Self Defense
C.R.S. 18-1-704 — the force reasonably believed necessary, and C.R.S. 18-1-704.5 for the occupant of a home
A person in Colorado is justified in using physical force to defend themselves or a third person from what they reasonably believe to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force, and may use the degree of force they reasonably believe necessary for that purpose.
Who handles this in Colorado: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Colorado directory.
Deadly physical force is justified only where a lesser degree of force is reasonably believed inadequate and the person reasonably believes they or another are in imminent danger of being killed or of great bodily injury, or the other person is committing or about to commit a burglary against an occupant, kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault, or a first or second degree assault.
- Provoking the other person's force, with intent to cause injury or death.
- Being the initial aggressor, unless the person withdraws, makes the withdrawal clear, and the other keeps on.
- Combat by agreement.
Inside a home: the intruder section. An occupant of a dwelling may use any degree of physical force, including deadly force, against a person who has made an unlawful entry, where the occupant reasonably believes the intruder has committed or intends to commit a crime beyond the entry and might use any physical force, no matter how slight, against any occupant. An occupant who meets those conditions is immune from criminal prosecution and from civil liability for that force.
Whether a belief was reasonable, and whether a place was a dwelling and the entry unlawful, are decided on the facts. A particular case is a question for a licensed Colorado attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- C.R.S. 18-1-704 — Use of physical force in defense of a person - definitions
- C.R.S. 18-1-704.5 — Use of deadly physical force against an intruder
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Colorado attorney.