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Monday, Mar. 3, 2025

Would Colorado’s proposed ban on certain semiautomatic guns exempt people who take gun classes?

Por Jaijongkit, The Colorado Sun
yes

People who are vetted by a sheriff’s office and meet certain gun safety course requirements would be able to legally purchase semiautomatic weapons that would otherwise be banned under Senate Bill 3. 

The exemption was added in a Feb. 14 amendment to the proposed ban by its Democratic sponsors, aimed at securing its passage.

The carveout would apply to people who have completed a Colorado Parks and Wildlife hunter education course and, within five years before purchase, a basic firearms safety course, or those who have completed an extended firearms safety course within five years before purchase. 

The basic safety course must be at least four hours long and the extended course at least 12. The classes would be held in-person rather than virtually, and taught by instructors verified by a sheriff’s office. 

To enroll, Coloradans would need a valid firearms safety course eligibility card, which requires a criminal record check. 

See a full discussion of this at The Colorado Sun

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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The Colorado Sun is a journalist-founded, award-winning and nonprofit news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself. In this way, we believe we can contribute to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado. We are committed to fact-based, in-depth and nonpartisan journalism. We cover everything from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education. Our goal is to produce the best possible journalism. We do that with the help of you, our readers, and community backers. We launched on Sept. 10, 2018.

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