Colorado statute

C.R.S. § 18-12-109 — Possession, use, or removal of explosives or incendiary devices - possession of components thereof - chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons - persons exempt - hoaxes.

Current through 2025 Regular Session

Part of Part 1: FIREARMS AND WEAPONS - GENERAL, Colorado Revised Statutes.

Criminal charges under this statute

Possession, use, or removal of explosives or incendiary devices

Full text of C.R.S. § 18-12-109

Statutory text current through the 2025 Regular Session. This is an officially sanctioned publication using the official text of the Colorado Revised Statutes; it is not the official statutes of the State of Colorado.

C.R.S. § 18-12-109Primary source, current through the 2025 Regular Session

(1) As used in this section: (a) (I) "Explosive or incendiary device" means: (A) Dynamite and all other forms of high explosives, including, but not limited to, water gel, slurry, military C-4 (plastic explosives), blasting agents to include nitro-carbon-nitrate, and ammonium nitrate and fuel oil mixtures, cast primers and boosters, R.D.X., P.E.T.N., electric and nonelectric blasting caps, exploding cords commonly called detonating cord or det-cord or primacord, picric acid explosives, T.N.T. and T.N.T. mixtures, and nitroglycerin and nitroglycerin mixtures; (B) Any explosive bomb, grenade, missile, or similar device; and (C) Any incendiary bomb or grenade, fire bomb, or similar device, including any device, except kerosene lamps, which consists of or includes a breakable container including a flammable liquid or compound and a wick composed of any material which, when ignited, is capable of igniting such flammable liquid or compound and can be carried or thrown by one individual acting alone. (II) "Explosive or incendiary device" shall not include rifle, pistol, or shotgun ammunition, or the components for handloading rifle, pistol, or shotgun ammunition. (b) (I) "Explosive or incendiary parts" means any substances or materials or combinations thereof which have been prepared or altered for use in the creation of an explosive or incendiary device. Such substances or materials may include, but shall not be limited to, any: (A) Timing device, clock, or watch which has been altered in such a manner as to be used as the arming device in an explosive; (B) Pipe, end caps, or metal tubing which has been prepared for a pipe bomb; (C) Mechanical timers, mechanical triggers, chemical time delays, electronic time delays, or commercially made or improvised items which, when used singly or in combination, may be used in the construction of a timing delay mechanism, booby trap, or activating mechanism for any explosive or incendiary device. (II) "Explosive or incendiary parts" shall not include rifle, pistol, or shotgun ammunition, or the components for handloading rifle, pistol, or shotgun ammunition, or any signaling device customarily used in operation of railroad equipment. (2) (a) Any person who knowingly possesses or controls an explosive or incendiary device commits a class 5 felony. (b) Any person who knowingly manufacturers, gives, mails, sends, or causes to be sent an explosive or incendiary device commits a class 4 felony. (2.5) (a) Any person who knowingly possesses or controls a chemical, biological, or radiological weapon commits a class 4 felony. (b) Any person who knowingly manufacturers, gives, mails, sends, or causes to be sent a chemical, biological, or nuclear weapon commits a class 3 felony. (3) Subsection (2) of this section shall not apply to the following persons: (a) A peace officer while acting in his official capacity transporting or otherwise handling explosives or incendiary devices; (b) A member of the armed forces of the United States or Colorado National Guard while acting in his official capacity; (c) An authorized employee of the office of active and inactive mines in the division of reclamation, mining, and safety while acting within the scope of his or her employment; (d) A person possessing a valid permit issued under the provisions of article 7 of title 9, C.R.S., or an employee of such permittee acting within the scope of his employment; (e) A person who is exempt from the necessity of possessing a permit under the provisions of section 9-7-106 (5), C.R.S., or an employee of such exempt person acting within the scope of his employment; (f) A person or entity authorized to use chemical, biological, or radiological materials in their lawful business operations while using the chemical, biological, or radiological materials in the course of legitimate business activities. Authorized users shall include clinical, environmental, veterinary, agricultural, public health, or radiological laboratories and entities otherwise licensed to possess radiological materials. (4) Any person who knowingly uses or causes to be used or gives, mails, sends, or causes to be sent an explosive or incendiary device or a chemical, biological, or radiological weapon or materials in the commission of or in an attempt to commit a felony commits a class 2 felony. (5) Any person who removes or causes to be removed or carries away any explosive or incendiary device from the premises where the explosive or incendiary device is kept by the lawful user, vendor, transporter, or manufacturer thereof, without the consent or direction of the lawful possessor, commits a class 4 felony. (5.5) Any person who removes or causes to be removed or carries away any chemical, biological, or radiological weapon from the premises where the chemical, biological, or radiological weapon is kept by the lawful user, vendor, transporter, or manufacturer thereof, without the consent or direction of the lawful possessor, commits a class 3 felony. (6) Any person who possesses any explosive or incendiary parts commits a class 5 felony. (6.5) Any person who possesses any chemical weapon, biological weapon, or nuclear weapon parts commits a class 4 felony. (7) Any person who manufactures or possesses or who gives, mails, sends, or causes to be sent any false, facsimile, or hoax explosive or incendiary device or chemical, biological, or radiological weapon to another person or places any such purported explosive or incendiary device or chemical, biological, or radiological weapon in or upon any real or personal property commits a class 5 felony. (8) Any person possessing a valid permit issued under the provisions of article 7 of title 9, C.R.S., or an employee of such permittee acting within the scope of his employment, who knowingly dispenses, distributes, or sells explosive or incendiary devices to a person who is not authorized to possess or control such explosive or incendiary device commits a class 4 felony.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is possession, use, or removal of explosives or incendiary devices a felony or a misdemeanor in Colorado?

It depends on the circumstances: possession, use, or removal of explosives or incendiary devices ranges from a class 5 felony to a class 2 felony in Colorado under C.R.S. § 18-12-109.

Possession or control of explosive or incendiary device: class 5 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(2)(a)) · Manufacture or sending of explosive or incendiary device: class 4 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(2)(b)) · Possession or control of chemical, biological, or radiological weapon: class 4 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(2.5)(a)) · Manufacture or sending of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapon: class 3 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(2.5)(b)) · Use of device or weapon in commission of a felony: class 2 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(4)) · Removal of explosive or incendiary device without consent: class 4 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(5)) · Removal of chemical, biological, or radiological weapon without consent: class 3 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(5.5)) · Possession of explosive or incendiary parts: class 5 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(6)) · Possession of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapon parts: class 4 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(6.5)) · Hoax explosive/incendiary device or weapon: class 5 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(7)) · Unauthorized sale of explosive or incendiary devices by permittee: class 4 felony (C.R.S. § 18-12-109(8))

Which Colorado statute covers possession, use, or removal of explosives or incendiary devices?

Possession, use, or removal of explosives or incendiary devices is governed by C.R.S. § 18-12-109 (Possession, use, or removal of explosives or incendiary devices - possession of components thereof - chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons - persons exempt - hoaxes).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.