No. Colorado law makes it a crime for someone with a prior felony conviction to possess, use, or carry a firearm, regardless of whether the original felony had anything to do with weapons or violence. Under C.R.S. § 18-12-108, this is generally a class 6 felony, carrying 12 to 18 months in prison, a year of mandatory parole, and a fine of $1,000 to $100,000, but it becomes a class 5 felony, carrying 1 to 3 years in prison, if the prior felony involved burglary, arson, the use of force, or a dangerous weapon. This restriction applies the moment the felony conviction is entered and doesn’t require any additional court order.
The only real way around it
For an adult felony conviction, sealing your record does not restore firearm rights, that requires a pardon from the governor, which generally isn’t available until at least 10 years after completing your full sentence, including probation, and requires demonstrating good character throughout.
What to do next
If you’re facing this in Colorado, call Mile High Legal at (720) 853-5779 for a free consultation. The earlier a defense attorney gets involved, the more options are usually still on the table.
