Colorado Dems pass bills cracking down on ammo sales, gun shows

DENVER (CN) — Democrats in the Colorado Senate on Tuesday passed two bills restricting firearm access on to the desk of Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis, aiming to raise the age to purchase ammunition to 21 and to tighten restrictions on gun shows.

“Our question is always, ‘Where did they get the gun?’ Now, our question is going to be, ‘Where did they get the ammunition?’” said Aurora Senator Tom Sullivan, speaking ahead of the vote on HB25-1133, “Requirements for Sale of Firearms Ammunition.”

Introduced two years after Colorado increased the age to purchase a firearm, this bill similarly raises the age to purchase ammo to 21, with exceptions for military, police and shooting range attendees.

Since losing his 27-year-old son Alex in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting, Sullivan has become a strong advocate for gun reform.

“The gun by itself, as I have been told, is something I should never be worried about, it’s an inanimate object, and had Alex’s killer walked up with that Smith and Weston MP15 Sport and swung it at Alex, Alex is still alive. But put a 100-round drum on it and armor-piercing ammunition, and Alex does not have a chance,” Sullivan said. “So, now that’s what we’re going to start looking at. We’re going to start trying to figure out where these kids are getting the ammunition.”

The age restriction bill passed its third and final reading 19-16, with four Democrats joining the Republican minority in opposition.

If signed, retailers caught selling ammunition to underage customers would face a civil infraction for a first offense and a class 1 misdemeanor for subsequent offenses. Similar to alcohol sales, the bill requires delivery drivers to verify an individual’s age before dropping off a package of ammunition.

Democratic legislators also looked to tighten regulations on gun show venues through HB25-1238, the “Gun Show Requirements” bill.

Ahead of the vote, Colorado Springs Senator Larry Liston stood to address his fear that the bill would discourage legal gun sales.

“HB-1238 would be to drive legal gun shows out of business,” said Liston, a Republican. “This will have a severe dampening effect on the honest, law-abiding citizens who run gun shows.”

The gun show bill passed 22-13 on its third and final reading, mostly along party lines with Routt County Senator Dylan Roberts the lone Democrat to vote against the measure.

Although originally drafted to raise the age to attend gun shows to 21, the bill was amended to allow patrons 18 and up to attend gun shows without an adult. Gun show coordinators must also retain liability insurance, implement security and enforce the state’s three-day waiting period law, which was enacted in 2023.

Colorado Democrats’ most ambitious bill, SB25-3, seeks to restrict “Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices."

The semiautomatic firearm bill has evolved from several years of failed assault rifle bans. Two progressive-backed bills seeking to outright ban assault rifles failed in the last two legislative sessions. The municipalities of Boulder and Louisville have stayed their own attempts to ban high-capacity firearms within city lines pending federal litigation.

Rather than enacting a blanket ban, this bill requires consumers to complete a hunter education course before purchasing a semiautomatic firearm, followed up with completion of an extended class within five years of obtaining the gun.

To be eligible for the class, individuals would also have to obtain an eligibility card from their local sheriff’s office following a background check.

Having struggled in past years to define what constitutes an “assault rifle,” Colorado lawmakers settled on “rapid-fire device” as classified under the state’s existing “dangerous weapons” ban. Violations of the law would be penalized with a class 2 misdemeanor, and subsequent violations charged as a class 6 felony.

After clearing the house on Monday with amendments, the Senate will vote on the semiautomatic bill on Friday. If signed, the law would take effect Aug. 1, 2026.

Other gun control bills have fallen short or remain pending. Earlier this month, the House Committee on Finance killed a bipartisan bill that would have provided Coloradans with a $200 income tax credit for purchasing firearm safety devices like gun safes and locks. Also under consideration in the House is a bipartisan bill looking to increase penalties for firearm theft and a Democrat-backed bill to facilitate a voluntary waiver of one’s right to purchase a gun.

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