CARRYING It is unlawful to carry a

CARRYING

It is unlawful to carry a firearm concealed on or about one's person without a permit, except for a person in his or her own dwelling, place of business, or on property owned or controlled by him or her.

A permit is not required to carry a handgun where carrying firearms is legal, if the handgun is not concealed. A handgun is not considered concealed if it is in the possession of a person who is in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance who is carrying it for a legal use, or the handgun is in the possession of a person who is legally engaged in hunting activities within the state. Exempt from the requirement of a permit to carry a concealed handgun are peace officers of Colorado, U.S. probation officers, law enforcement officers employed by jurisdiction outside the state, so long as the employing jurisdiction exempts peace officers employed by jurisdictions within Colorado from any concealed weapons laws in effect in those jurisdictions; as well as a retired peace officer, meeting prescribed criteria.

A sheriff shall issue a permit to carry a concealed handgun to an applicant who is a legal resident of the state; is at least twenty-one; is not ineligible to possess a firearm, has not been convicted of perjury in relation to an application for a concealed weapon permit; does not chronically and habitually abuse alcohol; is not an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance as provided in federal law and regulations; is not subject to a restraining order in effect at the time the application is submitted, or a permanent restraining order, or a temporary restraining order in effect at the time the application is submitted; and demonstrates competency with a firearm.

However, the Sheriff can deny the permit if he reasonably believes that documented previous behavior by the applicant makes it likely that the applicant will present a danger to self or others if the permit is issued. The sheriff shall suspend a permit following issuance if he has a reasonable belief that the permittee no longer meets the criteria above, until the matter is resolved and the Sheriff determines that the permittee is eligible to possess the permit. There is an appeals process and judicial review of a denial or revocation.

The permit is valid for five years and may be renewed. It is effective in all areas of the state except where it is not lawful to possess any firearm. A peace officer may temporarily disarm a permittee incident to a lawful stop of the permittee. The permit does not authorize the permittee to carry a concealed handgun into a place where carrying firearms is prohibited by federal law; or into a public building at which security personnel regularly screen for weapons upon entry; or onto real property of a public school except that the permittee may have the handgun in his or her vehicle. If the permittee is not in the vehicle, the handgun must be in a compartment within the vehicle and the vehicle locked.

A permittee employed by a school district as a security officer may carry a concealed handgun onto the real property of a public school while on duty. A permittee may carry a concealed handgun on undeveloped real property owned by a school district that is used for hunting or other shooting sports.

A Sheriff may issue a temporary emergency permit to carry a concealed handgun to a person whom the Sheriff has reason to believe may be in immediate danger. Temporary permittees must meet all the requirements of regular permittees except demonstrating competence with a handgun and must only be at least eighteen years of age. The permit is valid for 90 days and may be renewed once.

At all times during which the permittee is in possession of a concealed handgun, he or she must carry the permit and a valid photo ID. The Sheriff shall maintain a list of persons to whom permits are issued, and upon request by another criminal justice agency for law enforcement purposes, the Sheriff may share information from the list for the purpose of determining the validity of a permit. A Sheriff shall not share information from the list of permittees with a law enforcement agency for the purpose of creating a statewide database of permittees on or after July 1, 2007.

A permit to carry a concealed handgun or weapon issued to a person twenty-one or older by a state that recognizes the validity of permits issued under Colorado law shall be valid in Colorado in all the same respects as Colorado permits. A permit issued under the concealed carry law as it existed prior to May 18, 2003, shall permanently expire on June 30, 2007, or the expiration date on the permit, whichever occurs first. If that permit application included fingerprinting and background check, the permittee may apply for renewal, but otherwise must apply for a new permit.

It is unlawful to have a firearm other than a handgun in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber is unloaded. Firearms in a snowmobile must be unloaded and cased or inserted in a scabbard. It is unlawful to carry or possess a firearm without legal authority on the property of, or within any building in which the chambers, galleries, or offices of the general assembly are located, or in which a legislative hearing or meeting is being or is to be conducted, or in which the official offices of any member, officer, or employee of the general assembly are located. It is unlawful to possess, without legal authority, a firearm in or on the real estate of any school, college, university, or seminary, with some exceptions.