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How to buy a specified semiautomatic firearm in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County

   Apply online

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

   Who they take

   Accepts applicants from outside the county

   Card delivery

   Approved cards must be picked up in person at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Records Unit, 200 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401. Valid five years from the date of issuance.

   What to bring

   • Government-issued photo identification (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID)
   • A copy of the application you submitted to Colorado Parks and Wildlife
   • A name-based background check from a third-party vendor covering national criminal history, Colorado criminal history, and judicial database records, with a vendor attestation that the check was completed
   • A current photograph showing only the applicant against a plain, solid-colored background
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 Jefferson County

Sheriff fees above are separate from the $52 CPW program administration and operations fee, which Jefferson collects at the same time and remits to CPW. All application fees are non-refundable, including if the application is denied.

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 Jefferson County actually published

"Beginning August 1, 2026, you can apply online through the License Director Application Portal: app.permitium.com/online-portal/cojeffersoncountysheriff."

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office opened eligibility-card applications on August 1, 2026 and takes them online through its License Director (Permitium) portal. The county publishes the full five-step customer journey: apply first with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, then submit the sheriff application with a government-issued photo ID, a copy of the CPW application, a third-party name-based background check, and a current photograph. Fees due at application are $52 collected for CPW plus a $50 Sheriff's Office processing fee, with an additional $25 for applicants who do not reside in Jefferson County; all fees are non-refundable, including on a denial. Approved cards must be picked up in person at the Records Unit, 200 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, and are valid five years from issuance. Records Unit questions: 303-271-5542.

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