Colorado law requires firearms to be safely stored when they are not in use to prevent access by unsupervised juveniles and other unauthorized users.¹ A firearm is safely stored when:

(a) A person carries the firearm or keeps it within such close proximity that the person can retrieve the firearm as if it they were carrying it;

(b) The firearm is kept in a locked gun safe or other secure container or in a manner that a reasonable person would believe to be secure and a juvenile or resident of the premises who is ineligible to possess a firearm does not have access to the key, combination, or other unlocking mechanism necessary to open the safe or container;

(c) The person properly installs a locking device on the firearm and a juvenile or resident of the premises who is ineligible to possess a firearm does not have access to the key, combination, or other unlocking mechanism necessary to remove the locking device; or

(d) The firearm is a personalized firearm and the safety characteristics of the firearm are activated.²

A person commits unlawful storage of a firearm – a misdemeanor – when the person fails to responsibly and securely store a firearm, as described above upon any premises that the person owns or controls and the person knows or reasonably should know that:

(i) a juvenile can gain access to the firearm without the permission of the juvenile’s parent or guardian; or

(ii) a resident of the premises is ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to state or federal law.³

Every licensed gun dealer must provide with each firearm sold or otherwise transferred a locking device capable of securing the firearm and must post notice of the safe storage law according to statutory requirements.⁴

In Colorado, a person is criminally liable for a felony if they:

• Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly provides a handgun to any person under age 18;
• Knows of a juvenile’s unlawful possession of a handgun and fails to make reasonable efforts to prevent the juvenile’s conduct;
• Is aware of a substantial risk that a juvenile will use a handgun to commit a felony and permits the juvenile to possess a handgun; or
• Is aware of a substantial risk that a juvenile will use a handgun to commit a felony and fails to make reasonable efforts to prevent the commission of the offense.⁵

Any person who sells, rents, or transfers ownership of a long gun to a juvenile without the consent of his or her parent or guardian is criminally liable for a misdemeanor.⁶ This provision also prohibits a person from allowing unsupervised possession of a long gun by a juvenile without the consent of his or her parent or guardian.⁷

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1. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-114(1). A juvenile is someone who is under 18 years of age. ((Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-108.5[↩]
2. Id. at (2).[↩]
3. Id. at (2).[↩]
4. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-405.[↩]
5. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-108.7(1), (2).[↩]
6. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-108.7(3).[↩]
7. Id.[↩]