Denver gun laws
Last verified against primary sources: · Updated
Denver enforces gun rules that are stricter than Colorado's statewide law. Inside the City and County of Denver, "assault weapons" and magazines over 15 rounds are prohibited, open carry is banned citywide, and firearms are barred from city-owned buildings and (with a narrow concealed-carry exception) city parks.
A Colorado concealed-handgun permit still lets you carry concealed in Denver by default, but it is subject to Denver's posted building bans and does not authorize open carry anywhere. Colorado law expressly lets local governments like Denver regulate more strictly than the state (C.R.S. § 29-11.7-103).
How Denver can be stricter than the rest of Colorado
Since 2021, Colorado's firearms-preemption statute expressly allows local governments to go further than state law. Denver's ordinances rest on that grant of authority.
Unless otherwise expressly prohibited pursuant to state law, a local government may enact an ordinance, regulation, or other law governing or prohibiting the sale, purchase, transfer, or possession of a firearm, ammunition, or firearm component or accessory that a person may lawfully sell, purchase, transfer, or possess under state or federal law. The local ordinance, regulation, or other law may not impose a requirement on the sale, purchase, transfer, or possession of a firearm, ammunition, or firearm component or accessory that is less restrictive than state law, and any less restrictive ordinance, regulation, or other law enacted by a local government before the effective date of this section, as amended in 2021, is void and unenforceable.
A companion section lets a locality ban open carry in specific buildings or areas, so long as it posts signs:
A local government may enact an ordinance, regulation, or other law that prohibits the open carrying of a firearm in a building or specific area within the local government’s jurisdiction. If a local government enacts an ordinance, regulation, or other law that prohibits the open carrying of a firearm in a building or specific area, the local government shall post signs at the public entrances to the building or specific area informing persons that the open carrying of firearms is prohibited in the building or specific area.
The practical result: the rules below apply on top of everything in Colorado state law, and only within Denver's city limits.
Denver's "assault weapons" ordinance
Denver has banned "assault weapons" since November 14, 1989. The ordinance defines the term by magazine capacity and configuration rather than by a model list:
Assault weapon means any of the following firearms: a. Any semiautomatic pistol or centerfire rifle, either of which have a fixed or detachable magazine with a capacity of more than fifteen (15) rounds. b. Any semiautomatic shotgun with a folding stock or a magazine capacity of more than six (6) rounds or both. c. Any part of combination of parts designed or intended to convert a firearm into a weapon identified in paragraphs a or b of this subsection (1), if those parts are in the possession or under the control of the same person. d. Any firearm which has been modified to be operable as a weapon identified in paragraphs a or b of this subsection (1).
The prohibition itself, and its separate large-capacity-magazine ban, read:
unlawful to carry, store, keep, manufacture, sell, or otherwise possess assault weapons within the City and County of Denver.
unlawful to carry, store, or otherwise possess a large capacity ammunition feeding device which can hold or may be modified to hold more than fifteen [] rounds.
A grandfather provision (§ 38-121(e)/(f)) covers people who obtained a Denver Police Department permit for their semiautomatic firearm within 60 days of November 14, 1989, but bars even those permit holders from selling or transferring the firearm within Denver. Penalties run as fines of $500 (first offense), $750 (second within five years), and $999 (third or later), plus possible incarceration under the general penalty provision (§ 38-128 / § 1-13(b)).
Litigation status (news/complaint-grade, as of July 20, 2026): Denver's assault-weapons ordinance is being challenged in federal court in a complaint filed June 30, 2026 (U.S. District Court, D. Colo., No. 1:26-cv-02948-CNS-CYC). The ordinance was confirmed in force as of that filing, which challenges it as currently operative and enforced. The case is pending — no ruling striking or blocking the ordinance is reflected in our sources, which are the complaint and Denver's own litigation postings rather than a court order. This can change quickly.
Historical note: an older, superseded version of this ordinance (formerly numbered § 38-130) used a 21-round threshold. The current threshold is 15 rounds under § 38-116(1) / § 38-121 — do not rely on the older figure.
Open carry is banned citywide
Denver prohibits the open carrying of firearms across the city under its municipal code, § 38-118 ("Unlawful carrying of weapons"). A Colorado concealed-handgun permit does not change this — a permit authorizes concealed carry only, never open carry.
The exact operative wording of § 38-118(a)/(b) is not quoted here because it could not be independently verified against Denver's official code (the city's Municode host blocks automated access). The existence and location of Denver's open-carry prohibition at § 38-118 are corroborated by multiple independent sources, including the city's own 2022 amending bill; the precise sentence is stated by cite and subject only.
The one clearly documented carve-out is transport in a private vehicle. The 2022 amendment to § 38-118 quotes its own exceptions verbatim:
Exceptions. It shall not be an offense under either subsection (a) or subsection (b) of this section if, at the time of carrying, the person is abiding by all other federal, state, and local laws and is: (1) A law enforcement officer; (2) An active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces, while engaged in the performance of their duties; (3) Acting with valid authorization from the city; (4) In their own dwelling, place of business, or on property owned or under their control; or (5) Transporting the weapon while travelling within a private automobile or other private means of conveyance for the purposes of hunting or the lawful protection of such person or their property, or another person or that person’s property. Except for pistols and revolvers, any firearm being transported must be unloaded during such transport.
For the full answer, see Can you open carry in Denver?
Firearms in Denver city buildings
Since 2022, Denver bars firearms from buildings the city owns or leases, wherever posted, under a new sensitive-place ordinance created by Council Bill CB22-0401:
Unlawful to carry firearms in city-owned or leased buildings. Except as provided in subsection (d) below, it shall be unlawful for any person to carry any firearm within any building or portion of a building that the city owns or leases, as well as any building or portion of the building leased to the city.
Exceptions cover law-enforcement officers, on-duty active-duty military, city-licensed armed security guards, authorized shooting-range use, and private-vehicle transport for hunting or lawful protection (unloaded, except pistols and revolvers). For a concealed-permit holder, a violation is treated as a non-criminal matter capped at a $50 fine for a first offense ($999 for a second or later), tracking the state cap in C.R.S. § 18-12-214.
Firearms in Denver parks
Denver's 2022 parks ordinance generally bars firearms in parks, parkways, mountain parks, and recreational facilities, but it carves out a specific exception for valid concealed-carry permit holders carrying a concealed handgun:
It shall not be an offense under subsection (a) of this section to possess a firearm within any park, parkway, mountain park, or other recreational facility if, at the time of carrying, the person is abiding by all other federal, state, and local laws and the person is: (1) The firearm involved was a handgun and the person holds a valid permit or a temporary emergency permit to carry a concealed handgun issued pursuant to state law and is otherwise carrying the handgun in conformance with any applicable state or local law and is not engaged in any unlawful use of the firearm;
So the parks ban targets open or unpermitted carry; a permit holder may carry a concealed handgun in a Denver park in compliance with state and local law. A permit holder who otherwise violates the parks section faces a reduced $50 first-offense / $999 subsequent penalty (§ 39-9(f)). (The base prohibition in § 39-9(a) is not quoted here because its exact text could not be independently verified.)
Magazine limit in Denver
Denver's magazine ordinance matches the statewide 15-round line. It was amended in 2018 (Council Bill CB17-1400, signed January 24, 2018) to replace an older, more permissive 21-round threshold, so that Denver's cap — carrying, storing, or possessing a magazine that holds or can be modified to hold more than 15 rounds — is now identical to Colorado's large-capacity-magazine definition in C.R.S. § 18-12-301. Denver's provision is § 38-130(i). See Colorado's 15-round magazine limit for the statewide rule and its grandfather exception.
What a Colorado permit does — and doesn't — cover in Denver
A state concealed-handgun permit authorizes concealed carry statewide by default:
A permit to carry a concealed handgun authorizes the permittee to carry a concealed handgun in all areas of the state, except as specifically limited in this section. A permit does not authorize the permittee to use a handgun in a manner that would violate a provision of state law.
But that default is subject to local building and area bans — which is exactly what Denver's § 38-131 (city buildings) and § 39-9 (parks) are. State law authorizes those bans and caps the first-offense penalty for a permit holder at $50:
A local government, including a special district, or the governing board of an institution of higher education, including the board of directors of the Auraria higher education center, may enact an ordinance, resolution, rule, or other regulation that prohibits a permittee from carrying a concealed handgun in a building or specific area within the local government’s or governing board’s jurisdiction... An ordinance, resolution, or other regulation prohibiting a permittee from carrying a concealed handgun may only impose a civil penalty for a violation and require the person to leave the premises. For a first offense, the ordinance, resolution, or other regulation may not impose a fine that exceeds fifty dollars and may not impose a sentence of incarceration. A person who does not leave the premises when required may be subject to criminal penalties.
Two takeaways for permit holders in Denver: your permit covers concealed carry, subject to posted building bans; and it never covers open carry, which Denver prohibits citywide regardless of any permit.
Common questions
Are AR-15s and other "assault weapons" legal in Denver?
No — Denver has banned "assault weapons" within the city since 1989, and the ordinance is still in force. Denver Rev. Mun. Code § 38-116(1) defines the term to include semiautomatic pistols and centerfire rifles with a magazine capacity over 15 rounds, and § 38-121(c) makes it unlawful to carry, store, keep, manufacture, sell, or possess them in the City and County of Denver. A federal challenge to the ordinance was filed June 30, 2026 and is pending; as of July 20, 2026 the ordinance remains operative.
Can you open carry in Denver?
No. Denver bans open carry citywide under its municipal code (§ 38-118), and a Colorado concealed-carry permit does not authorize open carry anywhere. Colorado state law lets local governments impose this kind of ban (C.R.S. § 29-11.7-104). See Can you open carry in Denver? for detail.
Can I carry a concealed handgun in Denver with my Colorado permit?
Yes, by default — a Colorado permit authorizes concealed carry statewide (C.R.S. § 18-12-214(1)(a)), including in Denver. But it is subject to Denver's posted bans on firearms in city-owned or leased buildings (§ 38-131) and in city parks (§ 39-9). For a permit holder, a first-offense violation of those posted bans is a non-criminal matter capped at a $50 fine.
Are guns allowed in Denver parks?
Generally no, but there is an exception. Denver's parks ordinance (§ 39-9) bars firearms in parks, parkways, mountain parks, and recreational facilities, except that a valid concealed-carry permit holder may carry a concealed handgun in a park in compliance with state and local law (§ 39-9(d)). Open carry and unpermitted carry in Denver parks are not allowed.
Is Denver stricter than the rest of Colorado?
Yes. Denver enforces several rules that go beyond statewide law: a citywide "assault weapons" ban (§ 38-121), a citywide open-carry ban (§ 38-118), and firearm bans in city buildings and parks (§§ 38-131, 39-9). Colorado's 2021 preemption law (C.R.S. § 29-11.7-103) expressly lets local governments regulate more strictly than the state. Denver's magazine limit, however, is the same 15-round line as state law.
What is the magazine limit in Denver?
Fifteen rounds — the same as Colorado's statewide limit. Denver amended its magazine ordinance (§ 38-130(i)) in 2018 to replace an older 21-round threshold, so it now matches the state's large-capacity-magazine definition of "more than fifteen rounds" (C.R.S. § 18-12-301). Denver's separate "assault weapons" ordinance also independently bars magazines over 15 rounds (§ 38-121(g)).
Primary sources for this page
- C.R.S. Title 29, Art. 11.7 (preemption; §§ 29-11.7-103, -104) — OLLS 2024 codification
- C.R.S. § 18-12-214 (concealed-carry permits; local bans) — OLLS 2024 codification
- Denver Council Bill CB22-0401 (2022) — §§ 38-118, 38-131, 39-9 — Denver Legistar
- Complaint, [plaintiffs] v. City and County of Denver, No. 1:26-cv-02948 (D. Colo., filed June 30, 2026) — quoting §§ 38-116, 38-121
- Denver Council Bill CB17-1400 (2018) — § 38-130(i) magazine amendment — Denver Legistar