This story by Sara Wilson appeared on Colorado Newsline on February 25, 2025.
The Colorado House of Representatives approved a bill that would require stores to keep firearm ammunition behind the counter and would raise the minimum age to buy ammunition to 21, though a series of amendments would grant multiple exemptions.
House Bill 25-1133 passed on a 38-27 vote Tuesday. Five Democrats, some of whom represent rural or more conservative districts, voted against it: Rep. Sheila Lieder of Littleton, Rep. Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch, Rep. Matthew Martinez of Monte Vista, Rep. Tisha Mauro of Pueblo and Rep. Katie Stewart of Durango.
The bill aims to align the state’s ammunition purchasing law with the minimum age restriction to buy a gun, which lawmakers raised to 21 last year.
“It will keep ammunition out of the hands of people too young to legally purchase firearms, which is critical to public safety,” bill sponsor House Majority Leader Monica Duran, a Wheat Ridge Democrat, said during debate on the bill Friday. “This is a modest, but important step that is well in line with previous actions that the Legislature has taken to protect our communities from gun violence.”
The bill would require sellers to put ammunition somewhere a purchaser couldn’t access on their own, such as behind the checkout counter where merchandise like nicotine and cold medicine is kept. A delivery driver dropping off a package with ammunition bought online would need to verify the purchaser’s age, just as an employee would do in a physical store.
“Today, it is far too easy for minors and others prohibited from owning firearms to evade minimal restrictions in place on websites and stockpile ammunition,” bill sponsor Rep. Lindsay Gilchrist, a Denver Democrat, said Friday.
In most cases, people would need to be 21 years old to buy rifle or shotgun ammunition, unless they have a hunter education certificate, valid hunting license or are a member of the military. Those younger adults could also buy ammunition at a shooting range to use on site.
The bill was also amended to exclude current 18- to 21-year-olds. Those exemptions were added to the bill through amendments on the House floor.
House Republicans argued that the bill would not reduce gun violence. Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter said that many of his constituents in rural Colorado begin handling firearms and learn responsible handling at a young age.
“Legislation like this, even though I know the sponsors in their hearts are well meaning with this, but it also signals to kids (in my district) that they are not smart enough, they don’t have the ethics, they don’t have the values to have this responsibility,” the Trinidad Republican said.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is sponsored by Sen. Judy Amabile, a Boulder Democrat, and Sen. Cathy Kipp, a Fort Collins Democrat.
The ammunition bill is one of several firearm-related bills being considered by the Legislature this year. Senate Bill 25-3, which would require training to purchase most semi-automatic guns with detachable magazines, passed the Senate last week but has not been scheduled for its House committee hearing. Democrats also advanced a bill to increase security at gun shows through its first committee hearing Monday.