For CCW permits, Massachusetts is a May-issue state. This implies that the licensing permit board has the discretion and final say to either approve or reject your Massachusetts’s CCW permit.

The board can also decide to suspend or revoke your CCW permit if they adjourn you unfit or unsuitable to possess a firearm.

Massachusetts also issues CCW permits to residents and non-residents. The state also has various restrictions on the usage of firearms.

There are strict laws that guide the dealing of firearms, and specific requirements you have to meet before conceal carrying in the state.

Massachusetts Gun Laws

Before you can conceal carry in Massachusetts, you need a License To Carry. This serves as the Massachusetts CCW permit.

You have to be at least twenty-one years old before applying for the CCW permit, both residents and non-residents of the state are also eligible for this permit.

Another essential requirement that you must meet before applying for the LTC is the firearm training course.

Any Massachusetts concealed carry class you enroll for must be state-approved with a certified firearm instructor.

Massachusetts CCW Reciprocity

Massachusetts will not honor your permit from other states. So if you want to conceal carry within the territory of Massachusetts, you either apply for a resident or non-resident LTC.

Other aspects of Massachusetts CCW permit reciprocity includes the following:

  • States that honor any Massachusetts CCW permit: These states will allow you to conceal carry in their jurisdiction if you have a Massachusetts LTC. There are eleven of them.
  • States that have restricted reciprocity with Massachusetts: In these states, you can only conceal carry with a Massachusetts resident-only permit. A Massachusetts non-resident permit will not be allowed. There are only two of them.
  • States that allow permit less carry: Anybody can conceal carry in these states without a permit. However, some of these states have other laws that restrict the usage of guns in particular locations. You must also be of the required age before you can possess a firearm in these states.

Every state takes their CCW laws seriously, and ignorance of the law is not an excuse.

If you must conceal carry within the territory of a state, you have to be familiar with all gun laws of such state.

Note: these laws are not entirely the same as those of your state of residence, regardless of reciprocity or not.

Massachusetts CCW Location Restriction

In Massachusetts, you are not allowed to conceal carry everywhere.

There are CCW restriction laws that prohibit you from being with your firearms in certain places, except you are a law enforcement officer.

These places are off-limits, and most of them will have signage that reminds you of this law.

Places Where You Cannot Conceal Carry In Massachusetts

  • You cannot conceal carry in public and private elementary schools, colleges, technical institutions, and universities.
  • You cannot conceal carry within the premises of a courthouse or during a court proceeding.
  • You cannot conceal carry within the territory of an airport except for transportation reasons.
  • You cannot conceal carry in the security zone of Logan Airport.
  • You cannot conceal carry while using an off-highway vehicle.
  • You cannot conceal carry in private buildings or properties that have a post restricting the usage of firearms within the premises.
  • You cannot conceal carry in places that are prohibited by federal laws of the country.

Places Where You Can Conceal Carry In Massachusetts.

Massachusetts federal laws do not restrict you from possessing your CCW or conceal carrying in the following places:

  • You can conceal carry in restaurants and bars that sell alcohol as long as they do not have signage prohibiting the use of firearms within the premises.
  • You can conceal carry in your vehicle with a Massachusetts CCW permit.
  • You can conceal carry in roadsides areas.
  • You can conceal carry in national/state forests and parks, as well as wildlife management areas.
  • You can conceal carry in places of worship that do not have a post that prohibits the use of firearms within the premises.

Conceal Carry For Law Enforcement Officers

The Law enforcement safety acts allow active, retired, and out of service officers to choose if they want to conceal carry or not.

This is a federal law, and law enforcement officers cannot be under any restriction by a permit or any other law in United States jurisdiction.

However, in most parts of the country, a law enforcement officer, whether active or retired, has to qualify before they can conceal carry.

Massachusetts conceal carry for law enforcement officers require them to earn a certification according to the Law Enforcement Safety Standard act.

A certified instructor from the state’s police department must oversee the training.

The department is also responsible for conducting the certification every year.

Finally, retired law enforcement officers that wish to conceal carry in the state must have Identification cards to show their status as law enforcement officers.  

Buying And Selling Of Firearms In Massachusetts.

You must meet a lot of requirements before you can deal with guns in Massachusetts. These requirements cover sales, purchases, transfers, and transportation.  

Purchasing Permit, Background Checks, And Gun Registrations

Before you can purchase a firearm in Massachusetts, you need a license to carry. This is the same as the Massachusetts CCW permit.

Licensed sellers are also charged to conduct the necessary background checks by validating a buyer’s Firearm Identification Card (FID).

Every sales and transfer must be via the Massachusetts gun transaction portal.

Registration of handguns is not required to complete a sale in Massachusetts. But every transfer of firearms has to be on record with the public safety and security office of the state.

Waiting Period For Gun Purchase In Massachusetts

As long as you have the necessary permits to purchase, no further waiting period is required.

However, if you are just undergoing Massachusetts concealed carry permit application, you have to wait for about two months to complete the necessary permissions needed for a purchase.

Massachusetts Firearm Roster

Massachusetts has a firearm roster that is approved by the public safety and security department.

This roster contains all firearms that sold in the state, and licensed sellers can only sell guns that are on the list.

The roster has an exemption for firearms legally owned before the twenty-first of October in year nineteen ninety-eight, and other guns made explicitly for Olympic shooting competitions.

Age Requirement For Dealing With Firearms In Massachusetts

Before you can buy, sell, transfer, or transport a firearm in Massachusetts, you need to be at least twenty-one years old, with a firearms identification card.

An exception to this law is an underage using a firearm for purposes such as hunting, recreation, and for a professional shooting sport.

In this case, a supervisor who has a firearm identification or the LTC must be available to oversee the activity.

The parents or legal guardian of the person must give consent before participation in any of the activities mentioned above.  

Possession Of Firearms On Private Properties

In Massachusetts, you are legally allowed to possess a gun in your home or private property, with or without a CCW permit.

Castle Doctrine In Massachusetts

Castle doctrine in Massachusetts is one of the most crucial aspects of gun law.  

With this law, you have a duty to retreat in your home.

So, the prosecution of a case where there’s an accusation of you injuring or killing someone who is illegally in your home or place of abode will be self-defense.

However, you must be in your residence at the time of this offense. You must act based on the belief that your intruder was on the verge of attacking you violently in such a way that it can cause severe injury or death to you.

Also, the castle doctrine law only permits you to use a reasonable means or force that warrants the attack from this intruder.

Note that the castle doctrine rule does not apply outside your home or place of abode. If faced with an attack in this situation, you have to retreat.

Massachusetts CCW Permit Requirements

Before you qualify for the application of Massachusetts CCW permits, there are specific requirements you must meet.

You need to pay special attention to all of these requirements because failure to meet any one of them means that your permit application will not be accepted.

They include the following:

  • You must be at least twenty-one years old.
  • You must be a legal citizen of the United States of America.
  • You must have a good cause for your CCW application. This includes fear for your life or property and also possession of a firearm for sport or range shooting.
  • You must complete a Massachusetts concealed carry class.
  • You must not be a convict for juvenile delinquency or be a youthful offender.
  • You must not be a patient in any psychiatric home or mental institution.
  • You must not be a narcotic or user of substances under the control of the Drug Enforcement Agency for the last five years before applying for the permit. You must also submit evidence from a qualified physician about your ability to possess a gun.  
  • You must not be subject to a court restraining order from a guardian or any family member.
  • You must not be a fugitive or have any outstanding warrants in your name from a law enforcement agency.
  • You must not have gotten a dismissal from the United States Armed Forces due to a dishonorable character or situation.
  • You must not be a felony.
  • You must meet other federal laws for a CCW permit application.

How To Apply For Massachusetts CCW Permit

If you are sure that you have met all the requirements to get a Massachusetts CCW permit, then it’s time for you to apply.

Here are the application processes:

Complete The Firearm Class

Before you begin with the application at all, make sure that you have a certification from a licensed Massachusetts firearm training course.

The instructor of such training must be certified by the Massachusetts State Police Department.

Download Application Form

Download the CCW permit application from the police website portal.

Submit Other Documents

First, reach out to your county’s CCW permit office to know if they have special requirements for CCW application.

Some of the documents you will provide include the following:

  • A completed application form.
  • A certificate to proof firearm training course  
  • Your fingerprint cards.
  • Your Massachusetts’s proof of residency.
  • The Required application fee.

Receive Notification

The licensing authority will notify you after your CCW application process is complete. Notification will either be by mail or a telephone call.

How To Renew Massachusetts CCW Permit

Your CCW application is only valid for six years, after which you have to renew it.

You will do the renewal at your county’s local police station.

The renewal application must begin before the expiry date of your CCW permit.

If you apply for a renewal before expiration, you will have the grace to continue using the Massachusetts CCW permit indefinitely until after the licensing board finishes processing the renewal.

If your CCW permit expires and you have not applied for a renewal, your license will be terminated and no longer valid. Hence, you will have to apply for a new permit all over again.

However, the renewal application is different for non-residents’ permit. The permit expires every year, and there is no grace period whatsoever.

Documents To Submit

Documents you need to submit for CCW renewal include the following:

  • A completed renewal application.
  • The renewal application fee
  • Your training course certificate
  • Your state identification card
  • Your proof of residence.

For resident’s renewal, send the application mail to your county’s licensing board.

For non-residents’ renewal, send the application mail to the state firearm records bureau.

Massachusetts Firearm Training Requirement

You can apply for Massachusetts concealed carry online courses if it is state-certified.

Massachusetts concealed carry online course is a significant prerequisite for LTC or the FID.

Some of the requirement if the training includes the following:

  • The primary focus of the training must be rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers.
  • Any firearm training course that does not meet all the required curriculum can hire a certified speaker from the state police department. Also, informational books and videos can be provided to the students.

To be on the safer side, make sure that the state government approves of Massachusetts concealed carry class you are applying for.

Massachusetts Concealed Carry FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about CCW in Massachusetts.

How Long Is Massachusetts’s CCW Permit Valid For?

The permit is valid for six years.

How Much Is Massachusetts’s CCW Permit Application?

Both renewal and initial permit applications cost one hundred dollars.

How Long Will It Take To Get My Massachusetts CCW Permit?

The processing period for the Massachusetts CCW permit is forty days.

How Do I Go About Change Of Residency For Massachusetts’s CCW Permit?

Send a mail with a copy of your changed address to the following:

  • The licensing authority board.
  • The police chief of the county you have moved.
  • Department of Criminal Justice.

How Soon Can I Apply For Massachusetts’s CCW Permit?

You can apply for the CCW permit at any time. 

Additional Resources

Massachusetts Gun Laws
Massachusetts Open Carry Laws
Massachusetts Gun Permit Laws

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