Non-Resident permit · IN → CO
Is a Indiana Non-Resident Permit Valid in Colorado?
Colorado says no. Your Indiana non-resident permit isn't recognized, permitless carry isn't available to you, and carrying regardless is a chargeable offense. Check Colorado's own permit options if you travel there often. Treat this as provisional. The official Colorado sources we track do not spell out this scenario completely, and the safe move is to verify directly before carrying.
Why
- Colorado's official reciprocity list includes Indiana.
- The agreement covers only permits issued to Indiana residents.
- A non-resident permit from Indiana therefore does not qualify — the holder is not an Indiana resident.
- Whether Indiana issues non-resident permits could not be verified from official sources.
Colorado honors a permit only if the issuing state honors Colorado's CHP, the holder is 21+, is a RESIDENT of the issuing state, and carries a matching driver's license or state ID from that state. Colorado explicitly does not recognize any permit issued to a non-resident of the issuing state - a Colorado resident also cannot carry in-state on another state's non-resident permit (C.R.S. 18-12-213; CBI reciprocity page).
The permit (Indiana)
- Permit
- Indiana License to Carry a Handgun (LTCH)
- Issued by
- Indiana State Police
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Not verified
The destination (Colorado)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 34 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 15 rounds
Carry rules in Colorado
Your Indiana habits may not match Colorado's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- No duty to volunteer. Permittee must carry the permit plus valid photo ID whenever carrying and must produce both upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a class 1 petty offense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(a)).
- Colorado limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Colorado is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Colorado recognizes.
- A person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it, loaded, in a private automobile without any permit for a legal use including self-defense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(3)(a)); this does not extend onto school grounds under 18-12-105.5.
Off-limits places in Colorado
- K-12 public school grounds (permittee's handgun may remain in a locked vehicle)
- Public buildings with permanent security screening and guards at each entrance
- State legislative and local government buildings (SB24-131, eff. 2024-07-01)
- Courthouses and buildings used for court proceedings
- Colleges, universities and licensed childcare center buildings (SB24-131)
- Polling places, central count facilities, and within 100 feet of a ballot drop box during elections
Frequently asked questions
- Is a Indiana non-resident permit valid in Colorado?
- Colorado says no. Your Indiana non-resident permit isn't recognized, permitless carry isn't available to you, and carrying regardless is a chargeable offense. Check Colorado's own permit options if you travel there often. Treat this as provisional. The official Colorado sources we track do not spell out this scenario completely, and the safe move is to verify directly before carrying.
- Do I have to tell police in Colorado that I am carrying?
- No duty to volunteer. Permittee must carry the permit plus valid photo ID whenever carrying and must produce both upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a class 1 petty offense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(a)).
- Does Colorado limit magazine capacity?
- Colorado limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Where does Colorado publish its official reciprocity list?
- Colorado publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - CHP Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-203 - Criteria for obtaining a permit (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-204 - Permit contents, carrying requirements (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-214 - Authority granted by permit, carrying restrictions (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado General Assembly - SB24-131 Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Attorney General - statement on 15-round large-capacity magazine limit — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - Does Indiana honor handgun licenses from other states? (IC 35-47-2-21(b)) — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - Places where carry is illegal even with a valid license — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - Handgun carry at Indiana State Parks — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - How do I apply for a handgun license? (ISP issues; online portal) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia General Assembly policy brief (supporting: lists Indiana among the 25 permitless-carry states as of 2022) — accessed 2026-08-08