Firearms Safety Class Eligibility Card

Safety Class Administration: Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is responsible for developing and maintaining safety course curriculum, working with county sheriff’s offices, communicating with verified firearms instructors, and managing eligibility records.

• Extended Firearm Safety Course: If you have not completed a hunter’s education course or CPW firearms safety course, you must enroll in an extended firearms safety course. This course includes a minimum of 12 hours of in-person instruction, provided on at least two separate days. Students must pass the course with a minimum score of 90% on the exam.
• Basic Firearm Safety Class: If you have proof of completion of a hunter’s education course, then the basic firearms safety course will be required with four hours of in-person instruction and a minimum score of 90% on the exam.

Specified Semiautomatic Firearms List: The Colorado Department of Revenue Specialized Business Group has published a Specific Guidance and Specifications (PDF) identifying the semiautomatic platforms that are subject to the act.

What are SSFs?
SB 25-003 defines SSFs as semiautomatic rifles or shotguns with detachable magazines, and gas-operated semiautomatic handguns with detachable magazines. The definition does not include, and the law does not impact, recoil-operated pistols, fixed-magazine rifles, traditional hunting rifles or common shotguns.

What are the new requirements to purchase or transfer SSFs?
SB 25-003 requires individuals purchasing or transferring an SSF starting August 1, 2026, to pass an in-person, state-mandated, firearms safety course within the preceding five years. There are two types of safety courses, basic or extended, and the type of course an individual is required to take depends on whether the individual has completed a hunter’s education course.

Do I need to take a safety course to keep an SSF that I owned before August 1, 2026?
No. Lawful possession of an SSF prior to August 1, 2026, is exempt from the requirements of SB 25-003. Owners are not required to surrender SSFs they lawfully owned before August 1, 2026.

What role does the Sheriff’s Office have with the safety course?
To enroll in either a basic or extended firearms safety course, individuals must first obtain a firearms safety course eligibility card from a county sheriff’s office. The Sheriff’s Office does not teach safety courses or determine the courses’ content. Its role is limited to accepting and processing applications for eligibility cards and issuing those cards to qualified individuals.

Who is a third-party vendor who performs name-based background checks?
We will accept completed name-based background checks from vendors who attest that they conduct name-based background checks of national and Colorado public criminal history and judicial databases as part of their business and who attest that they performed the background check on the applicant. The applicant is responsible for finding a vendor who meets these criteria. We do not maintain a list of third-party vendors who conduct name-based background checks and cannot recommend vendors.

What are the penalties for purchasing or transferring SSFs without the required training?
Unlawful manufacture, distribution, transfer or sale of a specified semiautomatic firearm is a class 2 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense is a class 6 felony.

Step 1: Complete your application with Colorado Parks and Wildlife before submitting to the Sheriff’s Office.

Step 2: Complete your Firearm Safety Class Eligibility Card application online with the Sheriff’s Office. Required documents include:

• Completed CPW application
• Government-issued photo ID
• Name-based background check
• Payment ($52 CPW fee and Sheriff’s Office fee)

Step 3: The Sheriff or designee will review your application and determine your eligibility for a Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card (FSCEC), valid for 5 years.

Step 4: Once approved for your FSCEC, you must complete an in-person firearms safety course. If you already have a valid CPW-certified Hunter Education course, you can complete the Basic 4-hour Firearm Safety Course. The 12-hour Extended Firearm Safety Course is required if you do not have valid Hunter’s Education Certification. Both classes require a passing score of 90% or better on the exam.

Step 5:After you pass the course, your instructor will enter your results into the state database within three business days. Licensed firearms dealers can then verify your training and eligibility to complete your SSF purchase.

For more regulatory details and a list of verified firearms instructors, visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Specified Semiautomatic Firearms Portal.