1. Colorado Has 33 Reciprocal States

Colorado has concealed carry reciprocity with 33 other states. This means if you have a current and valid CHP (concealed handgun permit) from Colorado, you can lawfully carry a concealed handgun in the other 33 states.

Likewise, if you have a current and valid CHP from one of these 33 states, you may lawfully carry a concealed handgun in Colorado.

Colorado’s 33 reciprocal states are:

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arizona
4. Arkansas
5. Delaware
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Idaho
9. Iowa
10. Indiana
11. Kansas
12. Kentucky
13. Louisiana
14. Michigan
15. Mississippi
16. Missouri
17. Montana
18. Nebraska
19. New Hampshire
20. New Mexico
21. North Carolina
22. North Dakota
23. Ohio
24. Oklahoma
25. Pennsylvania
26. South Dakota
27. Tennessee
28. Texas
29. Utah
30. Virginia
31. West Virginia
32. Wisconsin
33. Wyoming

Therefore, Colorado does not recognize state permits from California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, and Washington.

Having a Colorado permit does not allow you to carry concealed firearms in non-reciprocal states and D.C. Conversely, having a permit from a non-reciprocal state does not allow you to carry concealed in Colorado.¹

2. You Must Meet Criteria to Conceal Carry in Colorado

If you have a permit from one of Colorado’s 33 states, you can carry concealed in Colorado if all of the following are true:

• You are at least 21 years of age;
• You are in physical possession of the concealed carry permit (often called a CCW permit, for carrying a concealed weapon);
• You are a resident of the issuing state;
• You have a state driver’s license (or state ID) showing that you are a resident of the state which issued the permit;
• Your permit is current and valid in the issuing state; and
• The issuing state recognizes and honors Colorado CHP permits.

A weapon is considered concealed on your person if it is completely out of sight. An example is being hidden under a jacket or in a purse.

Only partially concealed weapons – such as a gun in a holster – are not considered concealed, and you would not need a CHP.²

3. Carrying Concealed Without a CHP Is a Crime

Carrying a hidden firearm without a current and valid concealed carry permit is a class 1 misdemeanor in Colorado. The sentence is:

• Up to 364 days in jail, and/or
• A fine of up to $1,000.

A second or subsequent offense of carrying concealed without a valid permit – within five years of the prior offense – is a class 5 felony. The punishment is:

• 1 to 3 years in Colorado State Prison (with 2 years mandatory parole), and/or
• A fine of $1,000 to $100,000.³

In addition, if you are convicted of a felony, you lose your right to possess firearms at all under state and federal law.⁴

Defenses

Here at Colorado Legal Defense Group, I have represented literally thousands of people charged with weapons crimes, including carrying concealed without a permit. In my experience, the following defenses have proven very effective with judges, juries, and prosecutors at getting these charges reduced or dismissed.

• You were on your own property at the time, and the purpose of the weapon was for self-defense.
• You were in a private motor vehicle, and the weapon was for protection while traveling.
• You did not knowingly possess the weapon (perhaps it was planted on you).
• You were openly carrying the gun, not carrying it concealed. (Learn about Colorado’s open carry gun laws.)
• You were a permit holder complying with all of the Colorado concealed carry rules, and the police officer made a mistake.
• The police entrapped you.
• The police coerced a confession.
• Law enforcement found the weapon through an illegal search.

Additional Reading

For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:

• Concealed carry bans and the American college campus: a law, social sciences, and policy perspective – Contemporary Justice Review.
• New evidence on the impact of concealed carry weapon laws on crime – International Review of Law and Economics.
• The Decision to Carry: The Effect of Crime on Concealed-Carry Applications – Journal of Human Resources.
• Concealed Carry through Common Use: Extending Heller’s Constitutional Construction – George Washington Law Review.
• Defiance, Concealed Carry, and Race – Law and Contemporary Problems.

Legal References