Colorado Firearms Safety Course (SB25-003) — Aurora & Parker
As of August 1, 2026, Colorado requires a firearms safety course before you can buy or receive a specified semiautomatic firearm.
Classroom only. No range time, no ammunition, nothing to bring but yourself. Taught across the Denver metro — classrooms in Aurora and Parker — by a Colorado Parks and Wildlife verified instructor.
Basic (4 hours) — $125 · Extended (12 hours) — $249
Which course do you need?
| Basic | Extended | |
|---|---|---|
| You need this if… | You have completed CPW hunter education | You have not |
| Length | 4 hours | 12 hours, over two days |
| Format | Classroom | Classroom |
| Exam | 90% to pass | 90% to pass |
| Price | $125 | $249 |
Pass either one and you have five years to purchase.
Not sure whether your hunter education card counts? Call us at 720-464-SHOT and we will tell you straight, even if the answer costs us the bigger class.
Read this first: get your card before you book
You cannot take this course until you already hold a Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card. This is the step that trips everyone up.
- Apply to your county sheriff for a Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card. You will need a government photo ID, a name-based background check from a third-party vendor, your county’s processing fee, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s $52 record fee. The state’s application system opened July 20, 2026.
- Receive your card.
- Book your course with us — Basic or Extended.
- Pass at 90%.
- You have five years to purchase.
We cannot sell you a seat before step 2, and neither can anyone else. Apply first.
The $52 CPW fee and your county’s processing fee go to the state and your sheriff — not to Colorado Tactics. Our price above is the course only.
What the class covers
Colorado Parks and Wildlife sets the curriculum. Every verified instructor in the state teaches the same required material:
- Safe handling of semiautomatic firearms and ammunition magazines
- Safe storage and child safety
- Firearm deaths associated with mental illness
- Extreme risk protection orders
- Victim awareness and empathy
The content is set by the state. What differs is who is in front of the room.
Your instructor
John Rader is listed with Colorado Parks and Wildlife as a verified Firearms Safety Program instructor under Colorado Tactics.
- Teaching since 1993 — more than 30,000 students
- Douglas County Verified Firearms Instructor #25037 — valid statewide
- NRA Certified Instructor #167433046
- United States Marine Corps — ten years infantry, honorably discharged as a Sergeant
- Law Enforcement
If you found Colorado Tactics on the state’s instructor list, you are in the right place.
Why take it here
We tell you what you actually need. If your hunter education card means the 4-hour class is enough, we will say so — even though the 12-hour costs more.
We explain the 90% before you sit down. It is a real exam. You will know the standard going in, and we teach to it.
We are not reading slides. The state sets the topics. Three decades of teaching Colorado shooters sets everything else.
Where we teach
Aurora — DoubleTree, Aurora, CO. Easy for Aurora, Denver, Centennial, Englewood, Littleton and the east and central metro.
Parker — our classroom in Parker. Easy for Parker, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch and the south metro.
Extended courses run over two days, as the law requires. Weekday and weekend options.
Coming from Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster or Thornton? The Aurora classroom is usually the shorter drive — and the certificate is identical either way.
Questions
Do I need to bring a gun?
No. This is classroom instruction. Bring nothing but yourself.
Is there shooting?
No live fire. Classroom only.
Can I take it online?
No. Colorado requires the course in person — no part of it may be online. Any online-only offering does not meet the requirement.
How long is it good for?
Five years from the date you pass.
What if I fail the exam?
Talk to us. Nobody gets rushed through and nobody gets abandoned.
Do I need this if I already have a concealed carry permit?
They are separate requirements under separate laws. A CCW permit does not replace this course. If you need both, we teach both.
Which firearms does this apply to?
“Specified semiautomatic firearms” as defined by SB25-003. Check the state’s current list, or ask your dealer before you buy.
Book your seat
Reserve a seat → No charge up front. I set the date once enough people are on the list, then email everyone at once.
Proudly serving the Denver Metro area and all of Colorado
Classes in Parker and Aurora · Monday–Saturday, 9–5
720-464-SHOT (7468) · info@coloradotactics.com