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How to buy a specified semiautomatic firearm in Denver County, Colorado

Buying a specified semiautomatic firearm in Colorado from 2026-08-01 requires a firearms safety course eligibility card, issued by your county sheriff after a name-based background check. This page is the Denver County version of that process: what the county publishes, what it charges, and what is still unanswered.Check your exact model against the state's listbefore you start.

Every step, in order

These 8 steps run in order and are the same statewide. Step 2 is the only one your county controls, so it is expanded with what Denver County publishes.

1. 1

   Create a Firearm Safety System (FSS) profile online at coloradofss.com. The application portal is live as of July 20, 2026.

2. 2

   Take a government-issued photo ID and a name-based background check to your county sheriff's office. Fees are collected at this step.

   In Denver County

   Apply online

   app.permitium.com/online-portal/codenver ↗

   Payment

   $200, described by Denver as inclusive of the fee collected on behalf of the state

   What to bring

   • A completed Colorado Parks and Wildlife application, submitted first, with Denver County selected
3. 3

   The sheriff reviews the application and issues an eligibility card if approved. The card is valid for 5 years.

4. 4

   Find a sheriff-verified firearms instructor anywhere in Colorado. The instructor checks your FSS record to determine which course you need.

5. 5

   Basic course: 4 hours, for applicants with a CPW-verified hunter-education credential. Extended course: 12 hours over at least 2 days, for everyone else.

6. 6

   Pass a written exam and a hands-on practical with a score of 90% or better.

7. 7

   A passing course score is valid for 5 years from the date you complete it.

8. 8

   At the time of sale, the dealer checks your eligibility in the FSS before completing the transfer.

What it costs in Denver County

Denver's page states its $200 fee is "inclusive of the fee collected on behalf of the state." It is unclear whether that means CPW's separate $52 record fee is already covered by the $200, or whether Denver is describing a different pass-through amount — not yet confirmed by phone.

The sheriff fee and the $52 CPW record fee are separate charges and add together. Course prices and background-check vendor prices are not published by anyone, so the total above is a floor, not a quote. Seewhat this process has actually cost people.

What Denver County actually published

"Denver County charges $200 and this fee is inclusive of the fee collected on behalf of the state."

Denver's mailed-PDF application process has been replaced by an online portal. After applying with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and selecting Denver County, applicants complete the county step at the Denver Police Department Firearms Eligibility Card Portal. Denver's $200 fee is described by the county as inclusive of the fee collected on behalf of the state.

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