---
type: "Bill"
title: "Expand Firearm Transfer Background Check Requirements"
description: "The act requires a licensed gun dealer to obtain approval for a firearms transfer from the Colorado bureau of investigation (bureau) prior to transferring a firearm.The act prohibits the bureau from approving the transfer of a firearm to a person who was convicted of specified misdemeanor offenses. The bureau is also prohibited from approving a firearms transfer until it determines that its background investigation is complete and that the transfer would not violate federal prohibitions on firearms possession or result in a violation of state law.A person may be denied a firearms transfer if there has not been a final disposition in criminal proceedings for certain offenses for which the prospective transferee, if convicted, would be prohibited from purchasing, receiving, or possessing a firearm. The act permits continued denial of the transfer when the bureau is unable to obtain the final disposition of a case that is no longer pending.A person who has been denied a firearms transfer following a background check can appeal the denial. The act establishes a 60-day deadline for the bureau to review background check records that prompted the denial and render a final administrative decision regarding the denial.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/co"
legislature: "Colorado General Assembly"
session: "2021A"
identifier: "HB 21-1298"
citation: "Colorado HB 21-1298 (2021A)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Brittany Pettersen", "Judy Amabile", "Julie Gonzales", "Steven Woodrow"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 17
vote_count: 12
first_action: "2021-04-29T06:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-06-19T06:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/db3272e7-c444-42b6-8f78-c267259a3062"
source_url: "http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb21-1298"
source_hash: "32a87ccab8aa7c2ebe09c58d2cd5844869925880fb286df40742fca1a76bce4c"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-co"]
---

# Colorado HB 21-1298 (2021A) — Expand Firearm Transfer Background Check Requirements

The act requires a licensed gun dealer to obtain approval for a firearms transfer from the Colorado bureau of investigation (bureau) prior to transferring a firearm.The act prohibits the bureau from approving the transfer of a firearm to a person who was convicted of specified misdemeanor offenses. The bureau is also prohibited from approving a firearms transfer until it determines that its background investigation is complete and that the transfer would not violate federal prohibitions on firearms possession or result in a violation of state law.A person may be denied a firearms transfer if there has not been a final disposition in criminal proceedings for certain offenses for which the prospective transferee, if convicted, would be prohibited from purchasing, receiving, or possessing a firearm. The act permits continued denial of the transfer when the bureau is unable to obtain the final disposition of a case that is no longer pending.A person who has been denied a firearms transfer following a background check can appeal the denial. The act establishes a 60-day deadline for the bureau to review background check records that prompted the denial and render a final administrative decision regarding the denial.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Committee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2021a_hb1298_s_sa_001.pdf)
2. **Engrossed (05/14/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_1298_eng.pdf)
3. **Final Act (06/14/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_1298_enr.pdf)
4. **Introduced (04/29/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_1298_01.pdf)
5. **PA1 (05/27/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_1298ssta_01.pdf)
6. **Reengrossed (05/17/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_1298_ren.pdf)
7. **Rerevised (05/28/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_1298_rer.pdf)
8. **Revised (05/27/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_1298_rev.pdf)
9. **Signed Act (06/19/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2021a_1298_signed.pdf)

## Votes

- AMD — **22–37** (fail) · lower
- AMD — **26–32** (fail) · lower
- AMD — **23–36** (fail) · lower
- RECON — **31–32** (fail) · lower
- AMD — **22–37** (fail) · lower
- CONCUR — **53–11** (pass) · lower
- REPASS — **41–23** (pass) · lower
- BILL — **20–14** (pass) · upper
- AMD — **30–29** (pass) · lower
- AMD — **23–35** (fail) · lower
- BILL — **42–21** (pass) · lower
- AMD — **23–35** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- Brittany Pettersen — primary (person)
- Judy Amabile — primary (person)
- Julie Gonzales — primary (person)
- Steven Woodrow — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-06-19T06:00:00+00:00** Governor Signed `executive-signature`
- **2021-06-15T06:00:00+00:00** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-06-14T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the Speaker of the House
- **2021-06-14T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the President of the Senate
- **2021-06-07T06:00:00+00:00** House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
- **2021-06-01T06:00:00+00:00** House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
- **2021-05-28T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-05-27T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee `reading-2`
- **2021-05-26T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- **2021-05-25T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2021-05-18T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs `introduction`
- **2021-05-17T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Reconsidered - No Amendments
- **2021-05-17T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-05-14T06:00:00+00:00** House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Floor
- **2021-05-11T06:00:00+00:00** House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- **2021-05-05T06:00:00+00:00** House Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2021-04-29T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/db3272e7-c444-42b6-8f78-c267259a3062`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).