New concealed carry burdens heaped on law-abiding Coloradans

A state law in effect as of July 1 layers on new education and training burdens for obtaining and renewing permits for the carrying of a concealed handgun in Colorado, this despite data suggesting permit holders are already an exceptionally responsible and law-abiding group.

House Bill 24-1174 passed along party lines in the Democrat-controlled legislature last year, and among other things significantly expands classroom training requirements to obtain a concealed handgun permit (CHP), to include a live-fire exercise and a written exam, with instructors “verified” by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

The bill additionally requires a “refresher” class for the renewal of a permit, which includes the exam and live-fire mandates. Nowhere does the bill cite evidence of any issues arising from previous requirements, nor of CHP holders as committing acts of gun violence...

Despite a growing hostility towards CHP holders by the legislature and anti-gun rights groups, Colorado continues to see an uptick in concealed carry permits...

“Concealed carry is, by its nature, virtually impossible to detect, unless a person walks through a metal detector or is frisked by the police. Obtaining a concealed carry permit requires hundreds of dollars in fees and expenses, including for training, as well as the post-training hours necessary to go through the permitting process,” writes Kopel. “The only people who bother to go through the onerous process are people who are so concerned about legal compliance that they spend significant resources just to obtain a card from the government allowing them to legally do what they could have done anyway for free, and with very low risk of being caught.”