Where to take the Colorado firearms safety course: finding a sheriff-verified class
Last verified against primary sources: · Updated
There is no single statewide class-finder yet — the practical places to look are your county sheriff's office, Colorado Parks & Wildlife's Firearms Safety System, and established firearms training schools that have had an instructor verified by a sheriff. Before you pay anyone: the class only counts if the instructor is sheriff-verified, the course is entirely in person, and you already hold your eligibility card — the checklist below covers what to confirm.
First, make sure you're doing the steps in the right order
You cannot start with the class. To enroll in a basic or extended firearms safety course at all, you must already hold a firearms safety course eligibility card issued by your county sheriff:
In order to enroll in a basic or extended firearms safety course, a person must hold a valid firearms safety course eligibility card.
If you don't have the card yet, start with the full card-and-course walkthrough and what the card costs in your county. Come back here when you're ready to pick a class.
Where to actually find a class
The statute puts instructor verification in the hands of each county sheriff — there is no single statewide roster of verified instructors in the statute itself. That makes these the productive channels, in order:
- Your county sheriff's office. Sheriffs verify the instructors, so the sheriff's office is the authoritative local answer to "who near me is verified?" Many county sheriff websites publish their concealed-carry and firearms pages; call or check there first.
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife. CPW runs the Firearms Safety System (the application portal that opened July 20, 2026) and maintains the official specified semiautomatic firearms page — the state's own reference for the course pathway.
- Hunter education instructors. CPW's hunter-ed network overlaps heavily with the firearms-training community — and if you complete hunter education, only the 4-hour Basic course applies to you instead of the 12-hour Extended course.
- Established firearms training schools. Colorado's existing concealed-carry training schools are the natural candidates to run compliant courses — but a CCW class is not automatically an SB25-003 course. Vet them against the checklist below before paying.
The six things a compliant class must have
All of these come straight from the statute. A provider missing any one of them cannot get you to a lawful purchase, no matter what their ad says:
| Check | What the statute requires |
|---|---|
| 1. Sheriff-verified instructor | The course "must be taught by an instructor verified by a sheriff as a firearms instructor." Ask which sheriff verified them — a verified instructor will know the answer instantly. |
| 2. Fully in person | "No part of the class may be conducted via the internet." Any online or hybrid offering is non-compliant, full stop. |
| 3. Right hours | Basic: minimum 4 hours. Extended: minimum 12 hours on at least two different days. A one-day "12-hour extended course" fails the statute on its face. |
| 4. Statutory curriculum | Must cover safe handling of semiautomatic firearms and magazines, safe storage and child safety, firearm deaths associated with mental illness, extreme risk protection orders, and victim awareness and empathy. |
| 5. Final exam | Written exam with a 90% passing score plus a hands-on demonstration of safe handling. |
| 6. Card required to enroll | A provider that enrolls you without asking to see your eligibility card is not following § 18-12-116(5)(a)(II) — treat everything else they claim accordingly. |
A basic firearms safety course and an extended firearms safety course must be taught by an instructor verified by a sheriff as a firearms instructor ... must be held in person ... and no part of the class may be conducted via the internet. ... (III)(A) A basic firearms safety course must provide a minimum of four hours of instruction. (B) An extended firearms safety course must provide a minimum of twelve hours of instruction, which must be provided on at least two different days.
Red flags
"Complete your SB25-003 course online" is a scam or a mistake — either way, it won't count. The statute bars any part of the class from being conducted via the internet. Also walk away from: instructors who can't name the sheriff who verified them, "extended courses" compressed into one day, and any provider that takes your tuition without asking for your eligibility card.
Expect a supply crunch around August 1
The purchase rule takes effect August 1, 2026, and the state's application system only opened July 20 — so the pool of card-holders is days old, and verified-instructor capacity is still building county by county. The Extended course's two-day minimum makes scheduling slower still. If you can't find a seat immediately, that is a supply problem, not a sign you're exempt: the requirement applies from August 1 regardless of local class availability. (Firearms you already own are unaffected — SB25-003 is not a possession ban.)
Get an email when verified SB25-003 classes are available near you
For instructors: get verified, get found
If you teach firearms courses in Colorado, the verification pathway runs through your county sheriff, and the course you offer must meet the six statutory requirements above. We are building a county-by-county directory of verified basic and extended course providers — the searches for "firearms safety course near me" are already arriving, and this page is where they land.
Instructors: request a listing in the course directory
This law is being challenged in federal court. In Del Toro v. Polis, No. 1:25-cv-02725 (D. Colo., filed Sept. 2, 2025), plaintiffs argue the eligibility-card and course scheme violates the Second Amendment. As of the last verifiable docket activity (June 10, 2026), no injunction has issued and August 1, 2026 remains the operative date. This could change — check current status before relying on it.
Common questions
Is there an official statewide list of verified SB25-003 instructors?
Not in the statute. SB25-003 makes each county sheriff responsible for verifying firearms instructors, and no provision creates a single public statewide roster. Your county sheriff's office and Colorado Parks & Wildlife's firearms-safety pages are the authoritative places to ask.
I have a Colorado concealed-carry permit — do I still need the safety course?
Yes, for buying a specified semiautomatic firearm. The exceptions in C.R.S. § 18-12-116(3) cover law enforcement, military service members, dealers and gunsmiths, higher-education programs, estate transfers, and the course pathway itself — holding a CCW permit is not among them. A CCW class also doesn't substitute: the SB25-003 course has its own curriculum, hour minimums, exam, and sheriff-verified-instructor requirement.
Can I take the firearms safety course online?
No. The statute says no part of the class may be conducted via the internet. Any provider advertising an online or partially-online SB25-003 course is offering something that cannot support a lawful purchase.
How much does the class itself cost?
Tuition is set by the private instructor or school — the statute doesn't cap it. Separately, the eligibility card carries a $52 state fee plus a county sheriff processing fee that varies by county; see the county-by-county cost breakdown.
What if there are no classes available in my county before August 1?
The purchase requirement still applies — August 1, 2026 is written into the statute and doesn't flex with local class availability. You may need to travel to another county (the statute requires the instructor to be sheriff-verified, not that the class be in your home county) or wait for capacity to build. Firearms you already own are unaffected.
Does hunter education count instead of the safety course?
Not by itself — but it shortens the requirement. With a CPW-certified hunter education certificate, you need only the 4-hour Basic course (within five years before purchase) instead of the 12-hour Extended course.