On Monday, Aug. 7, Colorado Senate Bill 23-169, which raises the legal age to purchase a firearm to 21, will go into effect.
The bill was sponsored by state Sens. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, and Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, and state Rep. Eliza Hamrick, D-Centennial, according to a news release from General Assembly Democrats.
The bill was approved April 25 and signed by Gov. Jared Polis on April 28, according to a document from the Colorado General Assembly’s website.
Currently, individuals 18 years and older may purchase and “knowingly possess a firearm.” After Aug. 7, that minimum age requirement will be 21 years old.
Illegal possession of a firearm by someone under age 21 is a Class 2 misdemeanor on the first violation. After that, illegal possession is a Class 5 felony.
The bill does have exceptions to the new age requirement. People under the age of 21 may possess a firearm for hunter’s or firearm safety courses, authorized target shooting, hunting wildlife within the parameters of the law, and serving in the military or as a peace officer, among others. Individuals over the age of 18 by the enactment date are also allowed to possess firearms legally, according to the Colorado General Assembly.
The new bill also states that it is a Class 4 felony to “recklessly provide, or permit a juvenile to possess, a firearm,” the Colorado General Assembly’s website said.
“Gun deaths in Colorado have been climbing higher and higher every year, and a disproportionate number of them are committed by younger Coloradans,” Mullica said in the news release from General Assembly Democrats.
“Raising the age to purchase a firearm will keep more deadly weapons away from our youth, reduce youth suicide rates, and make our communities safer,” Danielson stated in the same news release.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety’s website, 22 states have raised the minimum age for firearm purchase. The website also reports that firearms are the No. 1 cause of death in people ages 18 to 20. That age group commits “gun homicides at triple the rate of adults 21 years and older,” the website states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2021, 1,064 firearm deaths occurred in Colorado. The Colorado Sun reported that gun deaths in Colorado were higher in 2021 than any other year since 1980. They reported that most gun deaths are suicides, and that males are most afflicted by gun-related deaths.
“As a survivor of gun intimidation, I am relieved that Colorado law now requires all gun purchasers to be at least 21 years old, which will help reduce senseless gun violence and make our communities safer,” Duran said. “With this new law going into effect, we can save countless lives from preventable firearm-related injuries or death and improve public safety.”
