Federal Permit / LEOSA Qualification
HR-218 qualification services for retired and separated law enforcement officers in Jefferson County.
Policy Update — April 2019
After reviewing the applicable Federal Statutes, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has ceased the practice of issuing permits in order to comply with Federal Law. The law specifies that an honorably separated Law Enforcement Officer needs only to carry retirement/separation credentials issued by the agency he or she separated from, and proof of handgun qualification within the previous one-year period to carry a concealed handgun.
Mandatory Requirements
The following items are mandatory and must be accomplished prior to qualifying on the JCSO firearms range:
- Current resident of Jefferson County (exception: retired/separated from JCSO)
- Valid Colorado driver's license
- Original photo identification issued by the agency you retired/separated from as a law enforcement officer
- Agree to execute a Release of Liability for Firearms Qualification (provided at qualification)
- Provide your own handgun(s) and lead-free (frangible) ammunition in original factory containers — reloaded ammunition is strictly prohibited
Ammunition note: All ammunition used in the JCSO indoor firearms range must be frangible / lead free due to ventilation, clean-up, and hazmat concerns. Ammunition must be store-purchased in its original factory container.
Appointments are scheduled online via Bookeo.
- Retired or separated in good standing with at least 10 years of service Law Enforcement Officers from JCSO
- Any other retired/separated Law Enforcement Officers living in Jefferson County
Eligible officers can schedule a time for their annual HR-218 qualification at the JCSO indoor range. Upon qualification, you will be provided a firearms qualification card completed by the Firearms Instructor.
Qualifying with one semi-automatic handgun covers all semi-automatics. The same applies for revolvers. You must qualify with the same type of firearm(s) you plan to carry concealed.
The only documents a retired/separated LE officer is required to carry under HR-218:
- Retired ID / Separated ID card
- Proof of qualification in the last 12 months
If you are honorably separated from a Colorado Law Enforcement agency, C.R.S. 24-33.5-112 mandates issuance of retirement credentials to retirees in good standing.
If you separated from an out-of-state agency, you need to obtain "good standing" credentials from your former agency to be covered by HR-218.
H.R.218 — The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) overrides state and local laws, but not other Federal laws such as the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1995, which prohibits carrying a firearm within 1,000 feet of any elementary or secondary school. LEOSA qualified individuals must continue to obey Federal laws and agency policies that restrict the carrying of concealed firearms in certain Federal buildings and lands.
State Laws Not Overridden by LEOSA
Two types of state laws are not overridden by the Federal law:
- Laws that permit private persons or entities to prohibit or restrict the possession of concealed firearms on their property
- Laws that prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms on any state or local government property, installation, building, base, or park
This does not mean that LEOSA qualified persons are prohibited from carrying in such areas, but that they must obey whatever state laws apply on those two points.