Colorado generally prohibits the knowing possession of a “dangerous weapon,” which includes a machine gun.¹ However, an exception applies for any person with a valid permit to possess a machine gun.²

Federal law requires machine guns to be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and generally prohibits the transfer or possession of machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986.³ In December 2018, ATF finalized a rule to include bump stocks within the definition of a machine gun subject to this federal law, meaning that bump stocks will be generally banned as of March 26, 2019.⁴

 See our Machine Guns & Automatic Firearms policy summary for a comprehensive discussion of this issue. 

1. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-102(1), (3).[↩]
2. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-102(5).[↩]
3. 18 U.S.C. § 922(o); 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d).[↩]
4. Bump-Stock-Type Devices, 83 Fed. Reg. 66,514 (Dec. 26, 2018) (to be codified at 27 C.F.R. pts. 447, 478, 479).[↩]