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Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
(1)(a) A person shall not knowingly leave a handgun in an unattended vehicle unless the handgun is in a locked hard-sided container that is placed out of plain view, including a locked container that is permanently affixed to the vehicle's interior, and the container is in any of the following:
(I) A locked vehicle;
(II) The locked trunk of a locked vehicle; or
(III) A locked recreational vehicle, as defined in section 24-32-902.
(b) A person shall not knowingly leave a firearm that is not a handgun in an unattended vehicle unless the firearm is in a locked hard-sided or locked soft-sided container, including a locked container that is permanently affixed to the vehicle's interior, and the container is in any of the following:
(I) A locked vehicle;
(II) The locked trunk of a locked vehicle; or
(III) A locked recreational vehicle, as defined in section 24-32-902.
(c) A firearm that is not a handgun that is stored in a soft-sided container must have a locking device installed on the firearm while the firearm is stored in the soft-sided container.
(d) For the purposes of this subsection (1), a locked glove compartment or the locked center console of a vehicle is a locked hard-sided container.
(2) A person who violates subsection (1) of this section commits unlawful storage of a firearm in a vehicle. Unlawful storage of a firearm in a vehicle is a civil infraction.
(3) This section does not apply to:
(a) Storing an antique firearm, as defined in 18 U.S.C. sec. 921(a)(16), as amended;
(b) Storing a firearm that is a not a handgun in a vehicle that is being used for farm or ranch operations that is on the person's private farm or ranch, including a leased farm or ranch. As used in this subsection (3)(b), “farm” and “ranch” have the same meanings as set forth in section 39-1-102.
(c) A person who lives in a vehicle or in a recreational vehicle, as defined in section 24-32-902, in which the firearm is stored. A person who lives in a vehicle or recreational vehicle must store firearms in the vehicle or recreational vehicle in accordance with the storage requirement described in section 18-12-114.
(d) A peace officer;
(e) A person who holds a valid resident or out-of-state hunting license who is engaged in lawful hunting activities;
(f) A person engaged in the instruction of hunter education courses and outreach offered by the division of parks and wildlife; and
(g) An active member of the United States armed forces while on duty.
(4) Notwithstanding the requirement in subsection (1) of this section to store a firearm in a locked hard-sided container, a person who is considered to have a disability, as defined in 42 U.S.C. sec. 12102, who stores a firearm in a locked soft-sided container does not violate this section with respect to the storage of the firearm that is in the locked soft-sided container.
(5) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, “vehicle” has the same meaning as set forth in section 42-1-102.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Colorado Revised Statutes Title 18. Criminal Code § 18-12-114.5. Secure firearm storage in a vehicle--penalty--definition - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-18-criminal-code/co-rev-st-sect-18-12-114-5/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
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