Colorado Firearms Watch

Getting a Colorado concealed handgun permit

Colorado calls a concealed-carry permit a concealed handgun permit (CHP). “CCW” is a common informal name for the same kind of permit. This page is a practical starting point, not legal advice: confirm the local application rules with the sheriff who will receive your application.

What a CHP does — and what SB25-003 does not change

A Colorado concealed handgun permit (CHP) authorizes its holder to carry a concealed handgun as state law allows. A permit is generally valid for five years from issuance.

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A CHP is not the same thing as the eligibility card or course record used in the specified-semiautomatic-firearm purchase process. If your question is about buying or transferring a listed firearm after August 1, 2026, use the SB25-003 purchase pipeline.

Before you apply

A sheriff issues a CHP only to an applicant who meets the statutory criteria. Those include Colorado residency, being at least 21, and not being prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm; the statute includes other criteria and possible grounds for denial.

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Do not treat this as a complete eligibility screening. The sheriff applies the statute to the facts of an application. If eligibility is uncertain, get individual legal advice before paying for training or applying.

The application path

  1. Take qualifying CHP training

    For a new CHP application, the standard training path is an in-person concealed-handgun training class taught by a sheriff-verified instructor. It must provide at least eight hours of instruction, including a live-fire exercise and written competency exam; the original training certificate must be from within one year of the application.

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  2. Use your issuing sheriff’s application process

    Apply through the sheriff for the county or city and county where you qualify to apply. The CBI conducts fingerprint and name-based background checks in partnership with sheriffs; sheriffs make the final permit decision.

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    Appointment systems, documents, payment methods, and local administrative fees vary. Start at your county sheriff’s CHP page before booking training so you can match its current instructions.

  3. Budget for the state and sheriff fees

    The CBI lists $52.50 in state background-check and fingerprint fees for a new CHP application. A sheriff may charge an additional administrative fee, so confirm the total and payment method with the issuing sheriff before applying.

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  4. Wait for the sheriff’s decision

    State law generally gives the sheriff 90 days after receiving the required application materials, or three business days after federal background-check results arrive, whichever is later, to issue or deny the permit.

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Renewal

A permittee may apply for renewal during the 120 days before the permit expires. A current refresher-class certificate generally must be dated within six months of the renewal application; confirm the sheriff's local process and any applicable statutory alternative.

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CHP/CCW versus the SB25-003 purchase process

Question Colorado CHP / CCW SB25-003 SSF process
Purpose Authorization to carry a concealed handgun as state law allows. Prerequisites for certain future SSF purchases or transfers.
Who runs the process? County sheriff, with CBI background-check support. County sheriff, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Firearms Safety System.
Can the training or background check substitute? No. State guidance says CHP/CCW background checks and courses are not reciprocal for the Firearms Safety Program.

SB25-003 uses a different Firearms Safety System and course path for purchases or transfers of specified semiautomatic firearms on or after August 1, 2026. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says that background checks and courses completed for a CHP/CCW are not reciprocal for that program.

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For SSF eligibility-card status by county, see the county tracker. For the state’s purchase-and-training sequence, see the SB25-003 purchase pipeline and its separate firearms-safety-course requirements.