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

   When

   Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

   Payment

   $52, collected by the Sheriff's Office for Colorado Parks and Wildlife; no additional county fee

   How long

   Not ready the same day the documents are dropped off.

   What to bring

   • A completed application
   • A Colorado ID
   • A background check with attestation
   • $52.00
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 Mesa County

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 Mesa County actually published

"The Mesa County Sheriff's Office is not charging any additional fees. At this time we are accepting walk-ins only. Applications will be accepted during the normal operating hours of the Records Lobby, Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. We are not processing any applications before August 1, 2026."

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office publishes a dedicated SSF page confirming in-person, walk-in-only intake at the Records Lobby (200 W. Spruce St., Grand Junction), Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with no additional county fee beyond the separate $52 CPW record fee. The office began processing applications August 1, 2026.

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