How to Complete and Submit the Connecticut DPS-799-C Pistol Permit Application

To get a Connecticut pistol permit, you complete the Connecticut DPS-799-C pistol permit application, attach a handgun safety course certificate and proof of legal U.S. residency, have the form notarized, and submit it with fees and fingerprints to your local police department (or, if you live out of state, directly to the Connecticut State Police). Local approval produces a 60-day temporary permit; you then visit a Special Licensing and Firearms Unit (SLFU) office to pick up the permanent five-year card.

Confirm You’re Eligible Before You File

You must be at least 21 and a legal U.S. resident. Anyone unlawfully present in the country is barred by statute.¹

Certain convictions and orders end the inquiry before it starts. A felony conviction disqualifies you. So does a conviction for any of 11 specific misdemeanors — among them third-degree assault, second-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree stalking, and certain drug possession offenses. Confinement in a psychiatric hospital under a probate court order within the past 60 months disqualifies you, as does being subject to a current restraining or protective order involving the use or threat of physical force.² Federal law adds a separate lifetime bar: a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), even one not labeled as such.³

Even if you clear the statutory bars, the issuing authority must find you a “suitable person” who intends to use the firearm only lawfully.¹ Most denials happen at that suitability step.

Take a Qualifying Safety Course First

You cannot file the DPS-799-C without a course certificate. The course must cover at least the content of the NRA Basic Pistol Course and be taught by an instructor approved by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). DESPP publishes a searchable list of approved instructors on its website.⁴

Live fire with real ammunition is mandatory. You must shoot a semi-automatic pistol or revolver under supervision. Computer simulations, dry-fire drills, air guns, and plastic bullets don’t count.² Online-only courses from out-of-state providers are the most common cause of a rejected certificate. Keep the original — you’ll hand it in with the application.

Gather What You’ll Bring

Before scheduling your local appointment, put together:

The completed DPS-799-C form, downloaded from the DESPP website or picked up at your police department.⁵
The original safety course certificate from a DESPP-approved instructor.
Proof of legal U.S. residency: birth certificate, U.S. passport, or alien registration card. Naturalized citizens bring proof of naturalization; legal permanent residents bring their alien registration number and 90 days of proof of Connecticut residency.²
A government-issued photo ID, such as a Connecticut driver’s license or state ID.
Fees, in the form your department accepts.

Filling Out and Notarizing the Form

The DPS-799-C asks for standard identifying information (name, date of birth, address, height, weight, eye color) plus questions covering criminal history, mental health history, and employment. Answer every field. Blanks slow processing and can trigger a request for more information that resets your timeline.

The last page carries a sworn declaration. You must sign it in front of a notary public or a commissioner of the superior court, who then stamps and signs the form.⁶ Some police departments have a notary available at fingerprinting appointments; call ahead to confirm so you’re not making a second trip.

Don’t be tempted to shade an answer. Intentionally making a false written statement on a government form is a Class A misdemeanor in Connecticut, carrying up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $2,000, and up to two years of probation.⁷ A false answer will also almost certainly produce a denial and damage your suitability determination if you ever apply again.

What You’ll Pay

A new pistol permit costs $140 in state fees plus the FBI background check fee, split across two visits.⁸

At your local police department: $70 (kept by the local authority) plus the FBI national criminal history records check fee. The local authority forwards the FBI fee to the state commissioner within five business days.
At the SLFU office when you pick up the permanent card: another $70, paid by check, money order, or exact cash.⁹

The FBI fee is set federally and changes periodically. Confirm the current amount with your local department before your appointment, and ask whether they want separate checks or money orders for the local and FBI portions. Most do.

Where to File the Application

If you live in Connecticut, you submit the DPS-799-C to your town’s chief of police, or in towns without a police department, to the first selectman. Most departments require an appointment. At the visit, an officer verifies your ID, collects the application and fees, and takes your fingerprints, which go to both state and federal databases for the background check.¹⁰

If you live outside Connecticut, you skip the local step entirely. Non-residents apply directly to the Connecticut State Police SLFU using the same DPS-799-C.² Request the packet (which includes a fingerprint card) by emailing SLFU.OOS@ct.gov or calling 860-685-8290.⁵ Eligibility requirements, the safety course standard, and the fees are the same.

After You File: The Temporary Permit and the Permanent Card

The issuing authority has eight weeks to approve or deny your application.² Actual times vary by town.

If approved, you receive a paper temporary state permit that is valid for 60 days and lets you carry within Connecticut while you complete the last step. Within those 60 days you must visit an SLFU office to convert it to the permanent five-year card.⁹ Miss the deadline and you may need to restart the process.

Bring to the SLFU office:

Your temporary permit from the local authority
Proof of citizenship or legal residency
A government-issued photo ID
$70 by check, money order, or exact cash⁹

SLFU takes your photograph on site and issues the permanent card. Locations that handle permit issuance include headquarters in Middletown, Troop G in Bridgeport, and Troop E in Montville.¹¹ The card authorizes you to carry pistols and revolvers throughout Connecticut for five years.

If You’re Denied or the Town Doesn’t Decide

A denial can be appealed. You have 90 days from the date you receive the denial notice to file an appeal with the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners.¹² The appeal itself is a one-page letter explaining why you think the denial was wrong, sent with the Board’s three-page appellant questionnaire to Board of Firearms Permit Examiners, 165 Capitol Ave, Ste. 1070, Hartford, CT 06106, or emailed to bfpe@ct.gov.

You can also appeal if the issuing authority never acts on your application within the eight-week window. Check in with the department first, but a persistent non-response is itself grounds for a Board hearing.¹² If the issuing authority fails to give you its questionnaire (explaining the reasons for denial) at least 10 days before the hearing, the Board can grant your appeal outright.¹³

Renewal Comes Around in Five Years

The permanent permit expires after five years. DESPP mails a renewal notice about 90 days before that date, and you can renew online or by mail for a $70 fee.²⁸ A 90-day grace period runs after the expiration date; miss that, and you have to start a new application from scratch. Connecticut law also requires you to notify the issuing authority within 48 hours of any address change. A renewal notice mailed to your old address doesn’t buy you extra time.

1
Justia. Connecticut Code 29-28 – Permit for Sale at Retail of Firearms, Permit to Carry Pistol or Revolver
2
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. State Pistol Permit
3
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Misdemeanor Crimes of Domestic Violence Prohibitions
4
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. DESPP Approved Pistol Permit Classes/Instructors
5
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Firearms and Permit Related Forms and Information
6
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Connecticut DPS-799-C Pistol Permit/Eligibility Certificate Application
7
FindLaw. Connecticut General Statutes Title 53A Penal Code 53a-157b
8
Justia. Connecticut Code 29-30 – Fees for Permits for Sale at Retail of Firearms and for Carrying of Pistols and Revolvers
9
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Pistol Permit FAQ
10
Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 529 – Division of State Police – Section: 29-29
11
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Office Hours and Locations
12
Connecticut Board of Firearms Permit Examiners. How Do I Appeal
13
Connecticut Board of Firearms Permit Examiners. Connecticut Code 29-32b – Board of Firearms Permit Examiners, Appeals to Board