More than two dozen laws kick in across Colorado starting this month, instituting new rules gun control, asset forfeiture and “conversion therapy.”
Read more Wildfire forces Tour de France to ban fans from stage finale as parts of Europe sizzle again
The laws took effect July 1. Several were passed earlier this spring, while others — including one related to ammunition sales and another penalizing wildlife trafficking — were passed in prior legislative sessions. They institute new oversight over a troubled Medicaid transportation program and criminal penalties for prostitution involving children. New mail-in ballot timelines for the 2026 general election officially take effect, as does a bill expanding the rules around a state homeownership program.
Two of the new laws are related to gun control. One, House Bill 1144, makes it illegal to manufacture 3D printed guns or firearm components, like a large-capacity magazine. A first violation is a misdemeanor, and subsequent violations would be felonies.
Last year’s House Bill 1133, which also took effect on July 1, requires shops that sell ammo to keep the ammo locked up, which effectively bans vending machines that sold firearm rounds. The measure also generally bans the sale of ammo to people under the age of 21, though it includes a number of exceptions for certain people under that threshold.
Here are some of the other laws that took effect starting this month.
Conversion therapy penalties
The newly passed House Bill 1322 allows people who received “conversion therapy” and were harmed by the efforts to change their sexual orientation or gender identity to file lawsuits against the therapy providers. The law came as the U.S. Supreme Court found that a prior state ban on the practice violated the First Amendment.
“Conversion therapy” has been widely criticized, with a number of leading mental health experts arguing that it is harmful and ineffective.
Read more Individual dies on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday
Asset forfeiture reforms
A police reform bill backed by progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans, House Bill 1250 changes how civil asset forfeiture plays out in Colorado. The bill narrows a legal provision that allows law enforcement to keep someone’s seized assets even if that person isn’t convicted of a crime. It also establishes a right to legal counsel for people contesting the seizure of their property and sets up a fund to pay for that legal representation for lower-income people.
Wildlife trafficking
Senate Bill 168, which was passed in 2025, creates new penalties for wildlife trafficking and makes it illegal to own or transport, sell or buy, or import or export wildlife for pay. People who violate the law can face penalties ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony charge.
The bill also adds a slew of federally designated endangered species to laws related to illegal possession, sale or destruction of wildlife, and it directs Colorado Parks and Wildlife to investigate commonly trafficked animals.
Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.
Read more Colorado State patrol looking for man accused of beating tow truck driver on I-70
