25-03-2025
Colorado Senate approves pair of ammunition purchase, gun show regulation bills
DENVER (KDVR) — A pair of bills raising the minimum age for firearm ammunition purchases and adding gun show security rules is heading back to the Colorado House for consideration after the state senate approved the bills with amendments.
The senate voted Tuesday on HB25-1133, which raises the age required for firearm ammunition purchases to 21 years old in most instances, and HB25-1238, which adds a slew of new rules for gun shows. The ammunition purchase bill narrowly passed 19-16, and the gun show rules bill passed with a wider margin of 22-13.
'Colorado has suffered a disproportionate number of tragic shootings and we must do whatever we can to prevent future acts of senseless violence,' said Fort Collins Democrat Senator Cathy Kipp, a sponsor of both bills. 'Both of these bills are commonsense measures to help ensure dangerous firearms don't get into the wrong hands and that Colorado state law is being followed wherever firearms are sold.'
The Colorado House passed the ammunition purchase bill in late February and the gun show rules bill earlier in March, but they will now consider both bills again as the senate made amendments to both.
Previous: Colorado House passes bill to change gun ammunition purchase rules
The amendment to the ammunition purchases bill added the following exceptions:
For people 18-20 years old:
at shooting ranges,
who are members of the military and veterans,
who have a hunter education certification,
who are protected by a protection order, or
who were born on or before January 28, 2007;
and for sales of ammunition that is not rimfire ammunition.
The bill, in addition to raising the age minimum for purchases, also mandates ammunition can only be accessible to a purchaser with vendor assistance. It also requires anyone shipping ammunition to give written notice to the deliverer that they have ammunition and prohibits outside labels indicating the package has ammunition.
Violating the purchasing rules is a civil infraction the first time, then a class 1 misdemeanor after that. Violating the shipping rules is a class 1 misdemeanor.
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The gun show bill includes requirements for both promoters of gun shows and participating in guns shows as a vendor.
The amendment to that bill defines the difference between a gun show and a 'gun collectors show' and states collectors shows are not considered gun shows under this bill. It also removed the requirement guns must be in enclosed display cases or behind vendor counters, opting instead that guns must be kept in 'a manner that makes the ammunition inaccessible to gun show attendees without the assistance of the vendor.'
Additionally, it removes the maximum fee amount for background checks at gun shows.
Violations of this bill are class 2 misdemeanors the first time and class 1 misdemeanors subsequent times.
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