Massachusetts Large-Capacity Firearms: Definition, LTC, and Penalties

To legally own a large-capacity firearm in Massachusetts, you need a License to Carry (LTC) issued by the police department in the city or town where you live. The LTC is the only Massachusetts firearms license that covers large-capacity weapons, and possessing one without it is a felony carrying a mandatory minimum of two and a half years in state prison.¹

What Counts as a Large-Capacity Firearm

Under M.G.L. c. 140, § 121, a firearm is “large-capacity” if it falls into any of four categories:²

A semiautomatic weapon with a fixed magazine holding more than ten rounds (or more than five shotgun shells).
A semiautomatic weapon capable of accepting a detachable magazine of that size, when both the firearm and such a magazine are in the same person’s possession or in the same vehicle.
A revolving cylinder holding more than ten rounds, or more than five shotgun shells.
Any firearm meeting the state’s separate definition of an assault-style firearm, regardless of magazine size.

Manually operated firearms (bolt, pump, lever, or slide action), single-shot firearms, antiques, relics, and non-firing props do not qualify. Tubular magazines in lever- or pump-action rifles, and tubular devices made exclusively for .22 rimfire, are also excluded from the “large capacity feeding device” definition.²

If your rifle, pistol, or shotgun fits any of the four categories, no other Massachusetts license will cover it. A Firearm Identification Card (FID) authorizes non-large-capacity rifles and shotguns only. Handguns and large-capacity weapons require the LTC.³

One note on terminology. Massachusetts eliminated the old Class A / Class B license distinction in 2014. There is now a single License to Carry, so older references to “Class A LTC” describe the same license you would apply for today.⁴

Who Qualifies for an LTC

You must be at least 21 years old and a resident of the city or town where you apply. Law enforcement officers employed by that licensing authority, and residents of exclusive federal jurisdiction areas within a Massachusetts municipality, may also apply there.⁵

The licensing authority must issue the LTC unless you are a “prohibited person” or found to be “unsuitable.” The suitability standard leaves the local police chief some discretion, but under the current statute the default is issuance, not denial. State-level disqualifiers include felony convictions, certain domestic violence misdemeanors, active restraining orders, and a history of involuntary commitment for mental illness or substance abuse.⁵

Federal law adds its own bars under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). You cannot possess a firearm if you have been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, are a fugitive from justice, are an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, have been adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, were discharged from the military under dishonorable conditions, are subject to a domestic violence restraining order, or have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System screens for these during the background check.⁶⁷

How to Apply

Finish a Basic Firearms Safety Course First

Before the licensing authority will process your application, you need a Basic Firearms Safety Certificate. The course must be taught by an instructor certified by the Colonel of State Police, a category that includes instructors certified by nationally recognized firearms safety organizations.⁸

File the Application With Your Local Police Department

Bring a completed Resident Firearms License Application, your safety certificate, a valid photo ID such as a Massachusetts driver’s license, and the $100 application fee. Your local department may request personal references or additional documentation. You must appear in person, and for a first-time applicant the licensing authority is required to conduct an interview.⁹⁵

Fingerprints and Background Check

The department will fingerprint you. Your record is checked against state and federal databases, a fingerprint-based criminal history system, and the Department of Mental Health.⁹

Timeline and Term

The licensing authority has 40 days from a complete submission to approve or deny the application. Some departments run longer, but 40 days is the statutory deadline. An approved LTC is valid for up to six years, expiring on the anniversary of your date of birth that falls between five and six years after issuance.⁵

If You Are Denied

A denial comes with written reasons. Your first appeal goes to the district court. If the district court also denies your petition, you have 60 days to file a Petition for Certiorari Review in Superior Court under M.G.L. c. 249, § 4. That 60-day deadline is absolute, and the Superior Court reviews only the existing record for substantial errors of law.

Keeping the License in Good Standing

Once licensed, you must report any change of address through the state’s electronic firearms registration system within 30 days. Failing to update your address is grounds for suspension or revocation.⁵

Storage rules apply whenever a firearm is not under your direct control. Every firearm must be in a locked container or fitted with a tamper-resistant lock that makes it inoperable to anyone other than the owner or an authorized user. For a large-capacity or semiautomatic weapon, a storage violation carries a fine of $2,000 to $15,000 and eighteen months to twelve years. If a minor under 18 could have accessed an improperly stored large-capacity firearm, penalties rise to $10,000 to $20,000 and four to fifteen years.¹⁰

Penalty for Possessing Without the License

Possessing a large-capacity firearm or a large-capacity feeding device without a valid LTC is a felony under M.G.L. c. 269, § 10(m). The sentence is two and a half to ten years in state prison, with a mandatory minimum of two and a half years. That minimum cannot be suspended, and the defendant is not eligible for probation, parole, furlough, or good-conduct reductions until it is served. Prosecutors cannot continue these cases without a finding or place them on file.¹

A valid FID is not a defense to the charge, but it does exempt the holder from the mandatory minimum. The court still must impose at least one year and cannot suspend that term.¹

What the LTC Does Not Let You Buy

Holding an LTC does not override Massachusetts’s separate ban on assault-style firearms and large-capacity feeding devices under M.G.L. c. 140, § 131M. Possessing, selling, or importing those remains prohibited, with a narrow grandfather clause for large-capacity feeding devices lawfully possessed on September 13, 1994. A first violation carries a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 and one to ten years in prison.¹¹

In practice, the LTC authorizes possession of large-capacity firearms that are lawful to own in the Commonwealth, not every semiautomatic weapon that exists elsewhere. Before buying, check that the specific make and model is on the approved roster the Secretary of Public Safety and Security maintains under M.G.L. c. 140, § 131¾, which licensed dealers are required to have on hand.¹²

2024 Law Changes Still Being Phased In

Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024, signed on July 25, 2024, reworked the statutory terminology and added new obligations for license holders. “Large capacity weapon” became “large capacity firearm” throughout the code, and “assault-style firearm” was added as a formal category within the large-capacity definition. The law also directed the state to build an electronic firearms registration system and a serial number request system for unserialized firearms.¹³

Implementation runs on staggered deadlines. The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security was required to notify existing license holders about the new registration and serialization requirements within six months of the effective date. Each new system has one year to become operational, and gun owners then have an additional year after launch to comply. A voter referendum on the law is scheduled for 2026 and could repeal or modify some of these provisions, so compliance obligations may continue to shift.¹³

1
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 269 Section 10
2
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 121
3
Mass.gov. Firearms License and Transaction Frequently Asked Questions
4
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Session Laws Acts of 2014 Chapter 284
5
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 131
6
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
7
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Firearms Checks (NICS)
8
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 140 Section 131P
9
Mass.gov. Apply for or Renew a Firearms License
10
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 131L
11
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 131M
12
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 131 3/4
13
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Session Laws Acts of 2024 Chapter 135