The Massachusetts EFA-10 form is the electronic record you file through the state’s Gun Transaction Portal (MIRCS) whenever you sell, transfer, register, or inherit a firearm in the Commonwealth, or when you need to report one lost or stolen. There is no paper version and no filing fee. The portal is run by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) and its Firearms Records Bureau, and the transaction type you pick inside the portal determines which fields you see.1Mass.gov. Record a Private Firearms Sale or Registration
When an EFA-10 Filing Is Required
Four situations trigger a filing:
- A private sale or transfer of a firearm to another Massachusetts-licensed individual outside of a licensed dealer. Handguns and long guns are both covered.
- Registration by a new resident. If you move to Massachusetts with firearms, you have 60 days to obtain a license, then register each firearm through the portal once your license is issued.2Mass.gov. An Act Modernizing Firearms Laws – Guidance 4
- Inheritance. If you receive a firearm through a will or as an heir, you register it to put ownership in your name.
- A lost or stolen firearm, which must be reported to your licensing authority or the State Police and to DCJIS within seven days. Failing to report can lead to license suspension or permanent revocation.
For private sales and transfers, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140, Section 128A sets the rules. An LTC holder can transfer any firearm. An FID holder can only transfer rifles and shotguns that are not large capacity or semiautomatic. Either way, no more than four firearms can be privately transferred per calendar year. That cap does not apply to sales to licensed dealers, museums, or institutional collections.3General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 140 Section 128A
What to Gather Before You Log In
The portal session times out, so have everything ready before you open it.
Your License and PIN
You need your current LTC or FID number and the PIN tied to that license. The PIN is not printed on the card. You get it by creating an account in the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal, and you can recover a forgotten PIN through the same system.4Mass.gov. Obtain Your Firearms License PIN An FID card covers non-large-capacity rifles and shotguns; an LTC is required for handguns and any large capacity weapon.5Mass.gov. Firearms License and Transaction Frequently Asked Questions
The Buyer’s or Recipient’s Information
For a transfer, you need the other party’s full name, address, and license number. Both people must hold valid Massachusetts credentials. Before handing over the firearm, ask the other person to generate a license validation certificate through the portal so you can confirm their license is active.
The Firearm Details
Pull these from the firearm itself, not from a receipt or from memory:
- Manufacturer (as stamped on the frame or receiver)
- Model designation
- Caliber, or gauge for shotguns
- Serial number, transcribed exactly, including letters, dashes, and leading zeros
- Weapon type: handgun, rifle, or shotgun
- Barrel length in inches and exterior finish (blued, stainless, nickel, and so on)
Getting the serial number wrong is the most common mistake and can flag your record for review. Check it character by character.
Filing Through the MIRCS Portal
The portal now uses the state’s MyMassGov login. Go to the Unified Gun Portal at gunportal.mass.gov/mircsUnifiedPortal and either sign in with an existing MyMassGov account or create one.6Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. MIRCS Firearms Licensing Portal – Login Once inside, pick the transaction type: sale/transfer, registration, lost/stolen, or surrender. The fields change based on your choice.
Private Sale or Transfer
Select “Transfer” or “Sale” and authenticate with your license number and PIN. The system pulls your name and address from the licensing database. Enter the buyer’s license number so the portal can verify the license is valid; if it is expired, suspended, or revoked, the system will not let you proceed, and completing the transfer offline would be illegal.
Enter the firearm details. The system asks you to confirm the weapon type and whether it is large capacity. A review screen then displays everything you entered. Reread the serial number, the buyer’s license number, and the firearm type before submitting.
The seller carries the reporting obligation. The standard expectation is to file within seven days of the transfer, and the safest practice is to complete the filing at the moment of the physical exchange so state records reflect the change of possession right away.
Registration as a New Resident or Heir
New residents must first get licensed within 60 days of establishing residency.2Mass.gov. An Act Modernizing Firearms Laws – Guidance 4 Once you have your license and PIN, log in and select “Registration.” Each firearm is filed individually. Five guns means five separate registrations.
The same registration path applies if you inherit a firearm or find one. There is no seller involved, so the system only needs your credentials and the firearm’s specifications. Section 128B of Chapter 140 requires anyone who obtains a firearm outside a licensed dealer or authorized private transfer to register it with DCJIS.7General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 140 Section 128B
After You Submit
The portal displays a confirmation page with a unique transaction number. That number is your proof of compliance and permanently links the filing to your DCJIS record. Print or save the confirmation right away, because the portal does not let you retrieve it later if you navigate away.
Keep the receipt with your other important documents. If law enforcement questions whether a firearm in your possession is properly recorded, the transaction number is the fastest way to resolve it. When you eventually sell the same firearm, having both the original registration receipt and the later transfer confirmation creates a clean paper trail.
Penalties for Not Filing
Under Section 128B, a first offense for possessing a firearm you never registered carries a fine of $500 to $1,000. A subsequent offense carries imprisonment in state prison for up to 10 years.7General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 140 Section 128B The rule reaches new residents who never register, heirs who never file, and anyone else holding an unrecorded firearm.
FID Limits and the Four-Transfer Cap
The four-transfer-per-calendar-year cap in Section 128A applies only to private transfers between licensed individuals. Transfers to licensed dealers, federally licensed firearms dealers, and institutional collections do not count against it.3General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 140 Section 128A
FID holders have a narrower authority. They can transfer only rifles and shotguns that are not large capacity or semiautomatic. An FID holder cannot legally transfer a handgun, a semiautomatic rifle, or any large capacity weapon without first upgrading to an LTC. On the receiving side, a buyer with only an FID who is taking anything beyond a standard rifle or shotgun also needs a valid permit to purchase under Section 131A.
What the EFA-10 Does Not Cover
The EFA-10 only records transactions inside Massachusetts between Massachusetts-licensed individuals. If you are buying from someone in another state, federal law routes the transaction through a Federal Firearms Licensee in your home state, and for handguns, the firearm must be shipped to a Massachusetts FFL who runs the federal background check before transferring it to you.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms The dealer files their own record on their end. You do not file a separate EFA-10 for a purchase made through a licensed dealer.