A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning requirements for the retail sale of ammunition
Page 1, Line 102for firearms, and, in connection therewith,
Page 1, Line 103establishing requirements for the delivery of
Page 1, Line 104ammunition sold at retail.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill requires that ammunition sold at retail must be accessible to a purchaser or transferee only with the assistance of the vendor, and the bill prohibits the retail sale of ammunition to a person who is younger than 21 years of age. Unlawful sale of ammunition by violating either requirement is a civil infraction; except that a second or subsequent violation is a class 1 misdemeanor.
The bill requires a person shipping ammunition to give written notice to the ammunition deliverer that the package contains ammunition and prohibits labeling the outside of the package in a manner that indicates that the package contains ammunition. Violating either provision is unlawful notification involving an ammunition package, which is a class 1 misdemeanor.
When delivering a package containing ammunition sold at retail, a retail ammunition deliverer is required to verify that the person receiving the delivery is 21 years of age or older and obtain written acknowledgment of receipt from the recipient. Violating either of these requirements is unlawful delivery of ammunition by a retail ammunition deliverer, which is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 18-12-101, add (1)(a.2) as follows:
Page 2, Line 318-12-101. Peace officer affirmative defense - definitions. (1) As used in this article 12, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 2, Line 4(a.2) "Ammunition" means an ammunition or cartridge
Page 2, Line 5case, primer, bullet, or propellant powder designed for use in a firearm. The term "ammunition" does not include:
Page 2, Line 6(I) A shotgun shot or pellet not designed for use as the
Page 2, Line 7single, complete projectile load for one shotgun hull or casing; or
Page 2, Line 8(II) An unloaded, nonmetallic shotgun hull or casing that does not have a primer.
Page 2, Line 9SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 18-12-116 as follows:
Page 2, Line 1018-12-116. Ammunition sales - sales requirements - minimum
Page 2, Line 11purchase age - exceptions - ammunition delivery requirements -
Page 3, Line 1penalties - definitions - repeal. (1) (a) A retail ammunition vendor
Page 3, Line 2shall not sell, offer for sale, or display for sale or transfer
Page 3, Line 3ammunition in a manner that allows the ammunition to be
Page 3, Line 4accessible to a purchaser or transferee without the assistance
Page 3, Line 5of the vendor or an employee of the vendor. Ammunition
Page 3, Line 6displayed in an enclosed display case or behind a counter or
Page 3, Line 7other customer access prevention device is not considered accessible for the purposes of this subsection (1)(a).
Page 3, Line 8(b) (I) A retail ammunition vendor shall not sell
Page 3, Line 9ammunition that is not rimfire ammunition to a person who is
Page 3, Line 10under twenty-one years of age. Prior to completing a sale of
Page 3, Line 11ammunition at an in-person transaction, the retail ammunition
Page 3, Line 12vendor, or an employee of the vendor, shall verify that the
Page 3, Line 13purchaser is at least twenty-one years of age by requiring the
Page 3, Line 14purchaser to produce a valid government-issued photo identification.
Page 3, Line 15(II) (A) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 3, Line 16ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 3, Line 17described in subsection (1)(b)(I) of this section, a retail
Page 3, Line 18ammunition vendor is not prohibited from selling ammunition to
Page 3, Line 19a person eighteen years of age or older but under twenty-one years of age who was born on or before January 28, 2007.
Page 3, Line 20(B) This subsection (1)(b)(II) is repealed, effective January 28, 2028.
Page 3, Line 21(c) (I) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 3, Line 22ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 3, Line 23described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, the operator of a
Page 4, Line 1shooting range that provides opportunities for the public to
Page 4, Line 2engage in shooting sports or education may sell ammunition to
Page 4, Line 3a person who is eighteen years of age or older but under
Page 4, Line 4twenty-one years of age for use only at the shooting range.
Page 4, Line 5Prior to completing the sale of ammunition, the seller shall
Page 4, Line 6verify that the purchaser is at least eighteen years of age by
Page 4, Line 7requiring the purchaser to produce a valid government-issued photo identification.
Page 4, Line 8(II) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 4, Line 9ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 4, Line 10described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, a retail ammunition
Page 4, Line 11vendor may sell ammunition during an in-person transaction to
Page 4, Line 12a member or veteran of the United States military or Colorado
Page 4, Line 13national guard who is eighteen years of age or older but under
Page 4, Line 14twenty-one years of age. Prior to completing the sale of
Page 4, Line 15ammunition during an in-person transaction to a member or
Page 4, Line 16veteran of the United States military or Colorado national
Page 4, Line 17guard who is under twenty-one years of age, the retail
Page 4, Line 18ammunition vendor, or an employee of the vendor, shall verify
Page 4, Line 19that the purchaser is a member or veteran by requiring the
Page 4, Line 20purchaser to produce a valid military identification card that
Page 4, Line 21demonstrates that the person is a member or veteran of the United States military or Colorado national guard.
Page 4, Line 22(III) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 4, Line 23ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 4, Line 24described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, a retail ammunition
Page 4, Line 25vendor may sell ammunition to a person who is eighteen years of
Page 5, Line 1age or older but under twenty-one years of age who
Page 5, Line 2demonstrates having obtained hunter education certification by presenting:
Page 5, Line 3(A) A valid hunter education certificate recognized by the division of parks and wildlife; or
Page 5, Line 4(B) An expired or unexpired hunting license issued by the
Page 5, Line 5division of parks and wildlife that has a verified hunter education certification.
Page 5, Line 6(IV) (A) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 5, Line 7ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 5, Line 8described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, a retail ammunition
Page 5, Line 9vendor may sell ammunition to a person who is eighteen years of
Page 5, Line 10age or older but under twenty-one years of age and who is
Page 5, Line 11identified as a protected person in a protection order that is in
Page 5, Line 12effect. Prior to completing the sale of ammunition to a
Page 5, Line 13protected person, the retail ammunition vendor, or an employee
Page 5, Line 14of the vendor, shall verify that the purchaser is a protected
Page 5, Line 15person by requiring the purchaser to produce a copy of the
Page 5, Line 16protection order identifying the purchaser as a protected
Page 5, Line 17person and requiring the person to attest that the protection order is in effect.
Page 5, Line 18(B) As used in this subsection (1)(c)(I), "protected person"
Page 5, Line 19means a person identified in a protection order, as described in
Page 5, Line 20section 18-6-803.5 (1.5)(a.5), as a person for whose benefit the protection order was issued.
Page 5, Line 21(d) A retail ammunition vendor that violates this
Page 5, Line 22subsection (1) commits unlawful sale of ammunition. Unlawful
Page 6, Line 1sale of ammunition is a civil infraction; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Page 6, Line 2(2) (a) A retail ammunition vendor delivering a package
Page 6, Line 3containing ammunition to a retail ammunition deliverer for purposes of transport:
Page 6, Line 4(I) Shall give written notice to the retail ammunition deliverer that the package contains ammunition; and
Page 6, Line 5(II) Shall not label, tag, or otherwise mark the outside of
Page 6, Line 6the package in a manner that indicates that the package contains ammunition.
Page 6, Line 7(b) A retail ammunition vendor who violates this
Page 6, Line 8subsection (2) commits unlawful notification involving an
Page 6, Line 9ammunition package. Unlawful notification involving an ammunition package is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Page 6, Line 10(c) This subsection (2) does not prohibit a retail
Page 6, Line 11ammunition vendor from complying with requirements in federal
Page 6, Line 12law or regulations concerning labeling a package intended for shipment or transport that contains ammunition.
Page 6, Line 13(3) (a) When delivering a package containing ammunition sold at retail, a retail ammunition deliverer shall:
Page 6, Line 14(I) Verify that the person receiving the ammunition
Page 6, Line 15delivery is twenty-one years of age or older by requiring the
Page 6, Line 16person to present a valid government-issued photographic identification to the person making the delivery; and
Page 6, Line 17(II) Obtain written acknowledgment of receipt of the ammunition delivery from the recipient of the delivery.
Page 6, Line 18(b) (I) Notwithstanding the requirement to verify that the
Page 7, Line 1person receiving ammunition is twenty-one years of age or older
Page 7, Line 2described in subsection (3)(a)(I) of this section, a retail
Page 7, Line 3ammunition deliverer shall verify that the person receiving ammunition was born on or before January 28, 2007.
Page 7, Line 4(II) This subsection (3)(b) is repealed, effective January 28, 2028.
Page 7, Line 5(c) A retail ammunition deliverer that violates this
Page 7, Line 6subsection (3) commits unlawful delivery of ammunition by a
Page 7, Line 7retail ammunition deliverer. Unlawful delivery of ammunition by a retail ammunition deliverer is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Page 7, Line 8(d) This section does not apply to a retail ammunition
Page 7, Line 9deliverer that does not know that the package contains
Page 7, Line 10ammunition because the sender failed to notify the deliverer
Page 7, Line 11that the package contains ammunition as required in subsection(2)(a)(I) of this section.
Page 7, Line 12(4) This section does not apply to the sale or offer to sell
Page 7, Line 13ammunition at wholesale or the delivery of ammunition sold at wholesale.
Page 7, Line 14(5) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 7, Line 15(a) "Retail ammunition deliverer" means an entity that
Page 7, Line 16delivers, by motor vehicle, ammunition sold at retail to the
Page 7, Line 17purchaser at a location in this state. "Retail ammunition
Page 7, Line 18deliverer" includes a retail ammunition vendor that delivers to
Page 7, Line 19a location other than the vendor's place of business ammunition sold by the vendor at retail to the purchaser.
Page 7, Line 20(b) "Retail ammunition vendor" means a person who sells
Page 8, Line 1ammunition at retail. "Retail ammunition vendor" includes a
Page 8, Line 2vendor not located in Colorado when the vendor sells or offers
Page 8, Line 3to sell ammunition at retail for delivery to a purchaser located in Colorado.
Page 8, Line 4SECTION 3. Effective date - applicability. This act takes effect
Page 8, Line 5July 1, 2026, and applies to ammunition sold and ammunition delivered on or after said date.
Page 8, Line 6SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
Page 8, Line 7determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
Page 8, Line 8preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
Page 8, Line 9the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.