A felon cannot own a gun in Massachusetts. Any felony conviction, from any state or federal court, is a permanent bar to firearm ownership under state law, and federal law imposes its own lifetime prohibition on top of that. The only realistic route back is a gubernatorial pardon, and even a pardon does not automatically restore the right to possess a firearm.
The Permanent State-Law Bar
Massachusetts defines who counts as a “prohibited person” in Chapter 140, Section 121F of the General Laws. A felony conviction sits at the top of that list, and the licensing authority has no discretion: if you have a felony on your record, your application for a Firearm Identification Card or License to Carry must be denied.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws – Part I, Title XX, Chapter 140, Section 121F
The prohibition is permanent. Unlike some other disqualifiers in Section 121F, the felony bar has no five-year reset, no affidavit workaround, and no automatic expiration. It does not matter whether the felony was violent or non-violent, whether you served prison time or received probation, or how long ago the conviction occurred. It also does not matter whether the conviction came from a Massachusetts court, another state, or a federal court. All of them count.
A few related disqualifiers are worth knowing about because they often come up in the same conversation. A violent crime conviction is a permanent bar regardless of whether it was charged as a felony or a misdemeanor. A domestic violence misdemeanor is a permanent bar, aligning Massachusetts with the federal Lautenberg Amendment.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws – Part I, Title XX, Chapter 140, Section 121F Misdemeanors punishable by more than two years and drug offenses can disqualify someone from an FID card for five years after completion of the sentence, probation, or parole. That five-year window applies only to FID cards and only to those two specific categories; it does not apply to felonies.
Federal Law Runs in Parallel
Even if Massachusetts law somehow cleared you, federal law would not. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, which captures essentially all felonies, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition anywhere in the United States.2Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
The federal and state lists overlap heavily but each has categories the other lacks, so both apply at the same time. For a felon, this means two independent barriers stand in the way. Clearing one without the other still leaves you prohibited.
What Happens If a Felon Is Caught with a Firearm
Massachusetts has some of the harshest unlicensed possession penalties in the country, and those penalties fall squarely on anyone prohibited from licensing in the first place. Under Chapter 269, Section 10, carrying a firearm without a license carries a mandatory minimum of 18 months in jail, with no possibility of suspension, probation, parole, work release, or good-conduct reductions until the full 18 months are served.3Mass.gov. Massachusetts General Laws c.269 Section 10 – Carrying Dangerous Weapons The maximum is two-and-a-half years in a house of correction or five years in state prison.
Aggravating factors stack:
- If the firearm is loaded, an additional sentence of up to two-and-a-half years runs consecutively after the base sentence.4General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws – Part IV, Title I, Chapter 269, Section 10
- Carrying on school, college, or university grounds without written authorization adds up to two years and a fine of up to $1,000.4General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws – Part IV, Title I, Chapter 269, Section 10
- A second offense carries five to seven years in state prison, again with no suspension or probation.
- A third offense carries seven to ten years.
- A fourth offense carries ten to 15 years.3Mass.gov. Massachusetts General Laws c.269 Section 10 – Carrying Dangerous Weapons
A conviction also results in forfeiture of the firearm and a new criminal record that reinforces the lifetime prohibition. Federal prosecutors can bring their own charge under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) in parallel with any state case.
Pardons: The Only Real Path Back
Because the felony bar is permanent on its face, the only way to restore firearm eligibility in Massachusetts is to undo the disqualifying status itself. In practice, that means a gubernatorial pardon under Chapter 127, Section 152 of the General Laws.
The process starts with a written petition filed with the Parole Board, which acts as the Advisory Board of Pardons. The petition becomes a public record the moment it is filed. The Board reviews the petition and forwards it to the Governor and the Governor’s Council with a recommendation. For anyone confined under a felony sentence, a public hearing before the Council is required, and victims and community members can submit input. The Council then votes by roll call, and the Governor can grant or deny the pardon with the Council’s advice and consent.5General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws – Part I, Title XVIII, Chapter 127, Section 152
Pardons in Massachusetts are rare, and the process is lengthy and public. There is no application fee that guarantees review and no timeline the state is obligated to meet.
A Pardon May Not Restore Firearm Rights
Even a successful pardon does not automatically put a gun back in your hands. The pardon itself may carry conditions or exclude firearm privileges. And because the federal prohibition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) operates independently of state law, a Massachusetts pardon may not remove the federal barrier unless it expressly restores civil rights, including the right to possess firearms.2Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons If the pardon language is silent or ambiguous on firearms, the federal bar stays in place.
What About Living in a Household with Firearms?
The prohibition reaches more than ownership. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) prohibits possession, which federal courts have interpreted broadly to include situations where a prohibited person has access to or control over a firearm, even one belonging to someone else in the household. A spouse’s or roommate’s unsecured firearm within a felon’s reach can create legal exposure under both state and federal law. Massachusetts also requires every firearm to be stored locked or fitted with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock that renders it inoperable to anyone other than the owner or authorized user,6Mass.gov. Massachusetts General Laws c.140 Section 131L – Firearms Stored or Kept by Owner which matters directly to any household where a prohibited person lives.
The Bottom Line for Felons in Massachusetts
If you have a felony conviction, Massachusetts law treats you as permanently ineligible to own, carry, or possess a firearm, and federal law adds its own lifetime prohibition. The five-year reset available for certain misdemeanors and drug offenses does not apply. The only mechanism that can change the result is a gubernatorial pardon that expressly restores firearm rights, and even then the federal side has to be addressed separately. Anyone considering a pardon petition, or trying to understand how an out-of-state conviction will be treated here, should speak with a Massachusetts firearms attorney before taking any step that could be read as possession.