By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Beginning Jan. 1, 2025 in Colorado, handgun owners who store sidearms in their unoccupied vehicles must put them in a locked, hard-sided container out of plain sight, while people storing long guns in cars can put them in soft-sided cases so long as there is some kind of locking device on the gun.
As noted by USA Today, this is not the only new gun control law coming in the New Year.
Even guns stored inside RVs must be locked out of sight. The new law was touted by proponents of House Bill 24-1348 as a way to combat gun thefts from vehicles, according to KMGH News.
However, opponents including State Rep. Brandi Bradley of Littleton and Rep. Ken DeGraaf of Colorado Springs, both Republicans, said the requirement might backfire. Bradley was reportedly concerned she would not be able to quickly retrieve her gun for self-defense in an emergency. DeGraff reportedly suggested the requirement might attract attention from car prowlers looking to see whether a motorist was storing a gun in a vehicle.
There are several types of lockable gun cases available for vehicle storage, such as the ones manufactured by GunVault, and they can also double as secured gun cases for airline travel. In addition, at least one company, Console Vault, offers lockable gun safes which install in the vault of an SUV or pickup truck. A third option would be the Life Jacket from MSE Worldwide, which locks around a firearm and may be portable or mounted in a vehicle.
As noted by USA Today, there are some exceptions “related to farm and ranch work environments, people with disabilities, antique firearms, people who live in RVs, peace officers, members of the armed forces and (while) hunting.”
The other big change comes July 1, when people applying for a concealed carry permit will have to complete an eight-hour training course, including a live-fire exercise and written test. Instructors must be “verified by the county sheriff,” the USA Today story noted.
Persons renewing their permit after July 1 must also “demonstrate competence with a handgun.”
Under the law, people with certain misdemeanor convictions within the previous five years will be prohibited from getting a permit.
