Do you have to tell police you're carrying a gun in Colorado?
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No — Colorado statute imposes no affirmative "duty to inform." Nothing in the concealed-carry statute (Article 12, Part 2) requires you to volunteer to a law enforcement officer that you are carrying at the start of a contact. What the law does require is narrower: a permit holder must carry the permit plus valid photo ID whenever armed and produce both on the officer's demand (C.R.S. § 18-12-204(2)).
No proactive duty-to-inform statute
Some states have a "duty to inform" — a legal requirement that a permit holder affirmatively tell an officer, at the outset of a stop, that they are armed. Colorado's concealed-carry statute does not. A review of the full current text of Part 2 of Article 12 (§§ 18-12-201 through 18-12-216) finds no section that requires proactive disclosure of carry upon a police contact. Colorado statute imposes no such duty.
That is a statement about what the statute says, not advice about any specific encounter. Officers can and do give lawful commands during a stop, and this page does not tell you how to respond to one — for that, consult a Colorado attorney.
What the law does require: carry and produce on demand
The actual obligation is a passive, on-request one. While you are carrying a concealed handgun, you must have the permit and valid photo ID on you, and you must produce them if an officer demands them.
A permittee, in compliance with the terms of a permit, may carry a concealed handgun as allowed by state law. The permittee shall carry the permit, together with valid photo identification, at all times during which the permittee is in actual possession of a concealed handgun and shall produce both documents upon demand by a law enforcement officer. Failure to produce a permit upon demand by a law enforcement officer raises a rebuttable presumption that the person does not have a permit. Failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand as required in this subsection (2) is a class 1 petty offense. A charge of failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand pursuant to this subsection (2) shall be dismissed by the court if, at or before the permittee's scheduled court appearance, the permittee exhibits to the court a valid permit and valid photo identification, both of which were issued to the permittee prior to the date on which the permittee was charged with failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand.
How to read the difference
Two distinct ideas often get blurred together:
- Duty to inform (Colorado: none in statute). No Part 2 provision requires you to announce, unprompted, that you are carrying.
- Duty to carry and produce (Colorado: yes, on demand). If you are carrying concealed under a permit, you must have the permit and photo ID with you and hand them over if an officer asks. Failing to produce raises a rebuttable presumption that you have no permit and is a class 1 petty offense — but the charge is dismissed if you later show the court a permit and ID that were both valid at the time.
This produce-on-demand rule also applies to a temporary emergency permit (§ 18-12-204(2)(b)).
The absence of a duty-to-inform statute does not change any separate legal obligations during a stop, and this page is a reference, not legal advice. For how a specific police encounter should be handled, consult a Colorado attorney.
Common questions
Does Colorado have a duty-to-inform law for concealed carry?
No. Colorado's concealed-carry statute (Article 12, Part 2) contains no provision requiring a permit holder to proactively tell an officer they are armed. The only related duty is to produce the permit and photo ID on the officer's demand (§ 18-12-204(2)).
Do I have to carry my permit when I carry concealed in Colorado?
Yes. You must carry the permit together with valid photo identification at all times while you are in actual possession of a concealed handgun, and produce both on demand by a law enforcement officer (§ 18-12-204(2)).
What happens if I can't show my permit when an officer asks?
Failure to produce the permit on demand raises a rebuttable presumption that you don't have one and is a class 1 petty offense. However, the charge is dismissed if, at or before your court appearance, you show a permit and photo ID that were both valid at the time you were charged (§ 18-12-204(2)(a)).
Do I have to tell police about a gun in my car in Colorado?
The concealed-carry statute's produce-on-demand rule applies to carrying a concealed handgun; it imposes no proactive duty to inform. Vehicle-specific carry rules are covered separately in Colorado gun laws in a vehicle.