DENVER — Beginning January 1, 2025, Colorado gun owners who leave firearms in their vehicles must safeguard them in a lockable container.
House Bill 24-1348 tries to prevent gun theft from automobiles.
“This is a common-sense measure to ensure everyone’s safety,” said bill sponsor State Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs.
Law enforcement officials said weapons taken from cars are frequently used by criminals to commit other crimes. According to the Denver Police Department, car theft accounted for around two-thirds of all weapons stolen in the city last year.
Supporters of the measure say that it will minimize gun theft and improve public safety.
Gun owners who prefer to leave their guns in their vehicles must keep them in a lockable container. This could include a glove compartment, center console, or trunk.
“It just has to be out of sight whenever the vehicle is unattended,” Velasco told reporters. “If there’s nobody in the vehicle, the firearm must be put away.”
Gun owners who fail to comply with the new regulation may face a $500 fine.
Velasco remains optimistic that the bill will help make Colorado safer.
“It’s just really needed here for public safety, making sure that all of us are safe,” she told me.
However, detractors say that the law may have unexpected repercussions. State Representative Brandi Bradley, R-Littleton, voiced worry about the difficulties of retrieving a locked handgun during an emergency.
“This is going to make it harder for me to protect myself because now, I have to get into a box while I’m being preyed upon to get my gun out to defend myself,” Bradley informed me.
State Rep. Ken DeGraaf, R-Colorado Springs, cautioned that the proposal may encourage rather than deter theft.
“When somebody is watching the vehicle, and they see somebody disarm, they also know that they’re disarmed and that makes them vulnerable,” according to DeGraaf.
It is unclear how the new law will be enforced. Gun dealers must post notices on their premises alerting gun buyers of the law and the consequences for breaking it.
Another gun-related measure, House Bill 24-1122, will go into force in the new year. It focuses on protecting victims of domestic violence by barring suspected abusers from holding or purchasing firearms while subject to a temporary protection order. If they have a firearm in their possession, the new rule permits a judge to order them to surrender it within 24 hours.
Unlike the car storage bill, HB 24-1122 received broad bipartisan support.