Garfield county commissioners on Monday unanimously passed a resolution “strongly opposing” a newly signed Colorado gun control bill that places restrictions on many semiautomatic firearms.

Senate Bill 25-003, signed into law by Governor Jared Polis on April 10, restricts the manufacture, distribution, sale, transfer and purchase of certain semiautomatic rifles, shotguns and gas-operated handguns with detachable magazines. Semiautomatic firearms — such as AK-47 and AR-15 style rifles — fire once with each pull of the trigger and automatically load the next round. 

The bill, which will go into effect on August 1, 2026, also creates education and training requirements for potential buyers of such firearms. 

Violations of the law will be classified as a class two misdemeanor for a first offense, with a second offense escalating to a class six felony. The law also makes the unlawful transfer, sale, or possession of a large-capacity magazine a class one misdemeanor.

One of the bill’s prime sponsors was Sen. Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial, whose son, Alex, was killed in the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012. 

“I am focused on improving public safety and making Colorado one of the top ten safest states in the country,” Polis said in an April 10 news release. “This bill ensures that our Second Amendment rights are protected and that Coloradans can continue to purchase the gun of their choice for sport, hunting, self-defense, or home defense. 

“I am confident that this bill contributes to improving public safety in our state by helping to ensure an educated and trained gun owner community, including gun safety and safe storage,” he continued. “This law is not a ban, and I have been clear that I oppose banning types of firearms. Proper gun safety education and training, however, are key components of public safety and responsible gun ownership.” 

Garfield County commissioners expressed frustration at the bill’s passage during Monday’s meeting.

“I’ll just say this to the governor — if you’re trying to run for president of the United States, the public and the citizens of the United States will take this into account,” Commissioner Tom Jankovsky said. “You don’t need a little Napoleon to be a dictator as a president of the United States. This is just another example of how (Polis) does not listen to the citizens and is arrogant and thinks he knows best.”

The board of county commissioners then passed a resolution that formally opposes the bill, stating that it “criminalizes the otherwise lawful conduct of peaceable citizens,” targets licensed firearms dealers, places burdens on local law enforcement and threatens small business owners in the firearms industry. 

Exemptions and firearm safety requirements

The bill allows for several exemptions including transactions involving law enforcement agencies, military forces and educational programs. 

It also includes specific exceptions for certain firearms, including those with a permanently fixed magazine that holds no more than 15 rounds and single or double-action recoil operated semiautomatic handguns. In addition to firearm restrictions, the law bans all rapid fire conversion devices, like binary triggers and bump stocks. 

Buyers who complete approved education and firearm safety training may still qualify to purchase semiautomatic firearms regulated under the new law.

To be eligible, they must meet one of three training requirements within five years prior to the purchase: complete a hunter education course and a basic firearms safety course (four hours or less); complete an extended firearms safety course (up to 12 hours); or, if they completed an extended course more than five years earlier, complete a basic safety course within the five-year window.

Safety courses must be taught in person by a sheriff-verified firearms instructor and hunter education courses must be certified by the division of parks and wildlife. 

To enroll, residents must first apply for a firearms safety course eligibility card, which is valid for five years. The application process includes a form developed by the division of parks and wildlife and a criminal background check. 

Applicants must also pay a fee that will cover the costs of issuing the cards. Colorado Parks and Wildlife will set the fee, which is projected to be around $40, according to a March 20 fiscal note by the Colorado Legislative Council Staff. 

Local concerns about cost and implementation 

Garfield County Commissioner Perry Will criticized the legislation, stating on Monday that the bill is “charging our citizens a fee to buy back their Second Amendment rights.” 

The county’s resolution highlights the bill’s possible local financial impacts. Because the bill is an unfunded mandate, Garfield County estimates that it will cost around $250,000 annually to support the new vetting process. 

Statewide, the law is projected to cost around $1.4 million in its first year of enforcement and $600,000 in subsequent years. However, revenue from eligibility card fees — based on an estimated 50,000 applicants per year — is expected to generate about $2 million annually.

“The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners finds this legislation to be an overreach of state authority, an affront to personal freedom, and a direct threat to both public safety and the economic well-being of Coloradans,” the county’s resolution states.

“They’re after mass shootings and those types of things with these external clips on firearms,” Will said. “If I thought that would make a difference, I would stand arm and arm with it. But this makes zero sense. It will not prevent one thing and I think even the people running the bill probably know that.”

While Will expressed strong opposition to the bill, he also noted his general support for firearm safety training. 

“I’ve always supported firearm training, I can never talk against training requirements, never,” he later added. “But this is not the way to do it.”