This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at coloradosun.com.
Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday signed into law one of the most restrictive gun regulations ever adopted in Colorado.
Senate Bill 3 bans the manufacture and drastically restricts the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms in Colorado. It’s aimed at reducing the carnage that can be inflicted during a mass shooting.
“I really think this will make Colorado safer,” Polis said before signing the bill in his office at the Colorado Capitol.
Here’s how the measure will work.
What it would do:
Starting in August 2026, the manufacture of certain semiautomatic firearms that can accept detachable ammunition magazines will be outlawed in Colorado, and their sales will be significantly limited (we’ll get into that below).
That will include AR-15 and AK-47 rifles, as well as a long list of their popular variants. The law affects tactical shotguns and a small number of handguns.
The banned weapons would only be available for purchase by someone who is otherwise allowed to buy a gun if they come with a magazine with a maximum capacity of 15 rounds that is welded, epoxied or soldered on. Right now, those kinds of weapons are rarely made.
The bill also immediately bans so-called rapid-fire trigger devices, like bump stocks, which can make a semiautomatic weapon fire at a rate similar to that of an automatic gun.
Semiautomatic guns fire each time their trigger is pulled, while automatic weapons fire continuously when their trigger is pulled until they are out of ammunition.
There is a small carveout in the measure that allows for the banned weapons to be manufactured in Colorado for military, law enforcement, prison guards or an armored-vehicle business. Gunsmiths can also work on the weapons.
The banned weapons are generally not manufactured in Colorado, to begin with, so the effect of the manufacturing ban won’t be large.
How to get around the prohibition:
While the possession, sale and purchase of rapid-fire trigger devices are now prohibited no matter what, people will have the ability to purchase firearms banned under Senate Bill 3 if they get a “firearms safety course eligibility card.”
To get a card, a person would have to first be vetted by their county sheriff, which would include a background check.
Sheriffs will have broad authority to deny applications from people seeking to buy otherwise banned firearms, including those they believe may be a risk to themselves or others. Those who are rejected, however, could file a lawsuit seeking to reverse the decision.
Once someone gets an eligibility card, they must complete up to a dozen hours of training, depending on whether they have already completed a hunter education course, and pass a test. At that point, they would be allowed to purchase a weapon otherwise banned under Senate Bill 3.
The vetting and training is valid for five years and then must be renewed if the person wishes to purchase additional weapons.
Some people may be thinking that they can just travel to another state to purchase a weapon outlawed under Senate Bill 3, but they would technically be breaking federal law.
Federal law requires gun sellers to comply with the laws of the state where the customer lives. So a Wyoming gun dealer must follow Colorado law when selling a firearm to a Coloradan.
What if I already own a weapon that will be banned under Senate Bill 3?
Senate Bill 3 doesn’t affect possession of any firearms. That means if you have a weapon that would be banned under Senate Bill 3, you can keep it once the measure goes into effect.
What are the penalties for violating Senate Bill 3?
Violating Senate Bill 3 would be a relatively low-level offense.
It would be a Class 2 misdemeanor punishable by up to 120 days in jail and a fine — or both. Subsequent offenses, however, would be a Class 6 felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison.
Possession of a rapid-fire trigger device is now a Class 5 felony, punishable by up to three years in prison. Subsequent offenses are a Class 4 felony.
What could stop Senate Bill 3 from taking effect?
Gun rights groups have vowed to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Senate Bill 3. That could prevent the measure from going into effect. It could also take years to be decided in the courts.
This story was produced by the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
