Offenses Involving Disloyalty

C.R.S. tit. 18, art. 11
in effect

C.R.S. § 18-11-101 Treason

18-11-101. Treason. (1) A person commits treason if he levies war against the state of Colorado or adheres to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless upon the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or upon confession in open court. (2) Treason is a class 1 felony.

C.R.S. § 18-11-102 Insurrection

18-11-102. Insurrection. (1) Any person who, with the intent by force of arms to obstruct, retard, or resist the execution of any law of this state, engages, cooperates, or participates with any armed force or with an armed force invades any portion of this state commits insurrection. (2) Insurrection is a class 5 felony.

C.R.S. § 18-11-201 Advocating overthrow of government

18-11-201. Advocating overthrow of government. (1) Every person who, in this state, either orally or by writing, printing, exhibiting, or circulating written or printed words or pictures, or otherwise, shall advocate, teach, incite, propose, aid, abet, encourage, or advise resistance by physical force to, or the destruction or overthrow by physical force of, constituted government in general, or of the government or laws of the United States, or of this state, under circumstances constituting a clear and present danger that violent action will result therefrom, commits sedition. (2) Sedition is a class 5 felony.

C.R.S. § 18-11-202 Inciting destruction of life or property

18-11-202. Inciting destruction of life or property. Every person who, in this state, either orally or by writing, printing, exhibiting, or circulating written or printed words or pictures, shall advocate, teach, incite, propose, aid, abet, encourage, or advise the unlawful injury or destruction of private or public property by the use of physical force, violence, or bodily injury, or the unlawful injury by the use of physical force or violence of any person, or the unlawful taking of human life, as a policy or course of conduct, under circumstances constituting a clear and present danger that violent action will result therefrom, commits a class 6 felony.

C.R.S. § 18-11-203 Membership in anarchistic and seditious associations

18-11-203. Membership in anarchistic and seditious associations. (1) Any association, organization, society, or corporation, one of whose purposes or professed purposes is to bring about any governmental, social, industrial, or economic change in this state or in the United States by the use of sabotage, terrorism, physical force, violence, or bodily injury, or which teaches, advocates, advises, or defends the use of sabotage, terrorism, physical force, violence, or bodily injury to person or property, or threats of such injury, to accomplish such change, and which shall, by any such means, prosecute or pursue such purpose or professed purpose is declared to be anarchistic and seditious in character and to be an unlawful association. (2) Any person who, in this state, shall act or profess to act as an officer of any such unlawful association, or shall speak, write, or publish as a representative or professed representative of any such unlawful association, or, knowing the purpose, teachings, and doctrine of such association, shall become or continue to be a member thereof or contribute dues, money, or other things of value to it or to anyone for it commits a class 5 felony.

C.R.S. § 18-11-204 Mutilation - contempt of flag - penalty

18-11-204. Mutilation - contempt of flag - penalty. (1) It is unlawful for any person to mutilate, deface, defile, trample upon, burn, cut, or tear any flag in public: (a) With intent to cast contempt or ridicule upon the flag; or (b) With intent to outrage the sensibilities of persons liable to observe or discover the action or its results; or (c) With intent to cause a breach of the peace or incitement to riot; or (d) Under such circumstances that it may cause a breach of the peace or incitement to riot. (2) "Flag", as used in this section, means any flag, ensign, banner, standard, colors, or replica or representation thereof which is an official or commonly recognized symbol of the United States of America or the state of Colorado. (3) Any person violating the provisions of this section commits a petty offense.

C.R.S. § 18-11-205 Unlawful to display flag - exceptions

18-11-205. Unlawful to display flag - exceptions. (1) Any person who displays any flag other than the flag of the United States of America or the state of Colorado or any of its subdivisions, agencies, or institutions on a permanent flagstaff located on a state, county, municipal, or other public building or on its grounds within this state commits a petty offense. (2) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 423, § 1, effective August 3, 2007.) (3) "Flag", as used in this section, means any flag, ensign, banner, standard, colors, or replica or representation thereof which is an official or commonly recognized symbol of a particular nation, state, movement, cause, or organization. (4) (a) This section does not apply to: (I) The display of the flag of the United Nations or the flag of a foreign nation displayed to identify persons officially representing such foreign nation or the property or premises of the person or nation; (II) The display of an appropriate flag upon ceremonial or commemorative occasions proclaimed by the president of the United States, the governor of the state of Colorado, the board of county commissioners of any county, or the mayor or other chief executive officer of a city or town within this state; (III) The display of the flag of any adjacent state with the flag of the state of Colorado at the ports of entry weigh stations, in recognition of the joint state port operation; or (IV) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 423, § 1, effective August 3, 2007.) (V) The display of a prisoners of war and missing in action flag or other appropriate veteran commemorative, United States or state armed forces, or military commemorative flag when displayed in accordance with 4 U.S.C. sec. 7; (VI) The display of flags of foreign nations for special, occasional, ceremonial purposes when displayed in accordance with 4 U.S.C. sec. 7; or (VII) The display of a flag for educational, cultural, or historical purposes with the prior permission of the chief administrative officer of the state, county, municipal, or other public building or grounds. (b) This subsection (4) shall be an affirmative defense.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-18.docxFetched: 10/6/2026