FFL Dealer Eligibility Check - FAQ

The FSS FFL Eligibility Check is a public lookup on the Firearms Safety System that lets an FFL dealer confirm a Colorado customer has a valid Firearms Safety Program Training Course Certification before completing a sale or transfer of specified semi-automatic firearms (SSFs).

Ask the customer for the below information. The customer can also present you with their Firearms Safety Program Training Course Certificate. The certificate is not required but helpful for reference.

1. Application ID - (for example, FSS040226004). Copy the information exactly to include letters and digits.
2. Last Name - Enter it exactly as printed.
3. Test Date - This is the date the customer passed the Firearms Safety Program Training Course with a verified instructor.

The Eligibility Check has its own dedicated public site. No login is required - the lookup is available to anyone with the three required fields.

1. Open a web browser and go to the FFL Dealer Eligibility Check site at www.fflfss.com.
2. The Eligibility Check is the main feature of the site - the three required fields and the Verify button are on the home page.
3. Have the three fields (Application ID, Last Name, Test Date) ready before starting.

There are two responses: Passed Test (eligible for purchase) or Record Not Found (ineligible for purchase).

The Firearms Safety Program Training Course Certification is valid for five years. The FSS enforces this automatically - expired certification returns Record Not Found.

1. If presented, look at the expiration date printed on the customer's Firearms Safety Program Training Course Certification. It is always five years after the Test Date.
2. If today's date is on or before the Expiration Date, the certification is still valid. If today's date is past the Expiration Date, the certification has expired and the customer is not eligible under the FSS.
3. A customer with an expired certification must complete the process from step 1 (https://cpw.state.co.us/specified-semiautomatic-firearms).

Record Not Found is when the information entered does not match what is in the FSS. The cause is usually one of four things. Work through them in order before concluding the customer is ineligible.

1. Compare what you entered against the customer's Firearms Safety Program Training Course Certification or provided information - character by character for Application ID, exact spelling for Last Name, and exact date for Test Date. One of the most common causes of a false Record Not Found is an accidental leading or trailing space in the Last Name field (often picked up from a copy/paste). Click into the field and delete any extra spaces before re-running the check.
2. If the customer can provide their Firearms Safety Program Training Course Certification, confirm whether today's date is on or before the Expiration Date. If the certification has expired, the check will return Record Not Found.
3. If the three fields match the certification and the certification is valid, the record may be missing from the FSS. Direct the customer to their verified instructor (to confirm the course was recorded) then to CPW for help locating the record.

If the Eligibility Check does not return the expected response after you have checked the fields and the five-year window, contact CPW directly.

1. Have the Application ID, Last Name, and Test Date ready when you call or email.
2. Describe the response you received (Record Not Found is the most common reason to call).