Colorado vs California gun laws

Last verified against primary sources: 2026-07-20 · Updated 2026-07-20

Side-by-side: Colorado vs California

Colorado language below is quoted from primary sources. California's magazine, waiting-period, and private-sale provisions are quoted verbatim from the state's official legislative site; the assault-weapon definition is cited to Cal. Penal Code § 30515 but paraphrased, because our verified copy of that section came from an official-code mirror rather than a directly rendered state page.

What's the same: permits and universal checks

Neither state has permitless carry — both require a license or permit to carry a concealed handgun (California under Cal. Penal Code § 26150 et seq.; Colorado under C.R.S. § 18-12-203). And both close the "private sale" gap by requiring transfers between private parties to run through a licensed dealer.

California's private-transfer rule:

Colorado reaches the same result through C.R.S. § 18-12-112: an unlicensed seller must arrange for a licensed dealer to obtain a background check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation before the firearm is transferred, with exemptions for immediate-family transfers, brief loans, and a handful of other situations. See private gun sales in Colorado.

Magazines: 10 rounds vs 15 rounds

California caps magazine capacity at 10 rounds; a "large-capacity magazine" is defined in the code as one holding more than 10 rounds. The possession rule reads:

Colorado's limit is higher — 15 rounds under C.R.S. § 18-12-302 — and SB25-003 raised the penalty for a large-capacity-magazine violation from a class 2 to a class 1 misdemeanor. See Colorado's 15-round magazine law for the details and exemptions.

Waiting period: 10 days vs 3 days

California requires a 10-day wait on essentially all retail firearm purchases:

Colorado's wait is shorter — the later of 3 days after the check is initiated or when the purchase is approved (C.R.S. § 18-12-115, effective October 1, 2023). Colorado's waiting period is being challenged in federal court (Garcia v. Polis), but as of our July 20, 2026 check no injunction has issued and it is being enforced; see the buying a gun in Colorado hub.

The key contrast: assault-weapon ban vs purchase pathway

This is where the two states diverge most, and the difference is structural, not just a matter of degree.

California restricts by configuration and possession. Cal. Penal Code § 30515 defines an "assault weapon" by its features — for example, a semiautomatic centerfire rifle without a fixed magazine that has a listed feature such as a pistol grip, a folding or telescoping stock, a flash suppressor, or a forward grip; a rifle with a fixed magazine over 10 rounds; or a rifle under 30 inches overall. Firearms meeting that definition are banned unless registered, and the state tracks registered assault weapons. In other words, California asks what a gun is — its configuration — and regulates owning it.

Colorado restricts new purchases, not possession or configuration. SB25-003 does not define guns by cosmetic features and does not ban owning what you already have. Instead it conditions buying or selling most detachable-magazine semiautos on completing a safety course:

A "specified semiautomatic firearm" is a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun with a detachable magazine, or a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine — defined by mechanism and magazine type, not by features like a pistol grip or stock. And there is a purchase pathway: a buyer who obtains a sheriff-issued eligibility card and completes an in-person safety course may still buy. So a firearm California treats as a banned-by-configuration "assault weapon" may be one Colorado still lets you buy after a course. See are AR-15s legal in Colorado? and the August 1, 2026 hub.