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 to a person who is under twenty-one years of age.
Page 3, Line 10Prior to completing a sale of ammunition at an in-person
Page 3, Line 11transaction, the retail ammunition vendor, or an employee of
Page 3, Line 12the vendor, shall verify that the purchaser is at least
Page 3, Line 13twenty-one years of age by requiring the purchaser to produce a valid government-issued photo identification.
Page 3, Line 14(II) (A) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 3, Line 15ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 3, Line 16described in subsection (1)(b)(I) of this section, a retail
Page 3, Line 17ammunition vendor is not prohibited from selling ammunition to
Page 3, Line 18a 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 19(B) This subsection (1)(b)(II) is repealed, effective January 28, 2028.
Page 3, Line 20(c) (I) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 3, Line 21ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 3, Line 22described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, the operator of a
Page 3, Line 23shooting range that provides opportunities for the public to
Page 4, Line 1engage in shooting sports or education may sell ammunition to
Page 4, Line 2a person who is eighteen years of age or older but under
Page 4, Line 3twenty-one years of age for use only at the shooting range.
Page 4, Line 4Prior to completing the sale of ammunition, the seller shall
Page 4, Line 5verify that the purchaser is at least eighteen years of age by
Page 4, Line 6requiring the purchaser to produce a valid government-issued photo identification.
Page 4, Line 7(II) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 4, Line 8ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 4, Line 9described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, a retail ammunition
Page 4, Line 10vendor may sell ammunitionto a member or veteran of the
Page 4, Line 11United States military or Colorado national guard who is
Page 4, Line 12eighteen years of age or older but under twenty-one years of
Page 4, Line 13age. Prior to completing the sale of ammunition during an
Page 4, Line 14in-person transaction to a member or veteran of the United
Page 4, Line 15States military or Colorado national guard who is under
Page 4, Line 16twenty-one years of age, the retail ammunition vendor, or an
Page 4, Line 17employee of the vendor, shall verify that the purchaser is a
Page 4, Line 18member or veteran by requiring the purchaser to produce a
Page 4, Line 19valid military identification card that demonstrates that the
Page 4, Line 20person is a member or veteran of the United States military or Colorado national guard.
Page 4, Line 21(III) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 4, Line 22ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 4, Line 23described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, a retail ammunition
Page 4, Line 24vendor may sell ammunition to a person who is eighteen years of
Page 4, Line 25age or older but under twenty-one years of age who
Page 5, Line 1demonstrates having obtained hunter education certification by presenting:
Page 5, Line 2(A) A valid hunter education certificate recognized by the division of parks and wildlife; or
Page 5, Line 3(B) An expired or unexpired hunting license issued by the
Page 5, Line 4division of parks and wildlife that has a verified hunter education certification.
Page 5, Line 5(IV) (A) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 5, Line 6ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 5, Line 7described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, a retail ammunition
Page 5, Line 8vendor may sell ammunition to a person who is eighteen years of
Page 5, Line 9age or older but under twenty-one years of age and who is
Page 5, Line 10identified as a protected person in a protection order that is in
Page 5, Line 11effect. Prior to completing the sale of ammunition to a
Page 5, Line 12protected person, the retail ammunition vendor, or an employee
Page 5, Line 13of the vendor, shall verify that the purchaser is a protected
Page 5, Line 14person by requiring the purchaser to produce a copy of the
Page 5, Line 15protection order identifying the purchaser as a protected
Page 5, Line 16person and requiring the person to attest that the protection order is in effect.
Page 5, Line 17(B) As used in this subsection (1)(c)(IV), "protected person"
Page 5, Line 18means a person identified in a protection order, as described in
Page 5, Line 19section 18-6-803.5 (1.5)(a.5), as a person for whose benefit the protection order was issued.
Page 5, Line 20(V) Notwithstanding the prohibition on selling
Page 5, Line 21ammunition to a person who is under twenty-one years of age
Page 5, Line 22described in subsection (1)(b) of this section, a retail ammunition
Page 6, Line 1vendor may sell ammunition to a person who is a peace officer,
Page 6, Line 2as described in section 16-2.5-101, while the officer is on duty and
Page 6, Line 3serving in conformance with the policies of the officer's
Page 6, Line 4employing agency, as set forth in section 16-2.5-101 and section 16-2.5-135.
Page 6, Line 5(d) The provisions in subsection (1)(c) of this section that
Page 6, Line 6permit the sale of ammunition to a person eighteen years of age
Page 6, Line 7or older but under twenty-one years of age only apply to the
Page 6, Line 8sale of ammunition during an in-person transaction at which the
Page 6, Line 9sale is completed and the ammunition is delivered to the purchaser.
Page 6, Line 10(e) This subsection (1) does not apply to the sale ofrimfire ammunition.
Page 6, Line 11(f) A retail ammunition vendor that violates this
Page 6, Line 12subsection (1) commits unlawful sale of ammunition. Unlawful
Page 6, Line 13sale of ammunition is a civil infraction; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Page 6, Line 14(2) (a) A retail ammunition vendor delivering a package
Page 6, Line 15containing ammunition to a retail ammunition deliverer for
Page 6, Line 16purposes of transport shall use a delivery service that ensures
Page 6, Line 17that the person receiving the ammunition is twenty-one years of age or older through age verification.
Page 6, Line 18(b) A retail ammunition deliverer must comply with 49
Page 6, Line 19CFR 173.63 (b)(1)(i) related to the labeling and packaging for delivery of ammunition.
Page 6, Line 21(3) (a) When delivering a package containing ammunition sold at retail, a retail ammunition deliverer shall:
Page 7, Line 1(I) Verify that the person receiving the ammunition
Page 7, Line 2delivery is twenty-one years of age or older by requiring the
Page 7, Line 3person to present a valid government-issued photographic identification to the person making the delivery; and
Page 7, Line 4(II) Obtain written acknowledgment of receipt of the ammunition delivery from the recipient of the delivery.
Page 7, Line 5(b) (I) Notwithstanding the requirement to verify that the
Page 7, Line 6person receiving ammunition is twenty-one years of age or older
Page 7, Line 7described in subsection (3)(a)(I) of this section, a retail
Page 7, Line 8ammunition deliverer shall verify that the person receiving ammunition was born on or before January 28, 2007.
Page 7, Line 9(II) This subsection (3)(b) is repealed, effective January 28, 2028.
Page 7, Line 11(c) This section does not apply to a retail ammunition
Page 7, Line 12deliverer that does not know that the package contains
Page 7, Line 13ammunition because the sender failed to notify the deliverer that the package containsammunition.
Page 7, Line 14(4) This section does not apply to the sale or offer to sell
Page 7, Line 15ammunition at wholesale or the delivery of ammunition sold at wholesale.
Page 7, Line 16(5) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 7, Line 17(a) "Retail ammunition deliverer" means an entity that
Page 7, Line 18delivers, by motor vehicle, ammunition sold at retail to the
Page 7, Line 19purchaser at a location in this state. "Retail ammunition
Page 8, Line 1deliverer" includes a retail ammunition vendor that delivers to
Page 8, Line 2a location other than the vendor's place of business ammunition sold by the vendor at retail to the purchaser.
Page 8, Line 3(b) "Retail ammunition vendor" means a person who sells
Page 8, Line 4ammunition at retail. "Retail ammunition vendor" includes a
Page 8, Line 5vendor not located in Colorado when the vendor sells or offers
Page 8, Line 6to sell ammunition at retail for delivery to a purchaser located in Colorado.
Page 8, Line 7SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 8, Line 8takes effect July 1, 2026; except that, if a referendum petition is filed
Page 8, Line 9pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this
Page 8, Line 10act or an item, section, or part of this act within the ninety-day period
Page 8, Line 11after final adjournment of the general assembly, then the act, item,
Page 8, Line 12section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the
Page 8, Line 13general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take
Page 8, Line 14effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.