Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed a bill prohibiting anyone convicted of car theft in the first degree from owning a gun during a visit to the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce.

In Colorado, motor vehicle theft in the first degree is a Class 3 felony, carrying a prison sentence of up to 12 years and fines ranging from $3,000 to $750,000.

Under House Bill 1171, individuals who have maintained a clean record can petition for a court order, allowing them to own a gun 10 years after their case has been resolved.

“Today, we are taking important steps to make Colorado one of the top 10 safest states in the nation,” Polis said. “From now on, anyone convicted of first-degree motor vehicle theft ineligible to possess a firearm, keeping guns out of the wrong hands and protecting our communities.”

The governor added: “I am proud of our work to improve public safety in Colorado. With this bill signed into law, I look forward to continuing our bold progress to protect Coloradans and our communities.”

Bill sponsor Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, said the bill seeks to deter repeat offenses. Due to increasingly violent motor vehicle thefts, “this change in law is an important improvement in public safety,” she told her House colleagues during a floor debate last month.

While the state saw a decline in cases in 2023 and 2025, Colorado still ranks among the highest states in car theft rates in the nation.

As HB 1171 was debated in the House, an amendment to include the 10-year restoration period was added to the bill on the House floor at the suggestion of Republican Reps. Ryan Armagost of Berthoud and Jarvis Caldwell of Monument, who voted for the bill in committee.

Armagost said he was being lobbied by the gun rights group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners to vote against the bill. As a former law enforcement officer, he said his top priority is “protecting public safety and law-abiding citizens.”

Rep. Cecelia Espenoza, D-Denver, also voted for the bill in committee, but changed her position following the Armagost and Caldwell amendment. She argued that carving out an exception for auto theft, instead of addressing the underlying issue of restoring rights to any felon once the sentence is finished, is not a way to do policy.

The bill — sponsored by Bird, Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, and Sens. Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City — passed on a 36-27 vote in the House and a 30-5 vote in the Senate.

Bird announced Tuesday her intention to run in the 2026 Democratic primary for the seat now held by U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in the 8th Congressional District.