Firearms licensing
Massachusetts residents 15 years and older who wish to possess, carry and transport firearms, are required to have a firearms license.
- A Firearms Identification Card (FID) entitles the holder to transfer, possess and carry rifles or shotguns that are not large capacity or semiautomatic and ammunition therefor. Any lawful resident 18 years and older can apply. Those 15-17 years can apply with parental consent. (Large capacity: capacity to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition or more than 5 shotgun shells.)
- A License-to-Carry (LTC) entitles the holder (age 21 and over) to purchase, rent, lease, borrow, possess and carry firearms, including rifles and shotguns including large capacity and semiautomatic firearms and all handguns. MA gun licenses are issued by local Police Departments.
- Non-residents can apply for a Temporary License to Carry which entitles the holder (age 21 and older) to possess and carry firearms, including rifles and shotguns including large capacity and semiautomatic firearms and all handguns. To learn more, contact the Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau at mass.gov/firearms-services.
Exemptions: No firearms license is needed:
- to hunt with archery equipment;
- by minors 12–14 years old hunting when accompanied by a duly licensed adult (read more hunting information for minors);
- by a minor (with parental consent) or a person under 21 being furnished a firearm and ammunition for hunting, instruction, recreation, and participation in shooting sports while under the supervision of a person with the appropriate firearms license for the firearm in use; or
- by nonresidents 18 years and older to possess rifles or shotguns that are not large-capacity or semiautomatic to hunt with a valid Massachusetts non-resident hunting license. (In other words, rifles and shotguns that accept no more than 10 rounds of ammunition or no more than 5 shotgun shells and that operate with a pump, lever, bolt, or break action.)
Note: A firearms license is different from a hunting license. You need a hunting or sporting license to hunt in MA if you are age 15 or older. Learn more about hunting license requirements.
Agencies involved in firearms licensing
Your local police department issues firearms licenses for MA residents. Contact your local police department for assistance with the requirements and forms needed to apply. Police departments also specify the conditions that must be met before a firearms license is issued.
The Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau is a state agency resource for the public and law enforcement agencies with information about the Commonwealth's gun laws. The Firearms Records Bureau provides answers to frequently asked firearms questions and issues non-resident firearms licenses. Learn more at the Firearms Records Bureau website.
Training requirements
All first-time firearm license applicants must successfully complete a MA Basic Firearms Safety Course and submit a certificate of completion with their application for a License to Carry (LTC) or Firearm Identification Card (FID) or applicants can submit a Basic Hunter Education certificate as a valid substitute.
- Basic Firearms Safety Courses are taught by independent instructors certified by the MA Department of State Police and are usually a 1-day course.
- Basic Hunter Education Courses are administered by the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife and are taught throughout the state by certified volunteer instructors and agency staff. People interested in purchasing a first-time hunting license and applying for a firearms license should take this course.
Frequently asked questions
Is MassWildlife issuing refunds for 2024 hunting licenses, permits, or stamps?
- No, MassWildlife is not issuing refunds as a result of the new firearms laws. Hunting laws have not been changed, and options still exist for both residents and non-residents to hunt with firearms and archery equipment in Massachusetts. Please review the information on this page to understand changes to firearms laws and what type of firearms license, if any, is required for the hunting implement you plan to use.
Can non-residents under 18 hunt in Massachusetts?
- Yes, non-residents who are 12–14 may hunt without a firearms license or hunting license when they are accompanied by a duly licensed adult (read more hunting information for minors).
- Yes, non-residents with a non-resident hunting license who are 15–17 may hunt using archery equipment and, with parental consent, can be furnished a firearm and ammunition to hunt while under the supervision of a person with the appropriate license for the firearm in use.
- Furnishing a firearm: A person with the appropriate firearms license for the firearm in use, may furnish to a minor (with parental consent) or person under 21 years of age a firearm and ammunition for hunting, instruction, recreation and participation in shooting sports. No MA firearms license is needed by the minor (with parental consent) or the person under 21 years of age.
Can I carry a firearm on a public way while hunting?
- You can carry a loaded or unloaded rifle or shotgun upon or across a public way if you are lawfully engaged in hunting and hold a valid hunting license. You do not need a trigger lock on the rifle or shotgun if you are engaged in hunting and have a valid hunting license.
How close can I be to a road or building while hunting with a firearm?
- You cannot possess or discharge a loaded rifle or shotgun within 500 feet of a building or dwelling in use without the owner or occupant’s permission. Also, you cannot discharge a rifle or shotgun upon or across any state or hard surfaced highway or within 150 feet of a highway.
Visit the Firearms Records Bureau's website for additional guidance and FAQs.
Antique firearms
No firearm license is needed to possess antique firearms (also called muzzleloaders, black powder, primitive firearms) and ammunition in Massachusetts.
Any muzzle loading rifle, shotgun, or pistol which is designed to use black powder or black powder substitute, and which cannot use fixed ammunition, is an “antique firearm” unless it (1) incorporates a firearm frame or receiver; (2) is a firearm which is converted into a muzzle loading weapon; or (3) is a muzzle loading weapon which can be readily converted to fire fixed ammunition by replacing the barrel, bolt, breechblock, or any combination thereof.
Furnishing a firearm
A person with the appropriate firearms license for the firearm in use, may furnish to a minor (with parental consent) or person under 21 years of age a firearm and ammunition for hunting, instruction, recreation and participation in shooting sports. No MA firearms license is needed by the minor (with parental consent) or the person under 21 years of age.
Non-residents
- All non-residents 15 years and older need a Massachusetts non-resident hunting license (big game or small game) to hunt.
- No firearms license is needed by non-residents 18 years and older to possess rifles or shotguns that are not large-capacity or semiautomatic to hunt with a valid Massachusetts non-resident hunting license or while traveling in their vehicles, provided they keep firearms unloaded and in a secure container. (Large capacity: capacity to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition or more than 5 shotgun shells.) In other words, rifles and shotguns that accept no more than 10 rounds of ammunition or no more than 5 shotgun shells and that operate with a pump, lever, bolt, or break action.
- Non-residents can apply for a Temporary License to Carry which entitles the holder (age 21 and older) to possess and carry firearms, including rifles and shotguns including large capacity and semiautomatic firearms and all handguns. To learn more, contact the Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau at mass.gov/firearms-services.
- Non-residents may not purchase firearms in Massachusetts.
- No firearms license needed for non-residents to carry a firearm on their person while in a vehicle lawfully traveling through Massachusetts, provided the firearm remains in the vehicle and is stored unloaded in a secure container.
- Non-resident minors (12–14) do not need a hunting license or firearms license to hunt when accompanied by a duly licensed adult.
- Non-residents with a non-resident hunting license who are 15–17 may hunt using archery equipment and, with parental consent, can be furnished a firearm and ammunition to hunt while under the supervision of a person with the appropriate license for the firearm in use. No firearms license is needed by the minor.
- Non-residents with a non-resident hunting license who are 18–20 may be furnished a firearm and ammunition to hunt while under the supervision of a person with the appropriate license for the firearm in use. No firearms license is needed by the person being furnished the firearm.
Non-citizens
Resident non-citizens (green card holders) can apply for an LTC or FID card through their local police departments. Click here for additional information about the licensing process.
Storage and transport of firearms
Storage
State law requires that whenever a firearm is not under your direct control, it must be stored in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock to render it inoperable. Muzzleloaders are exempt from this requirement. It is recommended that firearms always be stored unloaded, separately from ammunition, in locked compartments.
Transport
When transporting firearms in a motor vehicle, they must be unloaded unless the firearm is under the direct control of a properly licensed person. Otherwise, firearms must be stored and kept secure in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device. Also, no person shall possess a large-capacity firearm in a vehicle unless it is unloaded and secured in a locked container. Trigger locks do not meet the requirements of securing large capacity rifles or shotguns. It is recommended that you keep all firearms unloaded and secured in a locked container during transport.
Carrying a firearm or bow and arrow when under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs while hunting or target shooting is prohibited.
It is prohibited to carry a firearm in or on any snow or recreational vehicle or on a trailer without proper licensing and unless unloaded except as stated in MGL 131 Section 65 (Migratory game bird hunting regulations).