How to Get a Firearms Identification Card in Massachusetts

To get a Firearms Identification Card in Massachusetts, you apply in person at the police department in the city or town where you live, submit fingerprints and a basic firearms safety certificate, pay a $100 fee, and pass a background check. The local licensing authority then has 40 days to approve or deny the application. An FID card covers non-large capacity rifles, shotguns, and ammunition for those firearms; if you want to own a handgun or a large-capacity firearm, you need a License to Carry (LTC) instead.¹

Who Can Get an FID Card

The eligibility rules live in Chapter 140, Section 129B. You must be at least 18 and a lawful resident of the city or town where you apply. Applicants aged 15 to 17 can apply with written parental or guardian consent, and a 14-year-old can submit the paperwork, though the card itself will not issue until the applicant turns 15.²

Age and residency are just the entry point. Massachusetts will deny an FID card if any of the following apply to you:

A felony conviction of any kind.
A misdemeanor punishable by more than two years of imprisonment, or any misdemeanor involving domestic violence.
A conviction for a violent crime as defined under Massachusetts law.
Any conviction involving illegal weapons activity or controlled substances.
Prior commitment to a hospital or institution for mental illness.
An active abuse prevention or restraining order against you.
An outstanding arrest warrant anywhere in the country.
A history of commitment for drug addiction or habitual drunkenness.

These state disqualifiers overlap heavily with the federal prohibited-persons list under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), and the background check pulls from both. If either bars you, the application will not be approved.³

Suitability

Even applicants who clear every automatic disqualifier can still be denied. The local licensing authority may petition the district court to deny an application on “suitability” grounds if the background investigation suggests that issuing the card would create a risk to public safety. This is a more subjective standard than the statutory bars, and it’s one of the more frequently contested pieces of the process.

Take the Firearms Safety Course First

Before you can complete an FID application, you need a basic firearms safety certificate or an equivalent Massachusetts-issued hunting safety certificate. The course covers safe handling, storage, and the legal responsibilities of gun ownership. Under the 2024 firearms law update, instructors upload completed certificates to a state portal, and applicants can access their certificates electronically.⁴ If you are later renewing rather than applying for the first time, you do not have to retake the course.²

How to Apply

Applications are handled locally. You go to the police department in the city or town where you live and submit the FID application in person. Bring your safety course certificate and be ready to provide your full name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number for the background check. The department will fingerprint and photograph you, and a licensing officer will conduct an interview during the visit.

The fee is $100 for applicants 18 and older and $25 for applicants under 18. It is non-refundable whether the application is approved or denied.⁵

One thing to keep in mind: filing false information on an FID application is itself a criminal offense, punishable by a fine of $500 to $1,000, imprisonment of six months to two years, or both. The background check runs against multiple databases, so any misstatements about criminal history, restraining orders, or mental health commitments tend to surface.⁶

How Long the Decision Takes

Once your application is complete — including fingerprints and the safety certificate — the licensing authority has 40 days to either issue the card or provide a written denial explaining the reason. The 40-day clock does not start on an incomplete file, so anything missing pushes the timeline out. If the licensing authority lets the 40 days pass without deciding, that inaction itself gives you the right to go to court.⁶

If You’re Denied

A denial is not the end of the road. You have 90 days from the date you receive the denial notice to file a petition for judicial review in the district court that covers the city or town where you applied. The same 90-day window applies if the licensing authority never acted within the 40 days.⁷

At the hearing, the court independently reviews whether you are legally eligible. If the judge finds you are not prohibited from holding an FID card, the court can order the licensing authority to issue it. You can present evidence of rehabilitation, correct inaccuracies in the background check, or challenge a suitability determination.

There is also a separate track through the Firearm Licensing Review Board for applicants whose denial was based specifically on a misdemeanor conviction punishable by up to two and a half years. The Review Board can grant relief where the underlying conviction does not warrant a lifetime bar.⁸

How Long the Card Lasts

An FID card is valid for six years. To renew, you submit a new application with the same $100 fee and go through another background check. Apply before your card expires. If you file the renewal application before the expiration date, your existing card stays valid until the renewal is approved or denied, which means you don’t lose your right to possess your firearms while the new application is processed.⁵

Let the card lapse without filing, and you lose the legal authority to possess your firearms. Possessing a rifle or shotgun without a valid FID exposes you to the same penalties as someone who never had a card: under Chapter 269, Section 10(h), a first offense carries up to two years in jail or a fine of up to $500, and a second offense increases the maximum fine to $1,000, with both penalties available together.⁹

Once you have the card, you also need to keep your address current. Massachusetts requires cardholders to report a change of address through the state’s electronic firearms registration system within 30 days. Failing to update your address is an independent ground for revocation.²

A Note on Federal Prohibitions

A valid Massachusetts FID card does not override federal firearms law. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), certain categories of people are barred from possessing any firearm or ammunition nationwide: those convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, fugitives, unlawful users of controlled substances, people committed to mental institutions, those dishonorably discharged from the military, and people convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.³

The federal domestic violence prohibition, sometimes called the Lautenberg Amendment, is broader than many applicants expect. It reaches any misdemeanor involving physical force or a deadly weapon against a spouse, former spouse, co-parent, or cohabitant, even if the state that entered the conviction did not label the offense as “domestic violence,” and it applies retroactively to convictions predating the 1996 law.¹⁰ If any part of this applies to you, an approved FID card will not legalize your possession of a firearm.

1
Mass.gov. Firearms License and Transaction Frequently Asked Questions
2
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 129B
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
4
Mass.gov. An Act Modernizing Firearms Laws – Guidance 4
5
Mass.gov. Apply for or Renew a Firearms License
6
General Court of Massachusetts. Session Law – Acts of 2024 Chapter 135
7
Justia. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 129B
8
Mass.gov. Appeal a Firearms License Denial
9
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 269 Section 10
10
United States Department of Justice Archives. Restrictions on the Possession of Firearms by Individuals Convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence