Concealed carry in Massachusetts is legal, but only if you hold a Massachusetts License to Carry (LTC). The state treats open and concealed carry the same way under the same license, does not recognize permits from any other state, and imposes a mandatory 18-month minimum jail sentence on anyone caught carrying without one. To get the license you must be at least 21, pass state and federal background checks, complete an approved firearms safety course, and sit for an in-person interview with your local police department.
The License You Actually Need
The LTC is the only license that authorizes you to carry a handgun in Massachusetts, openly or concealed. If you want to purchase, possess, or carry a handgun anywhere outside your home or business, an LTC is mandatory.
Massachusetts also issues a Firearms Identification (FID) Card, but it is a much narrower permit. An FID Card lets you own non-large-capacity rifles and shotguns and is available to residents 18 and older, or to those 15 through 17 with parental consent. It does not authorize handgun possession or any form of concealed carry.
And out-of-state permits are not honored. A license from Texas, New Hampshire, or anywhere else carries no legal weight here. If you want to carry in Massachusetts, you need a Massachusetts LTC.
Who Qualifies
To apply, you must be at least 21 and a lawful Massachusetts resident living within the jurisdiction of the licensing authority you’re applying to. The statute requires that you be “neither a prohibited person nor determined to be unsuitable.”1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title XX, Chapter 140, Section 131
Automatic Disqualifiers
Several categories of people are permanently or temporarily barred:
- Any felony conviction, adult or juvenile, is a permanent bar.
- Conviction for any misdemeanor punishable by more than two years in prison (including OUI convictions after May 27, 1994) is a permanent bar.
- Any conviction classified as a violent crime is a permanent bar.
- Drug trafficking convictions are permanent; other controlled-substance convictions may be waived after five years.
- An active Chapter 209A protective order, or similar domestic violence order from another state, makes you ineligible while it is in effect.
- Any active arrest warrant in any state or federal jurisdiction makes you ineligible.
Federal law adds another layer. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), you are barred from possessing any firearm if you have a felony conviction, a domestic violence misdemeanor conviction, a dishonorable military discharge, or an adjudication as mentally defective, among other categories.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts A federal prohibition applies even if Massachusetts would otherwise consider you eligible.
Mental Health and Substance Use History
Past commitment to a hospital or institution for mental illness disqualifies you, but not necessarily forever. You can regain eligibility by submitting an affidavit from a licensed physician confirming you are fit to possess a firearm. Past treatment for drug addiction or habitual drunkenness disqualifies you for five years from the date of treatment, after which a physician’s affidavit can restore eligibility.
The Suitability Standard
Beyond the hard disqualifiers, Massachusetts law gives licensing authorities the power to deny an application based on “unsuitability.” After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the state can no longer require you to show a “good reason” for wanting a license.3WCVB. Massachusetts Authorities Clarify How Recent Supreme Court Decision Affects Gun Licensing Rules Here But the suitability determination survived.
In 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court clarified what suitability means in Commonwealth v. Donnell. The court held that licensing officials cannot exercise “unfettered discretion” to deny applicants who are otherwise qualified. A suitability denial must rest on “narrow, objective, and definite standards.”4Justia Law. Commonwealth v. Donnell In practice, a denial needs specific, documented evidence of behavior that creates a risk to public safety.
How to Apply
Take an Approved Safety Course
Before you submit anything, you need a certificate from a state-approved Basic Firearms Safety Course. These are taught by independent instructors certified by the Massachusetts State Police and typically take one day.5Mass.gov. Firearms Safety A Hunter Safety Course certificate also satisfies the requirement. First-time applicants only; renewals don’t require a repeat.
Submit to Your Local Police
You will need the completed Resident Firearms License Application, your safety course certificate, proof of Massachusetts residency, and a $100 application fee that is nonrefundable even if the application is denied.6Mass.gov. Apply for or Renew a Firearms License The form is available through the state’s MIRCS Unified Gun Portal, from the Firearms Records Bureau, or directly from your local police department.
Everything goes to the police department in the city or town where you live. Most departments require an in-person appointment that includes an interview with a licensing officer, fingerprinting, and a photograph. Your fingerprints are sent to the Massachusetts State Police Identification Section for state and national criminal record checks.7Boston Police Department. Firearms License Application Process Answer every question on the application truthfully; false statements can trigger denial and criminal charges.
How Long It Takes
Under the 2024 firearms law, your licensing authority must act on a completed application within 40 days of receiving it.8General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2024 Chapter 135 Separately, the Colonel of the State Police must certify within 30 days that issuing the license does not violate state or federal law. Actual processing varies: some towns decide in a few weeks, others run up to or past the statutory deadline. You will be notified by mail or phone when a decision is made.
If You Are Denied
You have 90 days to appeal to the district court with jurisdiction over the police department that denied you.9Mass.gov. Appeal a Firearms License Denial That deadline cannot be extended.
A separate path exists if the denial was based specifically on a misdemeanor conviction punishable by two and a half years or more. You can petition the Firearm Licensing Review Board, which costs $100 and requires a notarized petition along with court records and police reports. This option is not available if the denial was based on a suitability determination, or if the underlying conviction involved domestic violence, firearms, or drugs.9Mass.gov. Appeal a Firearms License Denial
Where Your License Doesn’t Let You Carry
An LTC is not a universal pass. State law, federal law, and private property rules all carve out places where carrying is illegal.
State Prohibited Locations
The 2024 firearms law expanded this list. You cannot carry in any building, grounds, or parking area owned or controlled by state, county, or municipal government that is used for government administration, court proceedings, or correctional services.8General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2024 Chapter 135 That covers city halls, courthouses, and jails. Towns can vote to exclude their own administrative buildings from the ban.
You also cannot carry at polling places, early voting sites, or within 150 feet of their entrances during voting hours. The same applies to ballot storage and tabulation sites while counting is underway.8General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2024 Chapter 135
Schools are off-limits under the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act. Federal law carves out an exception for license holders in the state where the school zone is located, provided the state requires a background check before issuing. Massachusetts LTC holders meet that federal exception within the commonwealth, but separate state-level school restrictions may still apply.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
Federal Property
Federal buildings have their own rules, and your Massachusetts LTC carries no weight there. Carrying into a federal facility other than a federal courthouse is punishable by up to one year in prison; a federal courthouse pushes that ceiling to two years.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
Post offices are flat prohibitions. Federal rules bar firearms on postal property, openly or concealed, regardless of any state license.11eCFR. 39 CFR 232.1 – Conduct on Postal Property VA medical facilities carry a similar ban, with a $500 fine for violations.12eCFR. 38 CFR 1.218 – Security and Law Enforcement at VA Facilities
Private Property
Property owners in Massachusetts can prohibit firearms on their premises. If a business or residence posts signs explicitly forbidding firearms, you must comply. Ignoring posted restrictions can lead to trespass charges and put your license at risk.
Penalties for Carrying Without a License
This is where Massachusetts law gets unforgiving. Carrying a firearm outside your home or place of business without a valid LTC is a felony-level offense carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 18 months in jail or house of correction, with a maximum of two and a half years. Prosecuted at the state prison level, the range runs two and a half to five years.13General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part IV, Title I, Chapter 269, Section 10
The mandatory minimum is truly mandatory. The sentence cannot be suspended, reduced below 18 months, or converted to probation, and you are not eligible for parole, work release, or good-conduct deductions until you have served the full 18 months.13General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part IV, Title I, Chapter 269, Section 10 Judges have essentially no discretion here. Possessing a firearm with an expired LTC exposes you to the same penalty, so a lapsed license is not a technicality.
Renewal
A resident LTC is valid for six years from the date of issue. Renew through the same local police department that issued the original license. The renewal fee is $100, and applicants 70 and older are exempt. Renewals can go through the MIRCS portal, by mail, or in person. You do not need to retake the safety course, but you must submit an affidavit regarding any lost or stolen firearms.6Mass.gov. Apply for or Renew a Firearms License
Do not let your license lapse. If your renewal is pending and your current license is about to expire, contact your licensing authority to confirm whether a grace period applies.
Non-Residents and Travelers
If you do not live in Massachusetts but need to carry here, apply for a non-resident License to Carry through the Firearms Records Bureau rather than a local police department. The application can be submitted through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal or mailed to the Bureau at the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services in Chelsea. You will provide the same documentation as a resident, including a safety course certificate for first-time applicants, and pay the $100 fee. Non-resident licenses expire after one year.6Mass.gov. Apply for or Renew a Firearms License
If you are only passing through, the federal Peaceable Journey provision (18 U.S.C. § 926A) may protect you, but under strict conditions. The firearm must be unloaded, and neither the gun nor the ammunition can be accessible from the passenger compartment. If the vehicle has no separate trunk, the firearm must be in a locked container that is not the glove compartment or console.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms The protection only applies when you are traveling between two places where you may lawfully possess the firearm. It does not permit carrying on your person anywhere in Massachusetts.
What the 2024 Law Added for LTC Holders
Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024 was the most significant overhaul of Massachusetts firearms law in years. Beyond the expanded prohibited locations and the 40-day processing deadline, it added several ongoing obligations for license holders:8General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2024 Chapter 135
- All firearms possessed in the commonwealth must be registered in a new real-time electronic registration system maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. Transfers must be reported within seven days.
- Every firearm must bear a unique serial number permanently engraved on the frame or receiver. Possessing, manufacturing, or transferring an untraceable firearm is prohibited.
- Any lost or stolen firearm must be reported through the electronic registration system within seven days.
- Using a 3D printer or CNC milling machine to manufacture a firearm without a valid LTC is explicitly illegal.
Parts of the 2024 law remain in litigation. The First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a preliminary injunction against the assault weapons and large-capacity magazine provisions in early 2025, so those restrictions remain enforceable while the case continues.