CHP - Frequently Asked Questions

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As a service to the residents of Jefferson County, this guide has been developed to answer questions you may have concerning concealed handgun permits. Most citizens find that their specific needs for carrying a concealed handgun while in their home, business or private vehicle fall within the current law without needing a permit. If you plan to apply for a permit, please take a moment to read the following information.

The following 23 questions are the most frequently asked questions this agency receives. If you have further questions, you may contact Judy Searle at 303-271-5595 or by email at jsearle@jeffco.us

HOW DO I BECOME A LEGAL RESIDENT OF COLORADO?
In order to apply for a permit in Colorado, you must be a legal Colorado resident and posses a valid Colorado driver's license. If you have recently moved to Colorado, you must apply for a Colorado title and registration for your vehicle within 90 days from establishing Colorado residency. Colorado residency is established when one of the following criteria is met:
• You have obtained employment in Colorado.
• You own or operate a business in Colorado.
• You have resided in Colorado continuously for 90 days.

HOW LONG DOES THE PROCESS TAKE ONCE AN APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED?
The process is completed within 90-days following the date the required items are received. Upon approval, the applicant will be notified to come in for a photograph and the issuance of a permit card. Applicants who are denied a permit have the right to seek a second review by the sheriff by submitting additional information, or may seek judicial review pursuant to C.R.S. 18-12-207.

HOW LONG IS THE PERMIT VALID?
A permit is valid for 5 years from date of issuance.

HOW DO I CHANGE MY NAME OR ADDRESS ON MY DRIVER’S LICENSE AND IS THERE A TIME LIMIT?
Per section 42-2-119 (1) (a), “Whenever any person, after applying for or receiving a driver's license or motor vehicle registration number, moves from the address named in such application or in the license or registration issued to such person or when the name of the licensee is changed, such person shall within 30-days notify the department in writing of such person's old and new address, and the number of any license or registration held by such person. A licensee who changes his or her name shall, within 30-days, apply in person to renew such license pursuant to section 42-2-118 and in compliance with sections 42-2-107 and 42-2-305.”

How to file a change of address with the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV):
Colorado law allows a 30-day grace period to notify the DMV of an address change free of charge:

Write your new address in the space provided on the back of your existing license.
Stop by a driver’s license office and pick up a change of address form (DR2285) or print it out on-line.
When completing the form, make sure, if you are a voter, to fill in and sign the appropriate boxes to ensure your voter registration address is switched to the new district.
Mail the finished copy to the address listed below or drop it off at any driver’s license office. Division of Motor Vehicles, Driver Control Section, Denver, CO 80261-0016

IF I OBTAIN A PERMIT, WILL THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE RELEASE MY INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC?
No. Per 18-12-206 (3) (a), Sheriff’s Offices are only allowed to share applicant information with other law enforcement agencies. No information on an applicant is released to the public. The information requested is classified as a criminal justice record covered by Part III of the Open Record’s Act. The Act states that the custodian may deny access to criminal justice records when disclosure would be contrary to the public interest. 24-72-305(5) C.R.S. Per 18-12-206 (4), a copy of the annual report, prepared for the general assembly, may also be given to a member of the public upon request, but these reports include numbers only and do not provide names, addresses, etc.

WHERE CAN I GET A HANDGUN TRAINING CERTIFICATE?
A shooting range or handgun training facility that has a “certified instructor.” A “certified instructor” is an instructor for a firearms safety course who is certified as a firearms instructor by a county, municipal, state, or federal law enforcement agency; the Colorado POST board; a federal military agency; or a national nonprofit organization that certifies firearms instructors, operates national firearms competitions, and provides training, including courses in personal protection, in small arms safety, use, and marksmanship. A certified NRA instructor is acceptable.

The “handgun training class” means: a law enforcement training firearms safety course; a firearms safety course offered by a law enforcement agency, an institution of higher education, or a public or private institution or organization or firearms training school, that is open to the general public and is taught by a certified instructor; or a firearms safety course or class that is offered and taught by a certified instructor.

HOW DO I FIND C.R.S. SECTION 18-8-503 REGARDING QUESTION #3 ON THE APPLICATION?
You can find 18-8-503 at Colorado Revised Statutes, or at a local library or bookstore.

Per section 18-12-205 (2) (a), “An applicant who knowingly and intentionally makes a false or misleading statement on a permit application or deliberately omits any material information requested on the application commits perjury as described in section 18-8-503. Upon conviction, the applicant shall be punished as provided in section 18-1.3-501. In addition, the applicant shall be denied the right to obtain or possess a permit, and the sheriff shall revoke the applicant’s permit if issued prior to conviction.”

DO OTHER STATES HONOR COLORADO’S PERMIT / RECIPROCITY?
Yes. Permits are valid throughout the state of Colorado. Other states do have reciprocity with Colorado, and you may go to the Colorado Bureau of Invesitigation Reciprocity site to find this information.

CAN I CARRY A HANDGUN INTO OPEN SPACE AND STATE PARK AREAS?
Contact Open Space/Colorado State Parks where you plan to carry as each entity has their own rules and regulations.

IF I OBTAIN A PERMIT, DO I HAVE TO CARRY MY HANDGUN CONCEALED?
Due to some counties and municipalities having ordinances against open carry, it is recommended to contact the agencies where you plan to travel or obtain advice from an attorney.

WHAT ARE THE CARRY RESTRICTIONS?
A person may not carry a concealed handgun into: A place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by Federal law; a public building at which security personnel and electronic weapons screening devices are permanently in place; or where a private property owner, private tenant, private employer, or private business entity disallow.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M PROHIBITED TO OWN/POSSESS A FIREARM?
Federal Law 18 USC 922 (g) (1-9) prohibits the following individuals from possessing, shipping/transporting, or receiving any firearm or ammunition:

A person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year;
A person who is a fugitive from justice;
A person who is an unlawful user of or who is addicted to a controlled substance (see next question);
A person who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or who has been admitted to a mental institution;
An alien who is unlawfully in the United States or who has been admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa;
A person who has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions;
A person who, having been a citizen of the United States, renounces his citizenship;
A person subject to a court order that was issued after a hearing in which the person participated, which order restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or partner’s child, and which order includes a finding that the person is a credible threat to such partner or partner’s child, or by its terms prohibits the use, attempted use or threatened use of such force against such partner or partner’s child;
A person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

CAN I GET A PERMIT IF I HAVE A MEDICAL MARIJUANA PERMIT/CARD/CERTIFICATE?
No. C.R.S. 18-12-203 (c) states: A sheriff shall issue a permit to carry to an applicant who is not ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to Federal Law.

Federal law 18 USC 922 (g) (3), prohibits any person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance from shipping, transporting, receiving or possessing firearms or ammunition. Marijuana is listed in the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule I controlled substance, and there are no exceptions in Federal law for marijuana purportedly used for medicinal purposes, even if such use is sanctioned by State law. Further, Federal law 18 USC 922 (d) (3), makes it unlawful for any person to sell or otherwise dispose of any firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such person is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

Any person who uses or is addicted to marijuana, regardless of whether his/her State has passed legislation authorizing marijuana use for medicinal purposes, is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, and is prohibited by Federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I LOSE MY PERMIT CARD?
You must notify the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office within 3 business days of a lost, stolen, or destroyed permit card. Failure to do so is a chargeable offense. You will need to complete a lost, stolen or destroyed form and submit this in person to the Records Unit, along with a valid ID. There is a $15 fee to replace the card (no personal checks).

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY PERMIT IF I MOVE WITHIN COLORADO OR OUT-OF-STATE?
You must notify the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office within 30-days of an address change. Failure to do so is a chargeable offense. If you move within the state of Colorado, the permit remains valid. If you move out-of-state, the permit becomes invalid and must be returned to the issuing Sheriff’s Office.

You will need to complete a change of address form. Once completed, submit the form and your current permit card in person to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Records Unit. A new card will be issued and the old one confiscated and destroyed.

IF I OWN PROPERTY IN COLORADO AND ANOTHER STATE, WHERE DO I APPLY FOR A PERMIT?
You must apply in the state where you claim primary residency (i.e. have a driver’s license, license plates, registered to vote, etc.). Other states do have reciprocity with Colorado, and you may go to the Colorado Bureau of Invesitigation Reciprocity site to find this information. Example: If you claim primary residency in Florida and possess a Florida permit, your permit is valid here in Colorado.

HOW DO I RENEW MY JEFFERSON COUNTY PERMIT?
It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit for renewal of a permit prior to the expiration date on the permit card. Within 120-days prior to the expiration of your permit, you may submit a completed application, proof of residency (a valid Colorado driver’s license, Colorado ID or Military Photo Identification), and $53. The “Proof of Firearms Training” on the back of the application does not pertain to renewal applicants, as long as a certificate is already on file and the existing permit card is not more than 6 months expired. The applicant must deliver the original application in person to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Records Unit. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Per C.R.S. 18-12-205 (2) (a), all applicants must sign the completed application in the presence of the issuing county sheriff or their designee. These permits are valid for an additional five years from the date of issuance.

IF I MOVE TO JEFFERSON COUNTY, HOW DO I RENEW MY PERMIT FROM ANOTHER COUNTY?
It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit renewal for a permit prior to the expiration date. Within 120-days prior to the expiration of your permit, you may submit for renewal of your permit to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Please note that in addition to a completed application and proof of residency (a valid Colorado driver’s license, Colorado ID or Military Photo Identification), a handgun training certificate and a processing fee of $92.50 will also need to be submitted. Your handgun training certificate may not be more than 10 years old and $52.50 of the processing fee will be submitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for fingerprint processing. Per CBI, the issuing agency must have prints on file for the individual applying for a permit.

CAN I RENEW MY PERMIT IF I MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTY?
Yes. You may submit renewal to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office or to the Sheriff's Office in the county where you move to. Please note that you may need to start the process brand new or pay additional fees for fingerprint processing. If you have a permit with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and relocate to another county, you may still renew with Jefferson County for $53.

IF I MOVE TO COLORADO, IS MY OUT-OF-STATE PERMIT VALID?
Once you become a legal resident of Colorado, you have a 90-day grace period with your out-of-state permit as long as Colorado has reciprocity with that state. During this time, applicants must apply for a Colorado permit and provide all required items listed on the front page of this guide in order to meet Colorado laws. Out-of-state permits may not be renewed in Colorado.

IF I’M A CURRENT COLORADO RESIDENT, IS MY OUT-OF-STATE PERMIT VALID HERE?
No. Per C.R.S. 18-12-213 (b) (II), which passed May 17, 2007, Colorado residents who possess out-of-state permits are not valid here in Colorado and the individual is considered to be carrying illegally. If you are a Colorado resident and want to carry concealed, you must possess a Colorado concealed handgun permit.

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR A PERMIT IF I’M HERE ON A WORK VISA, AN IMMIGRANT OR A NON-IMMIGRANT?
Yes. If you have a work visa, you must provide the work visa, a completed supplemental form, proof of residency showing you have resided here for at least 90 days, and possess a valid hunting license. Along with these items, you will need to submit all documents listed on front page of this packet.

If you are a non-immigrant with an “admission number” or an immigrant with an “INS form” (green card), you must provide these documents, a completed supplemental form and proof of residency showing you have resided here for at least 90 days. Along with these items, you will need to submit all documents listed on front page of this packet.

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Last Modified: Feb 7, 2012 07:35 AM