Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Concealed Carry in Massachusetts.’ Guns in Public. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 22 December
Relevant contents
Concealed Weapons Permitting in Massachusetts
Massachusetts allows a person to carry a firearm in public if the person has the appropriate license.
Massachusetts prohibits the possession of a loaded rifle or shotgun on any public way, regardless of whether the possessor has a Firearm Identification Card (FID) or Class A or B license to carry. Unloaded rifles or shotguns may be carried on a public way so long as they are enclosed in a case, and the person has the appropriate permit.
A Class A license entitles the possessor to purchase, possess, rent, borrow, lease and carry all types of lawful firearms, including handguns and large capacity firearms, and feeding devices and ammunition for these firearms. This is the only license that allows a person to carry a loaded handgun (concealed or unconcealed) in public. A licensing authority may impose further restrictions it deems proper on the licensee regarding the possession or use of large capacity rifles or shotguns.
A Class B license allows the holder to purchase, possess, rent, borrow, lease, and carry non-large capacity handguns, or any rifle or shotgun, including large capacity rifles and shotguns, and feeding devices and ammunition for these firearms. Class B license holders cannot carry a loaded firearm in a concealed manner in any public way or place. The licensing authority may impose additional restrictions on the possession or use of these firearms as it deems appropriate.
Massachusetts is a "may-issue" state for the issuance of Class A or Class B licenses to carry firearms, meaning that the local licensing authority has discretion in determining whether or not to issue either license type to an applicant.
Any person residing or having a place of business within the jurisdiction of a particular licensing authority, or any person residing in an area of exclusive federal jurisdiction located within a city or town, may submit to the licensing authority or the colonel of state police an application for a Class A or Class B license to carry firearms. The licensing authority or colonel may issue the license "if it appears that the applicant is a suitable person to be issued such license, and that the applicant has good reason to fear injury to his person or property, or for any other reason, including the carrying of firearms for use in sport or target practice only," unless the applicant falls into a statutorily defined prohibited class. In addition, a Class A or Class B temporary license to carry firearms may be issued by the colonel of state police to a nonresident of Massachusetts or any person not falling within the jurisdiction of a local licensing authority "for purposes of firearms competition and subject to such terms and conditions as said colonel may deem proper."…
The licensing authority has 40 days from the date an application is submitted to approve or deny the application for a Class A or B license.
A Class A or B license will be revoked or suspended by the licensing authority upon the occurrence of any event that would have disqualified the holder from being issued the license, or if it appears to the licensing authority that the holder is no longer a suitable person to possess the license. Applicants whose licenses have been revoked or suspended must surrender their license to the licensing authority, and must surrender their firearms. Individuals who possess firearms without the proper card or license for the firearm possessed may face fines and prison time.
Firearm Safety Training
Persons applying for a Class A or B license to carry and who were not in possession of a FID or either license type prior to June 1, 1998 must submit a basic firearms safety certificate ("BFSC") to the licensing authority. No application for the issuance of a Class A or B license will be accepted or processed by the licensing authority without this certificate. To obtain a BFSC, an applicant must successfully complete a basic firearms safety course.
Duration & Renewal
Once issued, a Massachusetts Class A or B license to carry firearms is valid for up to six years from the date of issue.
Disclosure or Use of Information
Massachusetts does not allow the names and addresses of license holders to be made public. Names and addresses that are exempt from the definition of "public records" include those that:
- Are contained in or referred to on an application for a Class A or B license;
- Appear on sale or transfer forms for any handguns, rifles, shotguns, or machine guns or ammunition; or
- Appear on an actual Class A or B license.
The executive director of the criminal history systems board is required to promulgate rules and regulations "to ensure the prompt collection, exchange, dissemination and distribution of firearms record information…"
Reciprocity
A non-resident may carry a pistol or revolver in the state when engaging in a firearm competition, while attending any meeting or exhibition of any organized group of firearm collectors, or for the purpose of hunting, if he or she:
- Is a resident of the United States; and
- Has a permit or license to carry firearms issued under the laws of any state or local jurisdiction having regulations that prohibit the issuance of permits or licenses to persons who have been convicted of a felony or of the unlawful use, possession or sale of narcotic or harmful drugs; or
- For a hunter traveling in or through Massachusetts, possesses a hunting or sporting license issued by Massachusetts or the state of his or her destination…
[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]