Colorado earned an A minus anew on the Giffords Law Center’s annual Gun Law Scorecard – due in part to a law passed during the last legislative session that requires individuals to undergo training and obtain a permit to purchase semiautomatic firearms.

“Commonsense gun laws stop crime and save lives, and Colorado is proof of just how effective they can be,” said Giffords executive director Emma Brown. “While we celebrate the progress made in states like Colorado, we still have more lifesaving work to do.”

Colorado ranked No. 10 on Giffords’ list and was one of six states to receive an A- grade. According to the scorecard, Colorado’s gun death rate is 15.6 people per 100,000, 20% higher than the national average.

The scorecard mentioned three gun laws passed by Colorado’s General Assembly during the 2025 session: Senate Bill 003, which requires a license and training through Colorado Parks in Wildlife to purchase a semiautomatic weapon with a detachable magazine and banned bump stocks; House Bill 1133, which increased the minimum age to purchase ammunition to 21; and House Bill 25-1225, which prohibits individuals from openly carrying firearms near election-related activities.

Senate Bill 003 started out as a ban on semiautomatic weapons with detachable magazines but was watered down into its current form following significant amendments in the Senate.

The bill invited criticism from Republicans and several Democrats, who argued it infringed upon Coloradans’ Second Amendment rights.

Some also argued that the new requirements do nothing to actually prevent crime, and that, despite numerous guns laws approved by the Democratic legislature in the last several years, shootings still occur.

The House Republican caucus in April penned a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, asking for a federal investigation into the law. It is unknown whether Bondi responded to the request.

Last fall, Colorado’s arm of the National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality, arguing that it places “unlawful burdens on the rights of law-abiding Coloradans.”

Giffords made recommendations for additional gun laws, including requiring law enforcement to use tracing programs to track firearms used in crimes, mandating that individuals prohibited from owning firearms relinquish them, and banning bulk sales of handguns.