Growing up in the 80’s my father and brothers were avid hunters. I don’t think we owned one gun safe because I remember seeing guns stored in the closet, shoe boxes, drawers, under beds, etc. Thankfully, they taught me how to use and respect firearms. I knew as a young child the damage they could do and not to touch them. Therefore, It squashed my curiosity. However, not all gun owners teach their children/grandchildren about gun safety. Safely storing firearms is not only a law (whether you agree with it or not) but a good second line of defense.
The bill requires firearms be responsibly and securely stored when they are not in use to prevent access by unsupervised juveniles and other unauthorized users. The bill creates the offense of unlawful storage of a firearm if a person stores a firearm in a manner that the person knows, or should know:
- That a juvenile can gain access to the firearm without the permission of the juvenile’s parent or guardian; or
- A resident of the premises is ineligible to possess a firearm under state or federal law.
Unlawful storage of a firearm is a class 2 misdemeanor.
The bill requires licensed gun dealers to provide with each firearm, at the time of a firearm sale or transfer, a locking device capable of securing the firearm. Transferring a firearm without a locking device is an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a maximum $500 fine.
The bill requires the state court administrator to annually report to the general assembly about the number of charges related to unsafe firearms storage and the disposition of those charges.
The bill requires the office of suicide prevention within the department of public health and environment (department) to include on its website, and in materials provided to firearms-related businesses and health care providers, information about the offense of unlawful storage of a firearm, penalties for providing a handgun to a juvenile or allowing a juvenile to possess a firearm, and the requirement that gun dealers provide a locking device with each firearm transferred. Subject to available money, the department is required to develop and implement a firearms safe storage education campaign to educate the public about the safe storage of firearms, state requirements related to firearms safety and storage, and information about voluntary temporary firearms storage programs .
We’ve recently seen basic locking handgun cases starting at $20. They make them with a key, card, access code, and combinations of all these. If you have multiple firearms larger safes are available from $500-$3,000+. You can buy used on Craigslist, Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace. Or purchase a new safe at Bass Pro, Cabela’s, or your local gun shop.
*Please check Colorado Bureau of Investigation, https://cbi.colorado.gov, for updated and complete Colorado firearm laws