Generally no, once a qualifying protection order is in place. Colorado law requires a court issuing a protective order covered by the federal Lautenberg Amendment to order the restrained person to surrender firearms and ammunition, typically within 72 hours for firearms and 96 hours for ammunition. The person who receives them has to provide written proof of receipt, which must be filed with the court within three days.
The federal layer on top of Colorado’s own rule
Independent of Colorado’s surrender procedure, federal law under the Lautenberg Amendment separately prohibits someone subject to certain protection orders, and anyone convicted of a qualifying domestic violence misdemeanor, from possessing firearms at all, a restriction with no exception for police officers or active-duty military.
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.
