Handing Over a Firearm
C.R.S. 18-12-112 — a background check through a licensed dealer, a fee of at most $10, and family gifts excepted
Before a person who is not a licensed gun dealer transfers a firearm in Colorado, they arrange for a licensed dealer to run a background check on the person receiving it and obtain approval of the transfer. The dealer may charge a fee of no more than $10.
Who handles this in Colorado: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Colorado directory.
- A bona fide gift or loan between immediate family: spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, first cousins, aunts and uncles.
- A transfer by operation of law, or by an executor, administrator or trustee after a death.
- A temporary transfer in the receiver's home to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury, where the receiver may lawfully have a firearm.
- A temporary transfer at a shooting range, an approved competition, or while lawfully hunting, fishing, target shooting or trapping.
- An antique firearm, curio or relic.
A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor, and the person is also barred from possessing a firearm for two years from the conviction.
Sources for this section (1)
- C.R.S. 18-12-112 — Private firearms transfers - sale and purchase - background check required - penalty - definitions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Colorado attorney.