06/19/2026
A fi****ms group has filed a lawsuit challenging a recently signed law expanding regulations for fi****ms dealers in Colorado. House Bill 26-1126 clarifies that fi****ms dealers must hold both a federal and state license to operate. The bill also allows the Department of Revenue to fine dealers up to $100,000 for second or subsequent violations of certain requirements. Additionally, HB 1126 expands record-keeping requirements to apply to all firearm purchases, rather than just pistols and revolvers. It includes certain requirements for gun shops, such as that dealers must safely store large-capacity magazines, have certain security features on all doors and windows and be equipped with an alarm system that includes video surveillance of every door and area where fi****ms are kept. Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver, who sponsored the bill, said it builds on the state’s permit-to-sell policy to prevent firearm theft and protect Coloradans from gun violence. The Colorado State Shooting Association, the state’s branch of the National Rifle Association, has notified Gov. Jared Polis that it would pursue legal action if he signed the bill into law. “This law authorizes government agents to access sensitive firearm ownership records without a warrant, without probable cause, and without any requirement to justify the search,” said Ray Elliott, the group’s president. “The Constitution does not permit the government to treat every law-abiding firearm owner as a suspect. We believe HB26-1126 violates fundamental protections guaranteed by both the Second and Fourth Amendments, and we are prepared to see this fight through.” The lawsuit contends that HB 1126’s provision granting law enforcement access to firearm purchase records without requiring a warrant or probable cause violates the Constitution and “establishes a system of government surveillance directed at lawful firearm owners.” “Colorado’s leaders continue to pass laws that burden the rights of responsible citizens while failing to address the criminals who actually commit violent offenses,” said CSSA’s executive director, Huey Laugesen. “When elected officials disregard constitutional limits on government power, it becomes necessary to defend those rights in court. That is exactly what we are doing.” The organization has previously filed lawsuits against the state’s firearm excise tax and a measure requiring individuals to undergo safety training to be eligible to purchase semiautomatic weapons. Both suits are pending.
