regulations and fee schedules. There is now a permit-to-purchase scheme in place for banned semi-automatic firearms—this includes rifles, shotguns, and handguns equipped with a detachable magazine. Ultimately, the law now places an incredible amount of restrictions on law-abiding citizens including prohibiting the sale, purchase, distribution, or transfer of these firearms without first completing a 12-hour training course unless a person has already completed a hunter’s safety course in which it would be a 4-hour course; requiring passage of a written exam by a minimum of 90%; creating and maintaining a database, i.e. gun registry, of exam takers; payment of requisite fees; obtaining permission via an eligibility permit from a local sheriff based on subjective criteria. County sheriffs can deny an applicant for merely a “reasonable belief” and can revoke a permit under the same standard with renewal required every five years further adding to the overwhelming constitutional concerns facing Coloradans. See NRA-ILA’s most recent statement HERE.
Starting July 1, 2026, HB 25-1133 goes into effect providing for additional gun control measures regarding ammunition restrictions. Sales of ammunition will be banned for those under 21 years old except for military servicemembers, police officers, and those who completed a hunter’s safety course as well as requiring ammunition to be stored behind counters or locked shelves, entirely restricting customer access. Gun shops, dealers, and shooting ranges are rightfully concerned about the negative effects on their businesses in an already very heavily regulated environment.
House Bill 25-1238 places additional regulatory burdens on gun show vendors and organizers now requiring promoters to prepare a “detailed security plan” that must be submitted to local law enforcement for approval before an event can take place. These new onerous requirements can certainly deter vendors from participating in these community events which have long served as a lawful, accessible, and already regulated avenue for legal firearm transactions.
These far-reaching and unconstitutional attempts additionally face implementation challenges that will undoubtedly also cost the taxpayers of Colorado, a state with a significant $1.2 billion budget shortfall. These unfunded mandates will have an incredible fiscal impact on citizens while paying zero dividends in citizen safety.
Additionally, many other firearm-related bills were passed in the last week and sit on Governor Polis' desk awaiting his action, including:
HB25-1225 prohibits open carrying a firearm while engaging in political speech.
HB25-1250 requires schools to distribute anti-gun propaganda to all students and parents under the guise of “gun violence prevention.”
HB25-1314 grants certain tax collectors in the Department of Revenue police officer status and tasks them with policing gun stores on all matters of Colorado law, not just tax issues, encouraging harassment and lawfare against businesses in the firearms industry.
SB25-034 is a "self-red flag bill" that encourages individuals to surrender their Second Amendment rights by filling out a Voluntary Do-Not-Sell Firearms Waiver, rendering themselves prohibited persons.
SB25-158 increases requirements for firearms businesses to sell to law enforcement agencies, and requires law enforcement agencies to destroy surplus firearms.
SB25-205 creates a firearm registry by requiring local law enforcement agencies to operate a firearms serial number database to track possession of individual firearms.
SB25-295 puts Prop. KK’s unconstitutional tax revenue from firearms and ammunition into a new cash fund, giving the state more discretion with the funds than was proposed in the measure approved on last November’s ballot.
This session's historic assault on Second Amendment rights will also embolden anti-gun extremists in other states. That momentum should inspire the Second Amendment community to use this cautionary tale of Colorado to become engaged in protecting gun rights nationwide, just as NRA-ILA will continue to do in every opportunity and forum.
NRA will return to Denver for the 2026 legislative session. Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for legislative and litigation updates.
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