How to Transfer Firearm Ownership in CT: Forms, Dealers, Penalties

To transfer firearm ownership in Connecticut, both the seller and buyer must appear together at a federally licensed dealer, confirm the buyer holds the correct state permit or eligibility certificate, complete two state forms plus the federal background check form, and wait for the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) to issue an authorization number. The rule applies to private sales and gifts, not just retail purchases, and skipping any part of it can carry criminal penalties.

Confirm the Buyer’s Permit or Eligibility Certificate

Before anything else, check that the buyer has the right credential for the firearm being sold. For a handgun, the buyer needs a valid permit to carry pistols and revolvers or an eligibility certificate for pistols and revolvers. For a rifle or shotgun, the buyer needs a valid long gun eligibility certificate, though a pistol permit or pistol eligibility certificate also qualifies.¹ Without one of these, the transfer cannot legally happen.

Age matters too, and it depends on the firearm. A pistol permit or pistol eligibility certificate requires the applicant to be at least 21, which effectively sets the handgun purchase age at 21.² For long guns, the general floor is 18, but semi-automatic centerfire rifles that accept magazines holding more than five rounds cannot be sold to anyone under 21.³ That higher floor sweeps in a lot of common rifles, so verify the buyer’s age against the specific firearm.

An expired or wrong-type credential makes the transfer illegal. Check the expiration date, and check that the credential type matches what’s being sold.

Firearms That Cannot Be Transferred at All

Some firearms and accessories are off-limits even when the buyer is fully credentialed. Connecticut’s assault weapons ban prohibits giving, selling, or distributing an assault weapon. The definition covers selective-fire firearms, dozens of named semi-automatic models, and semi-automatic rifles or pistols meeting specific feature tests.⁴ Someone who lawfully owned an assault weapon before the ban and registered it with DESPP may keep it, but they cannot transfer it to another person.⁵

Large capacity magazines, defined as feeding devices holding more than ten rounds, cannot be sold, transferred, or purchased. Grandfathered magazines declared to DESPP before January 1, 2014 may be kept under restricted conditions, but they still cannot be transferred.⁶ If the firearm you’re selling ships with a magazine over that limit, the magazine stays out of the deal.

The Forms You Will Complete

Two Connecticut state forms are required for every transfer.

The DPS-67-C, Application to Purchase a Firearm, is filled out by the buyer with name, address, date of birth, and permit or eligibility certificate number. The dealer uses it to request the authorization number from the state.⁷ It must be retained for 20 years.⁸

The DPS-3-C, Sale or Transfer of All Firearms, is the official transfer record. It captures both parties’ information and the firearm’s make, model, serial number, and caliber. The authorization number is added once issued.⁹

Both forms are available from any licensed dealer or from the DESPP website. Because the transaction runs through a dealer, the buyer will also complete federal ATF Form 4473, a separate federal background check form the dealer keeps on file for at least 20 years.¹⁰

The Transfer at the Dealer, Step by Step

Both parties must appear in person at the dealer’s place of business. Bring valid photo ID and the buyer’s permit or eligibility certificate.

The dealer verifies both identities and reviews the paperwork. Using the DPS-67-C, the dealer contacts DESPP’s Special Licensing and Firearms Unit (SLFU) at (860) 685-8400 to request an authorization number.⁹ The SLFU runs a background check and confirms the buyer is not prohibited from possessing firearms.¹¹ If a disqualifying record turns up, the sale is denied and the buyer’s local police chief is notified.

Once the authorization number is issued, it’s recorded on the DPS-3-C, which is then distributed four ways: the seller keeps the original, the buyer gets a copy as a receipt, one copy goes to the local police department where the buyer lives, and one copy goes to the SLFU in Middletown.⁹

Dealers typically charge a fee to run a private transfer. Fees are not regulated and vary, so call ahead. Expect somewhere in the range of $20 to $75, with some dealers charging more for specialty firearms or extra services.

When You Can Skip the Dealer

A few narrow situations allow a firearm to change hands without going through an FFL. Get one of these wrong and you still face criminal liability, so read them carefully.

Transfers to an immediate family member: spouse, parent, child, or grandparent.
Handing a firearm to a gunsmith temporarily for repair.
Passing a firearm through an estate to a designated beneficiary, with the executor facilitating the transfer to the lawful heir.
Antique firearms manufactured in or before 1898, which are generally exempt from the standard process.

Even under an exception, the recipient must still be legally eligible to own a firearm under state and federal law. A family exception does not cover handing a shotgun to a relative with a felony conviction. When in doubt, run it through a dealer.

Federal Disqualifiers the Seller Should Know

Connecticut’s authorization process catches most disqualifying factors, but the seller carries independent risk if they have reason to believe the buyer is prohibited under federal law. Federal law bars firearm possession by:¹²

Anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.
Fugitives from justice.
Current users of, or people addicted to, controlled substances.
Anyone adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution.
People unlawfully in the United States, or admitted on a nonimmigrant visa with limited exceptions.
Anyone dishonorably discharged from the military.
Former U.S. citizens who renounced citizenship.
People subject to a qualifying domestic restraining order issued after a hearing.
Anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

The domestic violence misdemeanor category is the one people miss most often. A qualifying conviction bars firearm possession regardless of how light the sentence was, and violating that prohibition carries up to 15 years in federal prison.¹³

Penalties for Getting It Wrong

Failing to properly complete and submit the required transfer paperwork carries a fine of up to $2,000, up to six months in jail, or both. Lending a handgun to someone without a valid carry permit is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, and the firearm is forfeited if found. Knowingly making an illegal transfer where the firearm is later used in a felony within three years exposes the seller to prosecution for a felony one class below the crime committed with that weapon.

Banned items carry heavier consequences. Illegally selling or transferring an assault weapon is a Class C felony punishable by up to $10,000 in fines and up to ten years in prison, with a two-year mandatory minimum. Transferring an assault weapon to anyone under 18 adds a six-year mandatory minimum on top of that.⁵ Selling or transferring a large capacity magazine is a Class D felony.

Federal law adds a separate risk. Buying a firearm on behalf of someone legally prohibited from owning one is a federal straw purchase, carrying up to 15 years in prison, or up to 25 years if the firearm is intended for use in a felony, drug trafficking crime, or act of terrorism.¹⁴

1
CT.gov. Your Guide to Firearms and Permits in Connecticut
2
Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 29-36f – Eligibility Certificate
3
Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 29-37a – Sale, Delivery or Transfer of Long Guns
4
Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 53-202a – Assault Weapons Definitions
5
Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 53-202c – Possession of Assault Weapon Prohibited
6
Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 53-202x – Large Capacity Magazines, Declaration of Possession
7
CT.gov. Application to Purchase a Firearm DPS-67-C
8
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Firearms and Permit Related Forms and Information
9
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Sale or Transfer of All Firearms DPS-3-C
10
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Licensee Quick Reference and Best Practices Guide
11
Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 29-33 – Sale, Delivery or Transfer of Pistols and Revolvers
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
13
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Misdemeanor Crimes of Domestic Violence Prohibitions
14
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 932 – Straw Purchasing of Firearms