Colorado, Denver Defend Out-of-State Carry Limits
The state and city filed responses opposing a Firearms Policy Coalition motion seeking a preliminary injunction against restrictions on out-of-state gun carry.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Law
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Colorado and Denver filed responses to a motion for a preliminary injunction brought by the Firearms Policy Coalition, which sued the state and city in September over alleged limits on gun carry by out-of-state residents. The coalition updated its complaint on October 6 and filed the lawsuit on behalf of California resident Gene Hoffman.
Why it matters
The case asks whether Colorado's rules on recognizing out-of-state carry permits are consistent with the Supreme Court's 2022 Bruen decision, which struck down New York's good-cause requirement for pistol permits. The outcome could affect how nonresident gun owners travel with firearms in Colorado, a state that recognizes permits only from certain reciprocity states and only for residents of those states.
The preliminary injunction motion is pending, with Colorado and Denver having filed responses on Wednesday, and no ruling has been reported. The court has not indicated when it will decide the motion.
The players
Firearms Policy Coalition
A gun rights advocacy organization that brought the lawsuit challenging Colorado and Denver's out-of-state carry restrictions.
Denver District Attorney
The chief prosecutor for the City and County of Denver, whose office is involved in the litigation over the city's carry rules.
The details
The Firearms Policy Coalition alleges that Colorado's concealed-carry reciprocity rules effectively ban out-of-state residents from carrying firearms, citing that Colorado does not recognize California concealed-carry permits and recognizes out-of-state permits only when issued to a state's own residents. Colorado allows open carry of handguns without a permit and issues concealed-carry permits to all residents, while Denver prohibits some carry but allows it with valid city authorization.
Timeline
June 2022: The Supreme Court's Bruen decision struck down New York's good-cause requirement for pistol permits.
September 2025: The Firearms Policy Coalition sued Colorado and Denver.
October 6, 2025: The coalition updated its complaint.
November 12, 2026: Colorado and Denver filed responses opposing the preliminary injunction motion.
Legal Context
The challenge follows the Supreme Court's 2022 Bruen decision, which established a historical-tradition test for evaluating firearm regulations and struck down New York's pistol permit requirement. Colorado's out-of-state recognition rules are now being tested against that standard in federal court.
Gun owners from states outside Colorado's reciprocity agreements may be unable to carry concealed firearms while visiting Colorado under current rules. The outcome of the injunction motion could change which out-of-state permits Colorado honors.
The takeaway
Gun owners traveling to Colorado should check whether their home-state permit is recognized under the state's reciprocity rules before carrying. The pending ruling on the preliminary injunction will determine whether those rules stand while the case proceeds.
Further reading
Explore more Colorado law coverage for context on state gun regulations.
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