Can Employers Prohibit CCW in the Workplace?
Do you have a CCW? If so, you may wonder if you can bring your weapon to work. The answer is that it depends on where you live. Colorado is an open-carry state, meaning carrying firearms in open sight isn’t a crime. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all; there are some restrictions to where you can conceal carry.
For example, you can generally conceal carry anywhere that isn’t a federally owned building or posted on the premises. That includes courthouses, post offices, schools, airports, and private property at the owner’s request.
But what if you don’t work at one of these places? Can you CCW if you work, let’s say, in an office? Colorado Handgun Safety is here to help break it down.
Conceal Carrying at Work in Colorado
Whether or not you can bring a firearm to work depends on the employer and their policies. Employers have the right to enact policies that prohibit or restrict guns in the workplace. If your workspace is rented or leased, the building owner’s policies can impact whether or not CCW is okay.
Parking Lot Laws
Some states have laws that allow or don’t allow employees to keep their firearms in their vehicles parked on company property. In Colorado, employers generally can’t prohibit you from leaving a weapon in your car as long as it’s locked and safe. If you work at one of the places listed above where CCW is prohibited, however, you may not be allowed to leave a gun in your vehicle.
Colorado Gun Laws
According to the Colorado Department of Public Safety, the state allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle if its use is for the lawful protection of such person, another person, or property. However, if you carry the weapon into your business, it must be in plain view. Local jurisdictions cannot enact laws restricting a person’s ability to travel with a firearm.
Additionally, you can carry a weapon in your vehicle, but it’s unlawful to have any firearm, other than a pistol or revolver, in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber is unloaded. You can learn more about Colorado gun laws and CCW from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Colorado Handgun Safety Can Answer Your Questions
If you aren’t sure whether or not you can bring your firearm to work, you can talk to the experts at Colorado Handgun Safety. The best way to comply with the gun laws in your area is to conduct research and stay continuously educated. An easy way to do that is to enroll in local CCW classes.
Additionally, if you don’t have a CCW permit yet but want one, you must complete a handgun safety or concealed carry class before applying.
Colorado Handgun Safety offers CCW classes in Colorado designed to help you understand the law and stay safe while carrying a firearm. View our class schedule or contact us today to learn more about CCW in the workplace.
