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Connecticut State Law Summary

Last updated August 24, 2006.
 

In 2004, 173 people died from firearm-related injuries in Connecticut. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WISQARS Injury Mortality Reports, 1999-2004, at http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate10_sy.html.

Conn. Const. art. I, § 15 states:  "Every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state."

In Benjamin v. Bailey, 662 A.2d 1226 (Conn. 1995), the Supreme Court of Connecticut rejected an art. I, § 15 challenge to Connecticut General Statutes §§ 53-202a through 53-202k, which ban the sale, transfer, and possession of assault weapons. The supreme court stated that the language of art. I, § 15 "demonstrates that the bearing of arms is not valued in and of itself, but only as a means to particular ends," i.e., defense of self and state. Benjamin, 662 A.2d at 1231. The Benjamin court also ruled that art. I, § 15 permits reasonable regulation of firearms. Id. at 1232. The court held that the ban on assault weapons was reasonable because weapons other than assault weapons are still available for defense of self and state. Id.

See also State v. Bailey, 551 A.2d 1206 (Conn. 1988) (affirming conviction for carrying a handgun without a permit, reasoning that the Connecticut Legislature has the authority to place reasonable restrictions on a citizen's right to bear arms); and State v. Banta, 544 A.2d 1226 (Conn. App. Ct. 1988) (finding that prohibition against felons possessing handguns is not unreasonable and not an art. I, § 15 violation).

Connecticut has not expressly preempted local laws in the area of firearms regulation.

In Dwyer v. Farrell, 475 A.2d 257 (Conn. 1984), the Supreme Court of Connecticut considered whether Connecticut General Statutes § 29-28, which authorizes persons to sell handguns at retail if issued a state permit, preempted a New Haven ordinance that placed further restrictions on persons seeking to sell handguns. The court acknowledged that the existence of a state law does not necessarily preempt a local government from regulating the same subject matter as long as such regulation is consistent with state law. Dwyer, 475 A.2d at 260. The court stated that to determine whether a local ordinance conflicts with state law, the court must review the purpose behind the state law and measure the degree to which the ordinance frustrates the achievement of that purpose. Id. The court found that the New Haven ordinance frustrated the purpose of section 29-28 by prohibiting an entire class of persons from selling handguns that the state would have allowed. Dwyer, 475 A.2d at 261. The court found that this created an irreconcilable conflict between New Haven’s ordinance and the statute, which rendered the ordinance preempted. Id.

See also Kaluszka v. Town of E. Hartford, 760 A.2d 1282 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1999) (finding that a municipal ordinance regulating the discharge of firearms had the effect of regulating hunting, which was preempted by the state’s extensive hunting laws).

The supreme court discussed the general principles governing preemption more recently in Modern Cigarette, Inc. v. Town of Orange, 774 A.2d 969 (Conn. 2001). In Modern Cigarette, the court considered whether state licensing and regulatory standards for cigarette vending machines preempted an ordinance adopted by the Town of Orange to prohibit such machines entirely. Id. at 970-76. The court reiterated the basic standards outlined in Dwyer and upheld the ordinance, reasoning that state law did not expressly authorize cigarette vending machines, but instead imposed a series of limitations or prohibitions on their use that allowed for additional local regulation, including an outright prohibition. Id. 983-84. The court also noted that public safety ordinances are given a presumption of validity. Id. at 977.

Please see the Preemption section of the Master List of Firearms Policies for a general discussion of this issue, as well as the Federal Preemption section of the Federal Law Summary page.

For general information on each policy, click the heading for that policy. Please note that many firearm-related laws have exceptions for military and law enforcement personnel.

 

Assault Weapons

Connecticut prohibits any person from possessing an assault weapon unless the weapon was possessed prior to July 1, 1994, and the possessor:

  • Was eligible to apply for a certificate of possession for the assault weapon by July 1, 1994;

  • Lawfully possessed the assault weapon prior to October 1, 1993; and

  • Is not in violation of Connecticut General Statutes §§ 29-37j (purchase of firearm with intent to transfer to prohibited person), 53-202a to 53-202k (assault weapon regulations), and 53a-46a(h) (committing a capital offense using an assault weapon).

Section 53-202c.

Section 53-202b prohibits persons from distributing, transporting, importing into the state, selling or giving an assault weapon to any person.

Section 53-202a defines an "assault weapon" as:

  • Any selective-fire firearm capable of fully automatic, semi-automatic or burst fire at the option of the user;

  • Any of a list of specified semi-automatic firearms (click here to view the list);

  • Any semi-automatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least two of the following:

    • A folding or telescoping stock;

    • A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;

    • A bayonet mount;

    • A flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and

    • A grenade launcher;

  • A semi-automatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least two of the following:

    • An ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;

    • A threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip or silencer;

    • A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned;

    • A manufactured weight of fifty ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and

    • A semi-automatic version of an automatic firearm; or

  • A semi-automatic shotgun that has at least two of the following:

    • A folding or telescoping stock;

    • A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;

    • A fixed magazine capacity in excess of five rounds; and

    • An ability to accept a detachable magazine; or

    • A part or combination of parts designed or intended to convert a firearm into an assault weapon named specifically in the statute or described in the statute, or any combination of parts from which an assault weapon may be rapidly assembled if those parts are in the possession or under the control of the same person.

A firearm that has been permanently rendered inoperable is not an assault weapon. Id.

A person who lawfully possessed an assault weapon prior to October 1, 1993 may continue to possess the weapon if he or she registered it in compliance with section 53-202d and obtained a certificate of possession.  Section 53-202d(d) provides that such a person may possess a registered assault weapon only at:

  • His or her home, property or business;

  • Property owned by another with the owner's express permission;

  • Certain target ranges or shooting clubs; and

  • A firearms exhibition, display or educational project.

A person may also possess a registered assault weapon while transporting the weapon to or from a permitted location or to a licensed gun dealer for repair.  Id.  When transported, an assault weapon must be unloaded and, if transported in a vehicle, kept in the trunk or in a case which is inaccessible to the operator or passenger of the vehicle.  Section 53-202f.

When a person wishes to dispose of a registered assault weapon, he or she may transfer the weapon only to a licensed dealer, a police department or the Department of Public Safety. Sections 53-202d and 53-202e. A person who possesses a registered assault weapon must report the theft of the weapon within 72 hours of the time the person discovered or should have discovered the theft. Section 53-202g.

An assault weapon defined under section 53-202a(a)(3) or (4) is exempt from transfer restrictions and registration requirements if it was legally manufactured prior to September 13, 1994. Section 53-202m.

Pursuant to section 53-202n, a person may possess an Auto-Ordnance Thompson type, Avtomat Kalashnikov AK-47 type, MAC-10, MAC-11 or MAC-11 Carbine type assault weapon if:

  • It was obtained on or after October 1, 1993 and before May 8, 2002;

  • The possessor is not prohibited from possessing the weapon under any other law; and

  • The possessor has notified the Department of Public Safety, prior to October 1, 2003, that he or she possesses the weapon.

Background Checks (Brady Law)

Federal law generally requires that licensed firearms dealers conduct a background check on all prospective firearms purchasers to ensure that such persons are not prohibited from buying or possessing a firearm.  This background check requirement and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (“NICS”) were enacted through the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, pursuant to Public Law 103-159, and codified at 18 U.S.C. § 921 et seq.  Federal law defines a number of classes of prohibited purchasers (including felons, fugitives, persons adjudicated as “mental defectives” or those committed to mental institutions), and leaves to the states the power to determine additional classes.  (For a complete list of federally prohibited purchasers, click here.)

Under the Brady Act, states have the option of serving as a “state point of contact” and conducting their own background checks using NICS and state informational records and databases, or having the checks performed by the FBI using only NICS.  Federal law does not require that private sellers (persons other than firearms dealers) conduct background checks on prospective purchasers.

In Connecticut, all firearms transfers by licensed dealers are processed directly through the Connecticut Department of Public Safety ("CDPS"), which enforces the federal purchaser prohibitions referenced above. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-36l, Bureau of Justice Statistics Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales, 2005 (November 2006). In addition, Connecticut has adopted other classes of prohibited persons, and incorporated some of the federal prohibitions as state offenses. Section 53a-217 provides that, subject to certain limited exceptions, no person shall possess a firearm if he or she:

  • Has been convicted of a felony;

  • Has been convicted as delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense;

  • Is subject to a restraining or protective order of any state court after notice and an opportunity to be heard, in a case involving use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person;

  • Is subject to a firearms seizure order for posing risk of imminent personal injury to self or others issued after notice and an opportunity to be heard; or

  • Is prohibited from shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4) (persons who have been adjudicated as a mental defective or who have been committed to a mental institution).

No person, firm, or corporation, including any private (unlicensed) seller, may transfer a handgun to a person unless the person has a permit to carry a handgun, a permit to sell handguns at retail, or a handgun eligibility certificate. Section 29-33(b), (c). The certificate can only be obtained after a background check conducted by CDPS. Section 29-33(c). Pursuant to section 29-36f, a person may not obtain a handgun eligibility certificate if he or she:

  • Failed to successfully complete an approved course in the safety and use of handguns;

  • Has been convicted of a felony (with limited exceptions) or of certain violent or intimidating misdemeanors;

  • Has been convicted as a delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense;

  • Has been discharged from custody within the preceding twenty years after having been found not guilty of a crime due to mental disease or defect pursuant to section 53a-13;

  • Has been confined in a mental hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities within the preceding year by order of a probate court;

  • Is subject to a restraining or protective order issued by a court in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person;

  • Is subject to a firearms seizure order for posing risk of imminent personal injury to self or others issued after notice and an opportunity to be heard;

  • Is prohibited from shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4) (persons who have been adjudicated as a mental defective or who have been committed to a mental institution);

  • Is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States; or

  • Is less than twenty-one years of age.

In addition, any person wishing to sell a long gun at retail must verify through the Department of Public Safety that the transferee is eligible to possess a firearm. Section 29-37a.

Private firearm transfers (i.e., transfers by non-firearms dealers) of rifles and shotguns that do not occur at a gun show are not subject to background checks in Connecticut, although federal and state purchaser prohibitions still apply. See the Connecticut Private/Secondary Sales section.

Under section 29-38c, a state’s attorney or two police officers may file a complaint for seizure of a firearm when there is probable cause to believe that a person who possesses a firearm poses a risk of imminent personal injury to self or others. Probable cause may be based on:

  • Recent threats or acts of violence directed towards self or others;

  • Recent acts of cruelty to animals;

  • Reckless use or brandishing of a firearm;

  • A history of use or threatened use of physical force against others;

  • Illegal use of controlled substances or abuse of alcohol;

  • Involuntary confinement to a mental hospital.

Ballistic Fingerprinting

Connecticut General Statutes § 29-7h(b)(1), adopted in 2001, requires that the Division of Scientific Services ("Division") of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety establish a firearms evidence databank. The databank is a computer-based system that scans a "test fire" (discharged ammunition consisting of a cartridge case or bullet or fragment thereof containing sufficient microscopical characteristics to compare with other discharged ammunition) from a handgun and stores an image of the test fire in a manner suitable for retrieval and comparison to other test fires and to other evidence in a criminal investigation. Section 29-7h(a)(1), (5).

The databank may be used to: 1) compare two or more cartridge cases, bullets or other projectiles submitted to the Division laboratory or produced at the laboratory from a handgun; or 2) verify by microscopic examination any resulting match, upon the request of a police department as part of a criminal case investigation. Section 29-7h(b)(2). Any image of a cartridge case, bullet or fragment thereof that is not matched by a databank search shall be stored in the databank for future searches. Section 29-7h(b)(3).

A police department shall submit to the laboratory any handgun that comes into police custody as the result of a criminal investigation, as found property, or for destruction, prior to the return or the destruction of the handgun. Section 29-7h(c)(1). The laboratory shall collect a test fire from each submitted handgun within 60 days of submission, and label the test fire with the handgun manufacturer, type of weapon, serial number, date of the test fire and name of the person collecting the test fire. Section 29-7h(c)(2). Police departments are required to collect a test fire from every handgun that is to be issued to an employee. Section 29-7h(d)(1). Police departments were required to collect a test fire from every handgun issued by the department to an employee no later than six months after October 1, 2001, and from every handgun issued to an employee since that date, prior to issuance. Id.

The Division may permit a police department that complies with all laboratory guidelines and regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Public Safety regarding the operation of the databank to: 1) collect test fires from handguns that come into the custody of the police department; 2) set up a remote terminal to enter test fire images directly into the databank; and 3) search the databank. Section 29-7h(b)(4).

The laboratory may share databank information with other law enforcement agencies, both within and outside Connecticut, and may participate in a national firearms evidence databank program. Section 29-7h(e).

Carrying Firearms

Open Carrying/Exposed Firearms

With limited exceptions, no person may carry a handgun either concealed or openly, without a permit, except in his or her home or place of business. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-35(a).

Transportation of Firearms

Pursuant to section 29-38, any person who knowingly has in a vehicle any weapon, including a handgun, for which a permit has not been issued may be fined up to one thousand dollars or imprisoned up to five years. Exceptions are provided for the possession of unloaded BB guns stored in the truck or a locked container other than the glove compartment, or possession of any firearm by any person who holds a valid hunting, fishing or trapping license. Id.

A person may transport a handgun in a motor vehicle without a permit if it is unloaded, not readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment of the vehicle or, in a motor vehicle that does not have a compartment separate from the passenger compartment, contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment if the person is:

  • Carrying the handgun in the package in which it was originally wrapped at the time of sale and transporting it from the place of sale to the purchaser's residence or place of business;

  • Removing his or her household goods or effects from one place to another;

  • Transporting the handgun from his or her place of residence or business to a place or individual where or by whom it is to be repaired or while returning to his or her place of residence or business after the handgun has been repaired;

  • Transporting the handgun in or through the state for the purpose of competitions, formal training, repair or any meeting or exhibition of an organized collectors' group if such person is a United States resident and is permitted to possess and carry a handgun in the state or subdivision of the United States in which such person resides;

  • Transporting the handgun to and from a testing range at the request of a handgun permit issuing authority; or

  • Transporting an antique handgun.

Section 29-35(a).

Section 53-205 prohibits any person from possessing in any vehicle or snowmobile any long gun of any gauge or caliber while the long gun contains any loaded shell or cartridge capable of being discharged in the barrel, chamber or magazine.

Concealed Weapons Licensing Requirements

Connecticut is a "may issue" state, meaning that local law enforcement has discretion in determining whether or not to issue a permit to carry a handgun. Connecticut’s permit law does not specify between carrying a handgun concealed and carrying openly. Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes § 29-28(b), a chief of police, warden or selectman may issue a permit to carry a handgun to a person who:

  • Has a bona fide residence or place of business within the jurisdiction in which he or she is applying;

  • Intends to make only lawful use of the handgun for which the permit will be issued;

  • Is a “suitable person” to receive a permit;

  • Has successfully completed a course approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety in the safety and use of handguns;

  • Has not been convicted of a felony or of a violation of:

    • Criminal possession of a narcotic substance;

    • Criminally negligent homicide;

    • Assault in the third degree or assault in the third degree of an elderly, blind, pregnant, disabled or mentally retarded person;

    • Threatening in the second degree;

    • Reckless endangerment in the first degree;

    • Unlawful restraint in the second degree;

    • Riot in the first or second degree or inciting to riot; or

    • Stalking in the second degree;

  • Has not been convicted as a delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense, as defined in section 46b-120;

  • Has not been discharged from custody within the preceding twenty years after having been found not guilty of a crime by reason of mental disease or defect pursuant to section 53a-13;

  • Has not been confined in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities within the preceding twelve months by order of a probate court;

  • Is not subject to a restraining or protective order issued by a court in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person;

  • Is not subject to a firearms seizure order issued for posing risk of imminent personal injury to self or others after notice and hearing;

  • Is not prohibited from shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4) (persons who have been adjudicated as a mental defective or who have been committed to a mental institution);

  • Is not an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States; and

  • Is at least twenty-one years of age.

There is a $70.00 fee to obtain a permit to carry a handgun. Additional fees are required to cover the cost of the background check. Section 29-30(a).

Additional application and background check requirements, as well as permit suspension or disqualification information, is detailed under sections 29-28a, 29-30, and 29-32.

          Disclosure or Use of Information

Connecticut does not allow personal application or permit information of concealed weapons permit holders to be made public. Pursuant to section 29-28(d), the name and address of a person issued a state permit to carry a handgun or a local permit to carry a handgun issued prior to October 1, 2001 (the effective date of the law authorizing state-issue permits in place of local permits), may not be disclosed except to:

  • Law enforcement officials acting in the performance of their duties;

  • Firearms transferors making requests pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that such state, local, or temporary state permit is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked; and

  • The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services for persons subject to an order of commitment. 

          Duration & Renewal

A permit to carry a handgun is valid for up to five years from the date the permit became effective. Section 29-30(b). Each renewal permit is valid for five years. Id. The fee for each renewal permit is $35. Section 29-30(a).

          Location Limits

A permit does not authorize a person to carry a handgun on any premises where the possession or carrying of a handgun is prohibited by the person who owns or controls the premises. Section 29-28(e). No person, unless specifically licensed or privileged to do so, may carry a firearm on the property of an elementary or secondary school or at a school-sponsored activity. Section 53a-217b.

          Reciprocity

Pursuant to section 29-28(f), a bona fide resident of the United States who does not reside or work in Connecticut and holds a concealed handgun permit issued by another state may apply to the Commissioner of Public Safety for a permit to carry a handgun in Connecticut.

          Brady Exemption

Concealed weapons permit holders in Connecticut are not exempt from background checks when purchasing a firearm, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) chart that outlines those permits that qualify as alternatives to the federal Brady Act. Please note that ATF’s exempt status determination for a given state is subject to change without notice.

Under federal law, persons who have been issued state permits to purchase or possess firearms are exempt from background checks if those permits were issued: 1) within the previous five years in the state in which the transfer is to take place; and 2) after an authorized government official has conducted a background investigation, including a search of the NICS database, to verify that possession of a firearm would not be unlawful. 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(3), 27 C.F.R. § 478.102(d).

Child Access Prevention

Connecticut law prohibits any person from storing loaded firearms on his or her premises if he or she knows or reasonably should know that a minor (person under age 16) is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the minor’s parent or guardian. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-37i. A person is not criminally liable for this prohibition if the firearm is locked in a box or other container in a location which a reasonable person would believe to be secure, or the person carries the firearm on his or her person or within such close proximity that he or she can readily retrieve and use it as if it were on his or her body. Id. A person is criminally liable for "criminally negligent storage of a firearm" when he or she does not comply with these safe storage requirements and a minor obtains the firearm and causes injury or death to himself, herself, or any other person. Section 53a-217a. A person who violates section 29-37i shall be held strictly liable for damages when a minor obtains the unlawfully stored firearm and causes the injury or death of any person. Section 52-571g.

See the Connecticut Locking Devices section for information concerning gun lock requirements.

Dealer Regulations / Permitting

Any person who sells ten or more handguns in a calendar year or is a federally licensed firearms dealer must have a handgun permit to advertise, sell, deliver, or offer for sale or delivery, or possess with intent to sell or deliver, any handgun. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-28(a). The chief of police, warden of a borough, or first selectman of a town may issue a permit to sell only if the applicant holds a valid state eligibility certificate for a handgun or a valid permit to carry a handgun and the applicant submits documentation sufficient to establish that local zoning requirements have been met for the location of the sale. Id.

Business organizations that sell firearms at retail must have burglar alarms installed on their premises where ten or more firearms are stored and kept for sale. Section 29-37d. The alarms must be connected directly to the local police department. Id.

Pursuant to sections 29-33 and 29-37a(a), a person, firm or corporation who wishes to sell a long gun at retail or a handgun (whether a licensed dealer or private seller) must:

  • Have the transferee complete a written application and retain the application for at least twenty years or until he or she goes out of business;

  • Make the application available for inspection during normal business hours by law enforcement;

  • Transfer only to a transferee he or she knows or who presents appropriate identification (handguns only);

  • Obtain an authorization number from the Department of Public Safety;

  • Wait two weeks from the date of application before transferring the firearm (long guns only).

Under section 29-37f, any person, firm or corporation that engages in the retail sale of goods, where the principal part of such business is not firearms, may not employ a person to sell firearms in a retail store unless the person:

  • Is at least eighteen years of age;

  • Has submitted to state and national criminal history records checks which indicate he or she has not been convicted of a felony or a violation that would render her or him ineligible for a handgun certificate; and

  • Has successfully completed a course or test, approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety, in firearms safety and statutory procedures relating to the sale of firearms.  

A person may not sell handguns anywhere except the room, store, or other place described in the permit for sale and the person must display the permit for sale in the place that is identified in the permit. Section 29-31.

Any person, firm or corporation engaging in the sale, other than at wholesale, of any handgun, must equip such handgun with a reusable trigger lock, gun lock or gun locking device constructed of material sufficiently strong to prevent it from being easily disabled. Sections 29-33(d), 29-37b. The lock must also have a mechanism accessible by key, or electronic or mechanical accessory specific to the device to prevent unauthorized removal. Id. Handgun sellers must also provide the purchaser with a written warning stating that unlawful storage of a firearm may result in imprisonment or fine. Id.

Any person who gives false information in connection with the sale, delivery or other transfer of any firearm commits a class D felony. Sections 29-37e (long guns), 29-34(a) (handguns).

A person who sells, delivers or otherwise transfers a firearm knowing that the transferee is prohibited from possessing such firearm shall be held strictly liable for damages for the injury or death of another person resulting from the use of such firearm by any person. Section 52-571f.

A person who sells, delivers or provides a firearm to another person to engage in an offense, when the transferor knows or should know that the transferee intends to use the firearm to commit the offense, will be held criminally liable for the conduct and punished as though he or she were the principal offender. Section 53a-8.

For state laws governing gun sales generally, see the Connecticut Private/Secondary Sales section.

Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers

There are 442 federally licensed firearms dealers and pawnbrokers in Connecticut. Federal firearms licensee totals for Connecticut as of October 19, 2006 were provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Gun Shows

Connecticut General Statutes § 29-37g(a) defines a gun show as any event at which fifty or more firearms are offered or exhibited for sale, transfer or exchange to the public, or at which two or more persons are exhibiting one or more firearms for sale, transfer or exchange to the public.

At least thirty days before a gun show, the person who organizes, plans, promotes or operates the show must notify the chief of police, warden, or first selectman of the jurisdiction in which the show is to take place of the date, time, duration and location of the gun show. Section 29-37g(b).

No person, firm or corporation shall sell, deliver or otherwise transfer any firearm at a gun show until the person, firm or corporation requests a background check and receives an authorization number from the state Commissioner of Public Safety. Section 29-37g(c).

See the Connecticut Private/Secondary Sales section for state laws that apply at gun shows.

Immunity Statute

No relevant statutes currently exist.

For detailed information about government and private party lawsuits against the gun industry, the status of litigation involving gun industry immunity statutes in various states, or pending gun industry immunity legislation, visit the Brady Center's Legal Action Project and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence's Gun Industry Immunity page.

 

Junk Guns / Saturday Night Specials

No relevant statutes currently exist.

 

Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines

No relevant statutes currently exist.

 

Licensing of Gun Purchasers / Owners

A person may not purchase or receive a handgun unless he or she holds a valid permit to carry a handgun (see the Connecticut Carrying Firearms section), a valid permit to sell a handgun (see the Connecticut Dealer Regulations section), or a valid handgun eligibility certificate. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-33(b). Pursuant to section 29-36f, a person may obtain a handgun eligibility certificate unless he or she:

  • Failed to successfully complete an approved course in the safety and use of handguns;

  • Was convicted of a felony (with limited exceptions) or of certain violent or intimidating misdemeanors;

  • Has been convicted as a delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense;

  • Has been discharged from custody within the preceding twenty years after having been found not guilty of a crime due to mental disease or defect pursuant to section 53a-13;

  • Has been confined in a mental hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities within the preceding year by order of a probate court;

  • Is subject to a restraining or protective order issued by a court in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person;

  • Is subject to a firearms seizure order for posing risk of imminent personal injury to self or others issued after notice and an opportunity to be heard;

  • Is prohibited from shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4) (persons who have been adjudicated as a mental defective or who have been committed to a mental institution);

  • Is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States; or

  • Is less than twenty-one years of age.

The fee for an eligibility certificate is $35, and the certificate is valid for five years. Section 29-36h(a), (b).

Locking Devices

Any person, firm or corporation engaging in the sale, other than at wholesale, of any handgun, must equip such handgun with a reusable trigger lock, gun lock or gun locking device constructed of material sufficiently strong to prevent it from being easily disabled. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 29-33(d), 29-37b. The lock must also have a mechanism accessible by key, or electronic or mechanical accessory specific to the device to prevent unauthorized removal.  Id.  Handgun sellers must also provide the purchaser with a written warning stating that unlawful storage of a firearm may result in imprisonment or fine. Section 29-37b.

Minimum Age to Purchase / Possess

With limited exceptions, a person must be at least 21 years old to possess a handgun. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-36f. There is no minimum age to possess a long gun. A “junior firearms hunting license” may be issued to a child between 12 and 16 years of age. Section 26-27a.

One-Gun-Per-Month

No relevant statutes currently exist.

 

Personalized / Smart Guns

No relevant statutes currently exist.

 

Secondary / Private Sales

No person, firm, or corporation, including any private (unlicensed) seller, may transfer a handgun unless the transferee has a permit to carry a handgun, a permit to sell handguns at retail, or a handgun eligibility certificate. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-33(b), (c). Moreover, no sale, delivery or other transfer of a handgun will be made until the person, firm or corporation making the transfer obtains an authorization number from the Connecticut Department of Public Safety ("CDPS"). Section 29-33(c). This authorization can only be obtained after a background check is conducted by CDPS. Id. For more information on the criteria for obtaining a handgun eligibility certificate, please see the Connecticut Background Checks section.

Prior to the transfer of any firearm at a gun show, the transferee must undergo a background check. Section 29-37g(c). See the Connecticut Gun Shows section. Otherwise, private transfers (i.e., transfers by non-firearms dealers) of rifles and shotguns are not subject to a background check requirement in Connecticut, although federal and state purchaser prohibitions still apply.

All firearm sellers are required to retain records of firearm sales for a minimum of five years. Sections 29-33(e), 29-37a(b).

Connecticut prohibits any person from selling, lending, giving, delivering or otherwise transferring any handgun to a person under age 21. Section 29-34(b). A handgun may be transferred temporarily to a person under age 21 for target shooting or use on a shooting range if under the immediate supervision of a person eligible to possess a handgun. Id.

Registration of Guns

Aside from requirements for the registration of assault weapons (see the Connecticut Assault Weapons section), there are no firearm registration requirements.

Waiting Period

Connecticut prohibits any person, firm or corporation from selling a long gun (rifle or shotgun) at retail until two weeks have passed after the date the purchase application is completed. This waiting period does not apply, however, to certain law enforcement officers and military personnel, holders of valid permits to carry handguns, holders of valid hunting licenses, or holders of valid eligibility certificates to possess handguns. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-37a.

State of Connecticut Attorney General’s Office
  Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
  Connecticut Against Gun Violence
  Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence

 
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