SB25-003 Update: Colorado’s Extreme Gun Ban Bill Morphs Into License to Buy Scheme

When introduced, Colorado SB25-003 was the most sweeping firearm ban to have ever been considered at the state level, going far beyond a typical “assault weapons” ban by targeting all semi-automatic rifles and shotguns with detachable magazines, along with gas-operated semi-automatic pistols that can accept a detachable magazine. Simply a blanket ban on the sale, transfer, purchase, and manufacture of these weapons.

After a chaotic spree of last-minute amendments during a grueling 10-hour Senate debate that extended beyond midnight, the bill still includes a gun ban, but now has morphed into a monster of a bill with multiple moving parts complete with a new license to buy scheme that includes brand new training requirements and what will undoubtedly be a gun owner registry.

If the new version were to be enacted, it would “allow” people to still purchase the banned guns if they have taken a hunter safety course and a firearm safety course that would be managed by Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife (CPW), or without the CPW classes, take a yet to be developed 12 hour course over two days, and apply for a gun buyers license complete with fingerprints and a background check that would be overseen by your sheriff and CBI. Read the amended bill here.

Amendment L.041, the “license to buy” amendment, was introduced by bill sponsor Julie Gonzales (D). It creates a Colorado Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card that individuals can obtain by jumping through the government’s new hoops, and only then will they be able to purchase the banned guns with renewal required every 5 years. If you’re familiar with the Illinois FOID Card, this is very similar. And that FOID card was just very recently found unconstitutional in federal court.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of these proposed requirements:

Certified Hunter Education Course

• This course must be certified by CPW and must have been completed within 5 years of the application for the Colorado Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card.

Basic Firearms Safety Course

• The basic course requires a minimum of four hours of instruction and must have been completed within 5 years of the application for the Colorado Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card. The course must include teachings on:

  • Safe handling of semiautomatic firearms and ammunition magazines.
  • Proper storage practices and laws, particularly around children.
  • Understanding of firearm-related laws, including Red Flag extreme risk protection order laws.
  • Recognition of the signs of mental illness and suicidal behaviors.
  • Importance of respecting gun ownership responsibilities.

• The course must be conducted in-person with the instructor present at the same location as the students. No part of the course can be conducted via the internet.

• At the end of the course, the instructor must administer an exam that tests both theoretical knowledge and practical handling skills. Students must score at least ninety percent to pass. Successful completion is reported to the Firearms Training and Safety Course Record System that doesn’t even exist.

Extended Firearms Safety Course

• This course would be required to be a minimum of twelve hours of instruction, which must be spread across at least two different days. The extended course covers all the topics of the basic course but dives deeper into each subject, providing more comprehensive training on:

  • Advanced firearm handling techniques.
  • Detailed legal responsibilities and implications of firearm ownership.
  • In-depth safety protocols, including emergency response procedures.

• Like the basic course, the extended course culminates in a comprehensive exam that tests both knowledge and practical skills. The passing criteria and certification process are similar to those of the basic course.

Instructor Qualifications and Responsibilities

• Instructors must be verified by the sheriff as qualified firearms instructors.
• Before allowing enrollment, instructors are required to verify that each student holds a valid Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card.
• Instructors collect the Firearms Training and Safety Course Record Fee from each student and remit this to the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife. The language in the amendment was so rushed it is unclear if the training is required to get the Colorado Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card or if you have to have the card to do the training.

Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card

• Applicants for the Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
• The card is valid for five years from the date of issue.
• Applicants must meet criteria that include not being prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
• Applicants must pay a fee which includes costs for fingerprint processing and the sheriff’s processing fee.

All of this must be set up by September 1, 2025 when the law would go into effect.

In short, the ruling class would like to offer us peasants an opportunity to buy our rights back.

There is so much wrong with this bill, and we could list about about dozen pieces that could be challenged in court, but instead lets focus on some talking points the moderate Democrat legislators who will be voting on this need to hear:

Privilege Only for the Wealthy

This new license to buy portion of the bill effectively locks out lower-income individuals from owning specified firearms by imposing costly and time-consuming training requirements. It’s not just a barrier; it’s a blatant favoring of the wealthy, pushing the right to self-defense out of reach for those who may need it most.

Gun Registry By Another Name

This bill requires recording everyone who completes the necessary training into a state system, acting like a gun registry. This requirement creates a government list of gun owners, setting a dangerous precedent for surveillance and potential future confiscation. It’s a clear overstep that treats law-abiding citizens like suspects.

Barriers for People with Disabilities

The required training and testing are rigorously unfair to individuals with learning disabilities, offering no accommodations. This oversight is not just neglectful; it’s discriminatory, denying fundamental rights based on ability.

Overburdening Hunter Education

By forcing those wanting to own certain firearms to flood CPW hunter safety classes, this bill threatens to overwhelm a system already vital for safe hunting education. It’s a thoughtless move that could delay or deter new hunters, undermining traditional hunting practices and conservation efforts.

A Blow to Rural and Mountain Communities

For residents in Colorado’s more isolated areas, the training requirements are a severe imposition. Traveling long distances for classes is impractical and sometimes impossible. These communities depend on firearms for hunting, predator control, and self protection. Limiting their access through cumbersome laws is not just unfair—it’s a direct threat to their way of life and safety.

Additional amendments were added to the bill. These include:

• Amendment L.029 increases the penalty of selling or purchasing a magazine over 15 rounds from a Misdemeanor 2 to a Misdemeanor 1.
• Amendment L.027 exempts semiautomatic firearms that take detachable magazines that have been converted so they permanently have a magazine attached as long as that magazine can’t hold more than fifteen rounds. This is the ridiculous “epoxy or weld the magazine in” nonsense we’ve been waving the red flag about, but apparently they didn’t hear any of it and instead are just going to double down and exempt these accidents waiting to happen.
• Amendment L.030 exempts the following hunting rifles: Ag42 Ljungman, Benelli Argo E Pro, Benelli R1 Big-Game Rifle, Browning Bar Mk 3, Browning Bar Longtrac Rifle, Browning Bar Shorttrac Rifle, Fabrique Nationale Model 49, Fusil Automatique Modele 1917, Gewehr 43, Globco Mohawk, Hakim Rifle, Hk Sl6, Hksl7, M1 Carbine, M1941 Johnson Rifle, Marlin Camp Carbine, Mas49, Remington Model 4, Remington Model 8, Remington Model 740, Remington Model 742, Remington Model 750, Remington 7400, Ruger Deerfield Carbine, Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle, Ruger Mini Thirty Rifle, Ruger Model 44, Springfield Armory M1a Standard Issue Rifle, Svt40, Valmet Hunter M88, Vz.52, Winchester Model 100, Winchester Model 1905, Winchester Model 1907, Winchester Model 1910.

What can you do? Contact all Democrat State House Representatives and express your opposition to this mutated version of SB25-003. Also contact the Governor with message of opposition. Email and call ASAP!