House committee advances bill to restrict retail ammunition sales to buyers 21 and older; opponents cite constitutional and economic concerns

The House Business Affairs & Labor Committee voted 7‑6 to advance House Bill 11‑33, a measure that would raise the minimum age to purchase ammunition to 21 in Colorado and impose new store‑security and delivery requirements, after several hours of testimony Wednesday.

Supporters, led on the floor by Majority Leader Patrick Duran and co‑sponsor Representative Barb Gilchrist, said the proposal is intended to align ammunition rules with the state’s existing 21‑year age limit for buying firearms and to reduce theft and unlawful diversion. “In the state of Colorado, we did pass a law that states you have to be 21 to purchase a long gun or a handgun,” Duran said during committee discussion, adding that amending ammunition rules to match firearm law is “consistent.” Gilchrist told the committee that “it is the ammunition that causes grievous injuries to shooting survivors and is equally responsible for so many deaths as the firearms used to propel them.”

The bill as amended would: raise the minimum retail age to purchase ammunition to 21; require ammunition sold at retail to be inaccessible without employee assistance (for example, behind a counter or in an enclosed display case); prohibit the sale of ammunition via unattended vending machines; and impose additional requirements for delivery of online purchases, including verifying the recipient’s age. Sponsors also offered an amendment to delay the bill’s…