Is a Wyoming Resident Permit Valid in Colorado?
It depends on who holds the permit. Colorado accepts the Wyoming resident permit for holders 21 and older. Holders under 21 cannot carry concealed in Colorado on this permit, and Colorado has no permitless carry.
Why
- Colorado's official reciprocity list includes Wyoming.
- The agreement covers only permits issued to Wyoming residents.
- Colorado honors out-of-state permits only for holders 21 and older, and Wyoming issues this permit from age 18.
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 (Wyoming)
- Permit
- Wyoming Concealed Firearm Permit (CFP)
- Issued by
- Wyoming Attorney General through the Division of Criminal Investigation (applications filed with the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
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
Crossing into Colorado swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.
- 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
Colorado bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- 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
Wyoming vs Colorado: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Wyoming into Colorado changes 3 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → No); magazine limit (None → 15 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (35 states → 34 states).
| Rule | Wyoming | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (18+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 15 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 35 states | 34 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Colorado resident permit in Wyoming: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Colorado
How a Wyoming resident permit fares in the states bordering Colorado:
- Kansas — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Nebraska — Recognized — holders 21+ only; permitless carry applies
- New Mexico — Recognized — carry with your permit
- Oklahoma — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Utah — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Colorado honor a Wyoming non-resident permit?
- Wyoming does not issue non-resident carry permits (Residents only — the DCI FAQ answers 'Can a non-resident obtain a concealed firearm permit in Wyoming?' with 'No.' Active-duty Wyoming military stationed out of state may still apply; a permit remains valid if the holder later moves away but cannot be renewed), so the question does not arise.
- Can a Colorado resident permit holder carry in Wyoming?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Wyoming's law, not Colorado's.
- 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
- C.R.S. 18-12-205 — permit fee not to exceed $100 (CBI-hosted PDF, via Wayback) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Colorado General Assembly — HB24-1174 Concealed Handgun Carry Permit Training — accessed 2026-09-27
- Colorado General Assembly — SB21-256 Local Regulation Of Firearms — accessed 2026-09-27
- Denver Police — Concealed Handgun Permits (local fee example) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Wyoming DCI — Concealed Firearm Permits FAQ (permitless carry, reciprocity list, prohibited places) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Wyoming DCI — Concealed Firearm Permits (program page) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Wyoming Legislature — 2026 HB0096, Carrying of concealed weapons-age requirement (21 -> 18, effective July 1, 2026) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Wyoming Legislature — 2025 HB0172 Enrolled Act No. 24, Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act (effective July 1, 2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Wyoming Legislature — Title 6 compiled statutes (W.S. 6-8-104(a)(iv), (b)(ii) as amended) — accessed 2026-09-27