Skip to Main Content
Last updated .

Child Access Prevention

In Colorado, a person is criminally liable for a felony if they:

  • Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly provides a handgun to any person under age 18;
  • Know of a juvenile’s unlawful possession of a handgun and fail to make reasonable efforts to prevent the juvenile’s conduct;
  • Are aware of a substantial risk that a juvenile will use a handgun to commit a felony and permits the juvenile to possess a handgun; or
  • Are aware of a substantial risk that a juvenile will use a handgun to commit a felony and fails to make reasonable efforts to prevent the commission of the offense.1

A juvenile is someone who is under 18 years of age.2 Any person who sells, rents, or transfers ownership of a long gun to a juvenile without the consent of his or her parent or guardian is criminally liable for a misdemeanor.3 This provision also prohibits a person from allowing unsupervised possession of a long gun by a juvenile without the consent of his or her parent or guardian.4

Safe Storage

Colorado has a safe storage law. State law requires firearms to be safely stored when they are not in use to prevent access by unsupervised juveniles and other unauthorized users.((Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-114(1). A firearm is safely stored when:

(a) A person carries the firearm or keeps it within such close proximity that the person can retrieve the firearm as if it they were carrying it;

(b) The firearm is kept in a locked gun safe or other secure container or in a manner that a reasonable person would believe to be secure and a juvenile or resident of the premises who is ineligible to possess a firearm does not have access to the key, combination, or other unlocking mechanism necessary to open the safe or container;

(c) The person properly installs a locking device on the firearm and a juvenile or resident of the premises who is ineligible to possess a firearm does not have access to the key, combination, or other unlocking mechanism necessary to remove the locking device; or

(d) The firearm is a personalized firearm and the safety characteristics of the firearm are activated.5

A person commits unlawful storage of a firearm – a misdemeanor – when the person fails to responsibly and securely store a firearm, as described above upon any premises that the person owns or controls and the person knows or reasonably should know that:

(i) a juvenile can gain access to the firearm without the permission of the juvenile’s parent or guardian; or

(ii) a resident of the premises is ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to state or federal law.6

Every licensed gun dealer must provide with each firearm sold or otherwise transferred a locking device capable of securing the firearm and must post notice of the safe storage law according to statutory requirements.7

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

Contact
  1. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-108.7(1), (2).[]
  2. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-108.5[]
  3. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-108.7(3).[]
  4. Id.[]
  5. Id. at (2).[]
  6. Id. at (2).[]
  7. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-405.[]