How to Sell a Gun in Colorado

Sell My Gun - Key Points:

• You can only sell guns privately in Colorado by going through an FFL.
• Colorado gun sales require background checks (with some exceptions).
• Private gun sales in the state also need the CBI to approve the transfer.
• 21 is the minimum age to acquire handguns and 18 for long guns.
• You can quickly sell your gun and get a quote right now with Cash for Arms.

Step 1: Understand Colorado’s Gun Sale Laws

Can You Sell Guns in Colorado without a Federal License?

You can sell guns in Colorado without a federal license. However, you can only do so by asking a Federal Firearms Licensee or FFL to process the sale for you.

This means the FFL will accomplish these requirements for the sale:

• Start the background check using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
• Document the sale.
• Get approval for the sale from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

FFLs charge fees for this, by the way.

Do All Colorado Private Gun Sales Need Background Checks?

Not all private gun sales in Colorado need background checks. There are some rare exceptions.

Here are some of the noteworthy cases where a gun sale in the state doesn’t need to go through a background check:

• Sale of an antique gun
• Sale of a curio or relic gun
• Sale of a gun to an immediate family member

For the last exception, “immediate family member” is defined as one of these and excludes in-laws:

• Spouse
• Parent
• Child
• Sibling
• Grandparent
• Grandchild
• Niece
• Nephew
• First cousin
• Aunt
• Uncle

What Are the Minimum Ages to Acquire Guns in Colorado?

You can only sell a handgun to someone in Colorado if they're at least 21. For long guns, they have to be at least 18.

This is because nearly all gun sales have to be processed by FFLs in Colorado. As a result, the minimum ages are the ones set by federal law, which FFLs have to follow.

Is There a Waiting Period for Gun Sales in Colorado?

Gun sales in Colorado require a 72-hour waiting period. The timer starts when the FFL processing the sale initiates the background check.

Is It Legal to Sell Guns at Gun Shows in Colorado?

Yes, it’s legal to sell guns at gun shows in Colorado. However, state law requires all sales at such shows to be processed by an FFL.

Are There Limits to How Many Guns You Can Sell in Colorado?

No, there are no limits to the number of guns you can sell in Colorado. As long as all other requirements are met, a seller can transfer multiple guns to one person. However, if you're looking to sell a large amount of guns, you may want to consider using our liquidation services to get the best value for them.

Who Can't Own Guns in Colorado?

Here’s the list of people who can’t own guns in Colorado:

• Convicts of a felony (with limited exceptions)
• Delinquent convicts of serious juvenile offenses
• Convicts of certain violent or intimidating misdemeanors
• Convicts of a misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence
• People found not guilty of a crime due to mental illness and discharged from custody in the last 20 years
• People sent to confinement in a mental hospital by a court order in the last 60 months
• People committed to a mental hospital for mental illness by a doctor’s emergency certificate or voluntary admission in the last 6 months
• People who’ve failed to complete an approved course in gun safety and use
• People dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces
• People currently adjudged to be mentally incompetent
• People subject to a protective or restraining court order
• Unlawful users of or addicts to controlled substances
• People who’ve renounced US citizenship
• People subject to firearms seizure orders
• Fugitives from justice
• Illegal aliens

The required background check for gun sales verifies that a person isn’t on this list.

What Guns or Gun Parts Are Banned in Colorado?

Colorado prohibits certain guns or gun parts:

1. Large-capacity magazines - Since 2013, Colorado has banned magazines that hold more than 15 rounds (or over 28 inches of shotgun shells). There are some exceptions for those owned before July 1, 2013.
2. Untraceable or ghost guns - Colorado prohibits "ghost guns," as well as parts for them (i.e. gun parts without serial numbers).
3. Machine guns, with exceptions - The state forbids these as “dangerous weapons.” However, you’re allowed to own a machine gun if you have a valid permit here.

Does Colorado Have Preemption Statutes?

Colorado has a very limited preemption statute. It used to cover more areas of regulation but most of it was repealed after the 2021 Boulder Shooting.

This means municipalities can now regulate gun usage and sales in the state. So, sellers should check the ordinances in their specific area for rules aside from the ones we’ve listed.

Step 2: Put Your Gun Through Appraisal

Once you’ve reviewed the laws for selling guns in Colorado, it’s time to prepare for your sale. The first step is to find out what you should aim to get for the gun.

There are several ways to do this. Here are the easiest ones at the moment.

• Check past sales on GunBroker.com. The gun auction website is full of listings from other private sellers around the country. Look for sold listings with guns as similar to yours as possible. Tally their sale prices and get the average.
• Send photos and details of the gun to us online. We offer a FREE gun appraisal service. Just send us what we need to know and we’ll get it done!

Step 3: Sell Your Gun

Method 1: Selling to Cash for Arms

One of the main reasons to sell a gun to Cash for Arms in Colorado is that it lets you skip the hassle. There’s no worry about background checks, waiting periods, or lengthy negotiation. And you can still get some of the best market prices for your gun!

Here’s how to sell a gun to us from Colorado:

• Tell us about the gun on our website.
• Wait for around an hour (sometimes minutes!) for our offer.
• Accept our offer and send the gun our way with our prepaid shipping label.
• Choose one of our offered payment options and get paid for your gun.

Method 2: Selling to Local Gun Shops

Local FFLs with physical stores in your location can also make offers for your gun. You won’t get as much for it from them as you would with us, generally, but you get an in-person transaction. You also get paid on the spot with most of these gun shops.

Here’s how to sell a gun to a local gun shop in Colorado:

• Find the contact details of nearby gun stores and call them up to ask if they’d like your gun.
• Make a list of the gun stores that say they’re interested in the gun (note their addresses!).
• Unload and clean the gun for transport to each of those stores.
• Let the clerks at each store appraise your gun so they can give you offers.
• Compare the offers after visiting all stores and sell the gun to the store with the top offer.

As a side-note for when you’re driving to these shops with your car: make doubly sure the chamber is unloaded if it’s a long gun. Colorado has a law against having loaded long guns in vehicles.

Method 3: Selling to Local Pawn Shops

Local FFLs can also be found in pawn shops. The benefits of selling to these are the same as selling to local gun stores. However, they have an added downside: they make even lower offers for used guns than gun stores.

If you can deal with that, follow the steps we provided for selling to gun shops. Just call or go to pawn shops instead.

Method 4: Selling to Private Parties

Private parties can be good for those who don’t mind spending time working on a sale just to be able to set most of their own terms. That’s because it often takes more work to find a good private option than it does a local gun store or pawn shop.

Here’s how to sell a gun to a private party in Colorado:

• Make a listing of the gun that presents a clear description and photos.
• Post the listing at local gun clubs’ bulletin boards and similar spaces.
• Wait for private parties to reach out to you and make offers.
• Screen them for the best serious offers and pick an offer from someone who can prove basic eligibility with a Colorado-issued ID (to prove they’re local and of age).
• Arrange to meet the person at a gun shop close to you.
• At the gun shop, ask the on-site FFL to process the sale.
• Decide if you or the person should pay for the FFL’s processing.
• Let the FFL guide you through any steps he may need you to take for the sale.
• Hand over the gun to the FFL for safekeeping until the legal requirements are completed. The wait will take at least 3 days.
• Collect your payment and let the person get the gun from the FFL.
• Collect your copy of the sale documents from the FFL for safekeeping.

Sell Your Gun Now

These steps cover all the answers to how to sell a gun in Colorado. As you see, there are quite a few regulations to observe in the process.

If you want a simple approach, you should think about selling to Cash for Arms in particular. We handle virtually all of the work – even to the point where you can sell your gun to us from the comfort of home. We also offer some of the best prices you’ll find in the state.

To learn more, contact us online or call us directly at (904) 977-5477.