Massachusetts LTC Renewal Application: Filing, Timeline, and Appeals

To renew a Massachusetts License to Carry, submit the state’s Resident LTC/FID/Machine Gun Application with the “Renewal” box checked to your local police department, or file online through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal.¹ The Massachusetts LTC renewal application costs $100 for most adults, and processing usually takes 60 to 90 days once the department has everything it needs.² An LTC is valid for six years, and if you file before the expiration date on your card, your current license stays active while the renewal works its way through.³

What to Have Ready Before You File

Renewal uses the same form as a new application: the Massachusetts Resident LTC/FID/Machine Gun Application. Check the “Renewal” box at the top and fill in your most recent license number.⁴ The form is available for download on Mass.gov or as a paper copy at your local police station.¹

Have these on hand:

Your current LTC or FID card, for the license number and issue date.
A government-issued photo ID.
Your residential address history, with dates and zip codes.
Page four of the application, the lost or stolen firearms affidavit. Every renewal has to include it, whether or not you have anything to report.¹
The $100 fee, usually paid by check or money order. Applicants over 70 pay nothing; FID applicants under 18 pay $25.⁵

One thing you can skip: the Massachusetts Basic Firearms Safety Course certificate. That is only required of first-time applicants.¹ Some departments also waive the references section on page three for renewals, but policies vary, so call your licensing authority before leaving those lines blank.⁶

How to Submit the Application

Online Through the MIRCS Portal

Massachusetts accepts renewals online through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal at mircsportal.chs.state.ma.us.¹ Create an account or log in, choose the renewal option, and complete the digital form. Filing online does not remove the in-person steps: you will still need to contact your local licensing authority to arrange payment, and you will need to visit the department for fingerprints and a photograph.

In Person at Your Local Police Department

The traditional route is to schedule an appointment with your local licensing officer. Bring the completed paper application, the lost or stolen firearms affidavit, your current license, a photo ID, and payment. During the appointment, the officer takes a digital photo and captures your fingerprints.¹ Some departments accept walk-ins; most require an appointment. Call first.

The Eligibility Questions

Page two of the application is fifteen yes-or-no questions drawn from M.G.L. c. 140, § 131. They cover citizenship and immigration status, arrests and criminal history, felony convictions, misdemeanor convictions punishable by more than two years, domestic violence convictions and restraining orders, involuntary commitments for mental health or substance abuse, prior firearms license denials, suspensions, or revocations in any jurisdiction, and dishonorable military discharge.

Answer every question honestly. The form warns, in bold above the signature line, that filing an application with false information is punishable by a fine of $500 to $1,000, imprisonment of six months to two years, or both.⁴ Your signature on page three is made under the penalties of perjury.

Background Check and Processing Timeline

Once you submit, the licensing authority sends your fingerprints and data to the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) for state and federal criminal record checks and a review with the Department of Mental Health for any disqualifying commitments.¹ The local licensing authority also conducts its own suitability review.

Total processing generally runs 60 to 90 days, sometimes longer depending on the department’s workload.² After the state approves the renewal, the card is printed and sent back to the local department, which activates it and either mails it to you or calls you to pick it up.

To check status, log into your MIRCS Unified Gun Portal account. You can also call the Firearms License Application Status line at (617) 660-4722.¹

Your License Status While the Renewal Is Pending

Filing before the expiration date printed on your card keeps that license valid until the renewal is either approved or denied.³ This protection exists because processing routinely runs past the printed expiration date.

The protection has a practical limit at the gun counter. Retailers may refuse to complete a sale if the date on the physical card has passed, since many dealers treat an expired card as insufficient proof of a valid license. Carrying your renewal receipt or confirmation alongside the expired card can help, but not every retailer will accept it.

What Happens If You Let Your License Expire

Missing the renewal window is a real problem. Possessing a firearm without a valid LTC or FID is a criminal offense in Massachusetts.⁷ Once your license lapses without a filed renewal, you are no longer covered, and your firearms need to be transferred to a licensed individual or stored at a licensed dealer until you obtain a new license. Applying after expiration means going through the process as a new applicant rather than a renewal, which may include a fresh safety course certificate and a longer wait.

Set a reminder well before expiration. Six months out is not too early. Appointments at some departments book weeks in advance, and processing itself takes two to three months.

If Your Renewal Is Denied

Massachusetts provides two appeal paths, depending on the reason for the denial.⁸

District Court Appeal

You can petition the district court covering your police department’s jurisdiction within 90 days of the denial. The court reviews whether the licensing authority’s decision had reasonable grounds or was arbitrary, and you carry the burden of showing the denial lacked a legitimate basis. This path is available regardless of the reason for denial.

Firearm Licensing Review Board Petition

If the denial is based specifically on a misdemeanor conviction punishable by two and a half years, you may instead petition the Firearm Licensing Review Board. The petition costs $100 and requires a notarized petition, a written statement, the denied application, the police report on the disqualifying conviction, and relevant court records. This route is not available if the denial was based on a suitability determination or if the misdemeanor involved domestic assault, firearms, or drugs.⁸

Starting July 1, 2026, all Firearm Licensing Review Board petitions must be submitted online. The board will return any petitions received by mail after that date.⁸

A Couple of Boundary Notes

Non-resident licenses do not work like resident ones. They expire after one year, there is no grace period, and once the expiration date passes the license is dead. Non-residents file with the Firearms Records Bureau at DCJIS rather than a local police department, either online through MIRCS or by mail to the bureau in Chelsea.¹

If you move before or during the renewal process, Massachusetts law requires you to update your address within 30 days, and the change must be made electronically through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal.⁹ If you have moved to a new city or town, your licensing authority changes too, and the renewal goes to the police department in your new municipality.

1
Mass.gov. Apply for or Renew a Firearms License
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Wilmington, MA Police Department. Firearms Licensing
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Mass.gov. Firearms Licensing
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Mass.gov. Resident Firearms License Application
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East Bridgewater Police Department. Firearms Licensing
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Revere Police. Firearms Division
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Mass.gov. Massachusetts Firearms Laws
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Mass.gov. Appeal a Firearms License Denial
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Mass.gov. Firearms License and Transaction Frequently Asked Questions