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DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation sponsored by Representatives Junie Joseph and Sean Camacho to increase security measures at gun shows and strengthen existing gun violence prevention laws.
“Gun violence has touched all of our communities, including my community of Boulder that tragically lost innocent lives in the Boulder King Soopers shooting in 2021, and I vow to do everything I can to prevent future mass shootings to protect Coloradans,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder. “That’s why I’m proudly sponsoring this bill that improves safety at gun shows, like requiring vendors to hold valid federal and state permits and properly securing firearms and ammunition, to prevent theft and illegal sales. It takes a multi-faceted approach to reduce gun violence, and this bill is one of the ways Colorado Democrats are working to improve safety in our communities and prevent senseless firearm deaths.”
“Colorado Democrats have spent years passing laws that help prevent gun violence, and this law helps improve compliance with the lifesaving laws we have passed around background checks, safe storage, and lost and stolen reporting requirements,” said Rep. Sean Camacho, D-Denver. “This legislation will close loopholes to ensure gun laws are followed at gun shows, where thousands of guns, ammunition, and other gun products are present and available to the public. We’re helping vendors keep guns out of the wrong hands to protect Colorado communities from gun violence.”
HB25-1238 would help reduce gun violence and theft by creating requirements for gun show promoters and vendors and strengthening existing state firearm laws.
The bill would require a gun show promoter to create a security plan at least 14 days before the gun show and submit the plan to each local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the show. The security plan would include a list of gun show vendors who are expected to participate, an estimated number of attendees, the number of security personnel secured for the show, and a layout of the event that includes entrances and exits and locations of video camera security. The bill also requires the gun show promoter to:
Obtain liability insurance for the gun show,
Implement security measures at the gun show,
Prohibit people under the age of 21 years old from entering the show unless accompanied by a parent, grandparent, or guardian,
Verify that firearm sales adhere to the 3-day waiting period law, and
Post certain notices at the gun show regarding state firearm laws.
To participate in a gun show, a vendor would be required to certify to the gun show promoter that they meet the requirements to be a gun show vendor and will comply with federal, state, and local firearm laws during the gun show. Vendors would also be required to display copies of their federal firearms license and state firearms dealer permit and conduct a background check for each firearm transfer at a gun show.
The bill would prohibit a vendor from participating in the gun show if they do not hold a federal firearms license or a valid state firearms dealer permit or have not completed a gun show certification. If they have been convicted of a second offense of unlawful gun show vendor activity, the vendor would also not be allowed to participate.
The bill exempts gun collectors shows that only offer curios, relics or antique firearms. The bill would take effect January 1, 2026.
The bill helps enforce recent laws that Colorado Democrats have passed to tackle gun violence, including implementing a minimum three-day waiting period, promoting responsible gun ownership by requiring firearms to be securely stored in residences and vehicles, creating a requirement to report lost or stolen firearms, requiring firearm dealers to hold a state license to ensure they have the education and tools to prevent gun violence, and strengthening Colorado’s gun background check system to prevent people convicted of violent crimes to access guns for five years.