Information about Colorado’s new Specified Semiautomatic Firearm program is spread among Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Department of Revenue, county sheriff offices, firearms instructors and federally licensed firearms dealers.

This page is designed to help Colorado gun owners find the correct resources without relying on rumors, outdated firearm lists or incomplete social-media posts.

Colorado SSF Quick Links

Start with Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, commonly called CPW, administers the Firearms Safety Program and the Firearms Safety System used for applications, eligibility records, instructor access and course-completion information.

CPW currently describes the SSF purchase process in five general steps:

1. Create an account and submit an application through the Colorado Firearms Safety System.
2. Provide the required identification, name-based background check and fees to the applicant’s county sheriff.
3. Complete the sheriff review and receive a Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card.
4. Complete the required 4-hour Basic or 12-hour Extended Firearms Safety Course with a verified instructor.
5. Have the firearms dealer confirm eligibility through the Firearms Safety System before beginning the firearm purchase or transfer.

Who Is Affected by the SSF Program?

The new process applies to people purchasing or receiving a covered Specified Semiautomatic Firearm on or after August 1, 2026.

Lawful possession of a firearm acquired before August 1, 2026, is not the same as making a new purchase or transfer after the law takes effect.

The law generally concerns:

• Semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines.
• Semiautomatic shotguns with detachable magazines.
• Certain gas-operated semiautomatic handguns with detachable magazines.

Several firearm types and configurations are excluded from the statutory definition. Because firearm classification can depend on the operating system, magazine configuration and specific model, purchasers should not rely only on a general description.

The Colorado Firearms Safety System Application

The Firearms Safety System, or FSS, is the state’s online platform for managing applicants, sheriff eligibility decisions, instructor access and course records.

When the application system becomes available, an applicant will create an account, enter the required information and submit the application to the appropriate county sheriff’s queue.

If the applicant has qualifying Hunter Education, that information should be entered during the online application process. Hunter Education credentials must be verified through CPW records.

The Sheriff Eligibility Card

A person must hold a valid Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card before enrolling in the required Basic or Extended SSF course.

CPW currently instructs applicants to provide the following to their county sheriff:

• A government-issued photo identification.
• A name-based background-check report.
• The $52 Firearms Training and Safety Course Record Fee.
• Any additional fee charged by the county sheriff.
• Any other documents required under the sheriff’s local procedure.

If approved, the sheriff enters the eligibility-card information into the Firearms Safety System. The eligibility card is valid for five years.

Applicants should understand that fees are charged during the application process and may be owed even when the application is not approved.

County Procedures Are Not Identical

Each county sheriff is responsible for implementing the eligibility-card process within that county. The sheriff may establish a local processing fee and instructions for submitting the identification, background-check report and other documents.

Before submitting an application or purchasing a background-check report, ask your county sheriff:

• When the office will begin accepting or reviewing SSF applications.
• Whether documents must be submitted in person, online or by mail.
• Whether an appointment is required.
• Which identification and supporting documents are required.
• Which name-based background-check reports will be accepted.
• Whether the report must come from a particular type of vendor.
• Whether the vendor must provide a signed attestation.
• What county processing fee will be charged.
• Which payment methods are accepted.
• How the approval or denial will be communicated.

Some sheriffs have published procedures while others are waiting until closer to August 1, 2026. Do not assume that instructions issued by one county will be accepted by another.

The Name-Based Background Check Problem

The name-based background check remains one of the least clearly explained parts of Colorado’s SSF application process.

CPW states that the applicant must provide a name-based background check to the county sheriff. CPW also directs the applicant to contact the sheriff for instructions about obtaining and submitting the report.

However, the state has not provided one clearly published statewide list of accepted background-check vendors or one uniform process that every sheriff must use.

Questions that remain include:

• Must the applicant purchase the report before visiting the sheriff?
• Will any reputable national background-check provider be accepted?
• Must the report include Colorado and national criminal-history databases?
• Must the provider search court records, corrections records or sex-offender registries?
• Must the vendor provide a signed attestation describing the records searched?
• Will the sheriff accept a Colorado Bureau of Investigation Internet Criminal History Check?
• Will each county approve different vendors or report formats?

Discussion among applicants, instructors and firearms organizations confirms that this issue is causing confusion across Colorado. Unofficial recommendations may be useful for research, but acceptance must be confirmed by the sheriff processing the application.

Information for Pueblo County Applicants

Have Gun Will Train Colorado spoke directly with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office during the July 2026 implementation period.

Based on that initial conversation:

• Pueblo County did not expect to begin processing SSF eligibility-card applications before August 1, 2026.
• The Sheriff’s Office did not expect to charge an additional local application-processing fee at that time.
• The office did not yet have definite instructions identifying an acceptable background-check vendor or report.

This reflects what HGWTC was told during the initial rollout. It is not a guarantee that the procedure, fee or background-check requirement will remain unchanged.

Pueblo County applicants should confirm the current procedure directly with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office before submitting an application or purchasing a third-party report.

Visit the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office

Colorado SSF Application and Training Costs

The complete SSF process may involve several separate charges:

• $52 CPW fee: The Firearms Training and Safety Course Record Fee is collected through the sheriff and sent to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
• County sheriff fee: Each sheriff may establish a separate local administrative fee.
• Background-check cost: The applicant may have to purchase an accepted name-based background-check report.
• Course fee: Verified instructors may charge for the required 4-hour or 12-hour course.
• Dealer fees: The firearm transaction may include the dealer’s normal background-check, transfer or processing fees.

County fees may vary considerably. Always verify the complete local cost and accepted payment methods before beginning the application process.

The 4-Hour and 12-Hour SSF Courses

After the sheriff issues the eligibility card, the applicant may contact an instructor verified through the Colorado Firearms Safety Program.

The instructor will use the Firearms Safety System to confirm which course the applicant is eligible to attend.

There are no other shortcuts. A Colorado concealed handgun permit, military experience, previous firearms courses, years of firearm ownership or extensive shooting experience do not replace the required SSF course or create another abbreviated pathway.

Do not guess which course you need. The instructor must follow the eligibility information shown in the Firearms Safety System.

Testing, Practical Exercises and Live Fire

Students must complete the required in-person instruction and achieve a minimum score of 90 percent on the final examination.

CPW’s customer-journey description also refers to a hands-on practical. This should not be confused with a shooting qualification.

Colorado’s Specified Semiautomatic Firearm List

The Colorado Department of Revenue has published a guidance document identifying firearm makes, models and configurations that may meet the statutory definition of a Specified Semiautomatic Firearm.

The document is useful for understanding how the state currently views commonly available firearms. However, it is not a permanent or complete list.

A firearm’s absence from the guidance does not automatically establish that it falls outside the law. Likewise, a purchaser should not make a final determination solely by comparing a firearm to a model name or photograph.

View the Current Colorado Firearm Guidance

The FFL Makes the Transaction Determination

The firearm guidance is informational. The purchaser does not make the final decision about whether a firearm will be processed as a Specified Semiautomatic Firearm.

Before ordering a firearm online, paying a transfer fee or beginning a private-party transaction, ask the receiving FFL whether the specific make, model and configuration will be processed under the SSF requirements.

Colorado Firearms Watch

Colorado Firearms Watch is an independent reference site that collects and organizes information about the SSF program.

The site currently includes:

• A searchable version of the state firearm guidance.
• A county-by-county sheriff application tracker.
• Published county fees and application instructions.
• A record of changes made to the firearm guidance.
• Links to source documents.
• Implementation questions that have not yet been resolved.

Search the Resource Site

Check Your County

Colorado SSF Training in Pueblo

Have Gun Will Train Colorado is approved to provide Colorado’s 4-hour Basic and 12-hour Extended Specified Semiautomatic Firearms Safety Courses.

Both courses use the standardized curriculum required by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Neither course includes live-fire shooting or a range qualification.

Students must complete the sheriff eligibility process before the instructor can verify their course eligibility through the Firearms Safety System.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does owning a covered firearm before August 1, 2026, require me to take the course?

The new purchase-and-transfer process concerns covered transactions occurring on or after August 1, 2026. Existing lawful possession is not the same as making a new purchase or transfer.

Can I use the Department of Revenue firearm list to decide whether I need training?

The guidance is useful for general information, but it is not a permanent or complete list. The FFL handling the transaction will determine how the firearm is processed.

What happens if a firearm is not listed?

The firearm guidance is a living document. A firearm’s absence from the current or an older version does not automatically establish that the firearm is exempt.

Who decides whether my firearm is an SSF?

The federally licensed firearms dealer handling the sale or transfer makes the determination for that transaction. Ask the dealer before ordering or paying for the firearm.

Does my concealed handgun permit count?

No. Concealed handgun permit training and background checks do not replace the SSF eligibility process or required course.

Does prior military or firearms experience create a shortcut?

No. The only shorter pathway identified by CPW is the 4-hour Basic Course for an applicant with verified qualifying Hunter Education. Without that qualification, the applicant must complete the 12-hour Extended Course.

Is there a shooting qualification?

No. The 4-hour and 12-hour SSF courses do not include a live-fire shooting component or range qualification.

What score must I receive?

Students must achieve a minimum score of 90 percent on the required final examination.

How long is the eligibility card valid?

The sheriff-issued Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card is valid for five years.

Where do I obtain the required name-based background check?

Contact the county sheriff processing your application before purchasing a report. The accepted provider, databases, report format and submission procedure may vary by county.

Can I choose between the 4-hour and 12-hour courses?

No. Your verified Hunter Education information and eligibility record in the Firearms Safety System determine which course you must complete.

Can I take the course before receiving sheriff approval?

No. The instructor must verify that you have a valid eligibility record and are authorized for the appropriate course.

More Colorado SSF Information

• Colorado Specified Semiautomatic Firearm Training
• Colorado Specified Semiautomatic Firearm FAQ
• Colorado 4-Hour vs. 12-Hour Firearms Safety Course
• Who Needs Colorado SSF Training?