Colorado Enacts Landmark Courthouse Security Law Requiring Verification and Logging of Armed Entrants

HB 26-1422 Closes the Gap Between Identity and Authority; SurePass Provides a Clear Compliance Path for Colorado Counties

DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, July 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed House Bill 26-1422 into law, establishing new courthouse security requirements for county sheriffs throughout Colorado. The legislation marks a significant evolution in courthouse security, moving beyond physical access controls to require verification and documentation of authorization for individuals entering a courthouse with a firearm.

SurePass, a Colorado-based public safety technology company specializing in real-time authority verification, today announced that its platform is purpose-built to help county sheriffs and courthouse security teams meet the law's new requirements.

What the Law Requires
Under HB 26-1422, county sheriffs providing security for a state court must, at a minimum:
*Maintain one secure, single-point access to the courthouse
*Use magnetometers when court is in session
*Verify that each individual entering with a firearm is authorized under Colorado law (C.R.S. § 18-12-105.3)
*Maintain a log documenting each individual's verification status, employing agency or entity, and time of entry and exit

Standards will be further developed by the Judicial Security Task Force, which must submit recommended standards to the legislature by January 1, 2027.

Identity Is Not the Same as Authority
For decades, courthouse security has relied on visual badge checks, paper logs, and deputy judgment at the door. These methods can establish who someone claims to be, but not whether that individual is currently authorized to enter a specific courthouse with a firearm, in an official capacity, at that moment.

In high-consequence environments where victims, witnesses, defendants, and judicial personnel converge, that gap is a liability. HB 26-1422 is designed to close it.

"Colorado has taken an important step forward in courthouse security," said Murphy Robinson, Founder and CEO of SurePass. "For years, security professionals have understood that identity and authority are not the same thing. A badge tells you who someone is. It doesn't necessarily tell you whether they are authorized to carry a firearm into that courthouse or act in an official capacity at that moment. HB 26-1422 recognizes that distinction and creates a framework for verifying and documenting authorization in a consistent and defensible way."

SurePass: Purpose-Built for Authorization Verification
SurePass is a Verified Authority Management platform deployed across multiple Colorado law enforcement agencies. The platform verifies official capacity and authorization in real time and creates a defensible digital record at the point of entry, designed to support the verification and logging requirements established by HB 26-1422:

*Verification status: whether the individual is legally authorized to carry a firearm in that courthouse under Colorado law
*Employing agency or entity: official affiliation tied to the individual's authorization
*Entry and exit timestamps: complete, time-stamped courthouse movement record

The platform deploys without complex integrations and is operational from day one.

"Our objective is straightforward," Robinson added. "Help sheriffs comply with the law, support the deputies at the door, and improve courthouse safety statewide. Agencies that start planning now will be in the strongest position to implement smoothly and access available funding in advance of compliance deadlines."

Funding Pathways are Available
HB 26-1422 also establishes a funding pathway for compliance. Counties can access:

*The Court Security Cash Fund: available now for staffing, equipment, training, and security improvements
*The Court Security Authority: beginning July 1, 2027, a new $10 court-filing surcharge will fund ongoing courthouse security grants statewide
*Grant applications: counties can apply for funding to cover security staffing, equipment, training, and related courthouse security needs

SurePass qualifies as eligible courthouse security technology under both the Court Security Cash Fund and the Court Security Authority grant framework.

The agencies that begin planning today will be best positioned when Task Force standards are issued, grants become available in 2027, and compliance expectations are fully operative. County sheriffs, court administrators, judicial district leaders, and county commissioners are encouraged to contact SurePass to learn what HB 26-1422 requires and how to prepare for compliance.

About SurePass
SurePass is a Colorado-based company that helps public safety agencies verify official capacity and authorization in real time. Its Authority Verification platform creates a defensible digital record of authorization decisions, and is deployed across multiple Colorado law enforcement agencies. For more information, visit www.surepass.com.

Media Contact
Kayla Riley | SurePass |(303) 552-7054| kayla@surepass.com | www.surepass.com

Kayla Riley
SurePass
+1 303-552-7054
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