Colorado Open Carry Law
This article is meant to take a look at Colorado’s open carry laws so that you folks can get a better idea what is and is not legal in the state.
The state of Colorado protects the right to bear arms under Article II, Section 13 of its state constitution, but this does not mean that everyone may carry a gun, or that you may always carry a gun wherever you like. Colorado requires a concealed carry permit to carry a weapon concealed outside of the dwelling or car (personal transportation). A permit, however, does not authorize a person to use a firearm in a manner that would violate a provision of state law. (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-214.)
A permit is not required to carry a handgun where carrying firearms is legal, if the handgun is not concealed. A handgun is not considered concealed if it is in the possession of a person who is in a private automobile or if the person is carrying it through an approved or legal use, such as hunting. Exempt from the requirement of a permit to carry a concealed handgun are peace officers of Colorado, U.S. probation officers, law enforcement officers employed by jurisdiction outside of the state, and retired peace officers.
However legal it may be to have a handgun inside of an automobile, it is unlawful to have a firearm other than a handgun in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber is unloaded. It is also unlawful to carry or possess a firearm without legal authority on the property of, or within any government building in. It is unlawful to possess, without legal authority, a firearm in or on the real estate of any school, college, university, or seminary, with some exceptions.
Now, there are certainly additional questions as well as more in-depth looks into such things as who is not allowed to possess a gun, and what public places do or do not allow them. We will be going over those in specific articles, later on, due to the complexity of some of the situations. For right now, however, we have a wonderful FAQ page on our Colorado site with a lot of helpful information.
If you have specific questions that you would like covered in future articles about Colorado’s open carry laws, shoot us a comment below, and we will make sure to add them to future reports.
Information compounded from the NRA and Colorado state legal texts.
Is it legal to open carry and conceal carry in Colorado? I do have my CCW.
Shannon, I’m surprised you obtained your permit without learning the answer to this question. You might consider retaking the required class to get additional information about State laws.
It is legal to open carry in most parts of Colorado with or without a permit. There are exceptions as regulated by city and county governments.
It is legal to carry concealed with a permit in most places in Colorado as well.
Jacob, what places would be permissible in CO to open carry? Grocery stores? Department stores? Taking a walk in your neighborhood? I’m obtaining a CCW from AZ, but am moving to CO. My purpose for wanting to carry is personal protection – and to be prepared to protect others. Can you help me understand where, in my normal empty-nester soccer-mom lifestyle I can and cannot open carry a handgun?
DV, in short open carry is legal everywhere with few exceptions. The primary exception to be aware of is the city/county of Denver. Open carry is 100% prohibited in Denver. Other cities and counties have some limited restrictions that may include parks, city buildings, or trails. Creating an exhaustive list isn’t a great use of time. Frankly, get a concealed carry permit and carry concealed. Then you don’t have to worry about where you can or can’t open carry. Once you live in Colorado, your AZ permit will no longer be valid here. CO law says that CO residents must have a CO permit. So when you arrive plan to take a class from a local instructor (like us!) and get your Colorado permit.
Do you need a holster to open carry in Colorado or can you put it in your waist band or pocket with the butt exposed?….
PEOPLE VS VINCENT 1981 COLORADO
David no you don’t need a holster. So long as the gun is on your person and not concealed it is open.
Can I open carry a handgun in my pocket, in CO, if the gun is noticable.
How is a gun noticeable in your pocket?
Sir: Please explain what constitutes open carry of a weapon in non prohibited venues. Understanding that a openly holstered weapon is the norm, with say the last 1/3 of the rearward portion of the frame showing in addition to the grip exposed. Say if a large framed hand gun is temporarily placed in a front jeans-type pair of britches with exactly the same amount of frame/grip area as the scenario as in the above holster example, is the handgun in reality also then, open carry?
No definition seems to clarify this visibility issue, as an example: if one needed to visit one’s truck briefly parked on the street in front of the house, in Colo Spgs, infested with a potential, historical, known threat.
Calling the popos for protection since they are not required to serve and protect you individually, per the Supremes, is not a realistic solution.
Thanks kindly.
Ken, the key is in understanding how the state of Colorado defines concealed carry because anything that doesn’t meet the definition of concealed is considered open carry. There is no third scenario. Guns are either open or concealed. In Colorado, the definition of concealed is “placed out of sight so as not to be discernible or apparent by ordinary observation.” So in your example, I have to ask, do you think carrying a firearm like that is discernible or apparent by ordinary observation?
In Illinois it is a class 4 felony to open carry while wearing a face covering. Does Colorado have any similar rules?
No
Ive looked everywhere and can not find any of the laws for open carrying up in Clear Creek county. I will be going camping up in Guanella Pass and am trying to find out whether or not I’m allowed to open carry my pistol for personal protection.
There aren’t any laws relating to open carry in Clear Creek County so far as I’m aware.
Just recently purchased a gun waiting on my holster to be delivered. if I have my gun in my pocket with the grip sticking out where it is noticeable is that considered concealed?
In Colorado concealed is defined as not discernable or apparent by ordinary observation. So the question here is: Is a grip of a gun sticking out of a pocket discernable or apparent to ordinary observation as being a gun?
Is there any requirements for the type of holster you’re allowed to open carry with? I want a drop leg holster but most don’t come with a way to lock it in at least for my model of handgun.
No there are no requirements
I just got done talking to a coworker and told him I carried a shotgun outside on my private property. He told me that is a Cass 6 felony but I’ve been looking it up and I can’t find that anywhere. I lived in rural areas outside of city limits in Colorado when I did this. I just want to confirm either what he said was true or false. I know different areas in Colorado have different local laws like Denver and areas like that and off limits areas like government buildings and things like that. Can anyone clear this up for me because I don’t want to break any laws.
There are no state laws that would restrict you carrying a firearm on your own property.
If I open carry, does the hand gun need to be bistable when I’m wearing a parka?
I don’t know what “bistable” means. If you meant to ask “visible” then yes. If it isn’t visible then it isn’t open carry is it?