Connecticut

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.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-202l prohibits any person from knowingly distributing, transporting, importing into the state, keeping, offering, or exposing for sale, or giving any person any “armor-piercing .50 caliber bullet” or “incendiary .50 caliber bullet.”  An “armor-piercing .50 caliber bullet” is any .50 caliber bullet that is designed for the purpose of, held out by the manufacturer or distributor as, or generally recognized as having a specialized capability to penetrate armor or bulletproof glass, including, but not limited to, bullets designated as "M2 Armor-Piercing" or "AP", "M8 Armor-Piercing Incendiary" or "API", "M20 Armor-Piercing Incendiary Tracer" or "APIT", "M903 Caliber .50 Saboted Light Armor Penetrator" or "SLAP", or "M962 Saboted Light Armor Penetrator Tracer" or "SLAPT".  Id. An “incendiary .50 caliber bullet" is any .50 caliber bullet that is designed for the purpose of, held out by the manufacturer or distributor as, or generally recognized as having a specialized capability to ignite upon impact, including, but not limited to, such bullets commonly designated as "M1 Incendiary", "M23 Incendiary", "M8 Armor-Piercing Incendiary" or "API", or "M20 Armor-Piercing Incendiary Tracer" or "APIT". Id.

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. For more information regarding the process for obtaining a certificate of possession for an assault weapon, see Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 83-202d-1—53-202d-5.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-202d(d) provides that 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 loss or theft of the weapon within 72 hours of the time the person discovered or should have discovered the loss or 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.

Section 53-202i provides that nothing contained in the provisions banning and regulating assault weapons is to be construed to prohibit any person or corporation engaged in the business of manufacturing assault weapons from manufacturing or transporting assault weapons for sale: 1) within the state to the Department of Public Safety, law enforcement, the Department of Correction, or military or naval forces; or, 2) for sale outside the state.

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 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).

Section 53a-174a prohibits an inmate of a correctional or humane institution from knowingly possessing a firearm. 
Section 53a-217c provides that, subject to certain limited exceptions, no person shall possess a handgun if he or she:

• 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); or

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

No person, firm, or corporation, including any private (unlicensed) seller, may transfer a handgun to a person until the person, firm or corporation making such transfer obtains an authorization number from the Commissioner of Public Safety, who must perform a background check to determine whether the applicant is prohibited from possessing a handgun.  Section 29-33(c).

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.

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 microscopic 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).

Additional requirements for submitting test fires and handguns to the database and for searching the database are detailed under Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 29-7h-1—29-7h-6.

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).

Possession Restrictions

A person is guilty of interfering with the legislative process when he possesses a weapon from which a shot may be discharged, either loaded or unloaded, within any building where:

• Either house of the General Assembly is located;

• Any committee, member, officer or employee of the General Assembly has an official office; or

• Any committee of the General Assembly is holding a public hearing.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 2-1e(c).

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.

A state administrative regulation states that possession of a dangerous weapon in a shelter for the homeless constitutes good cause for expulsion or suspension from the shelter.  Conn. Agencies Regs. § 17-590-5. Similarly, possession of firearms on the grounds of the Connecticut Department of Veteran Affairs constitutes cause for an immediate involuntary discharge from programs administered by that Department.  Section 27-102l(d)-132.

Administrative regulations also prohibit firearms:

• In any state park or forest except as authorized by the Department of Environmental Protection (section 23-4-1(c));

• In Bluff Point Coastal Preserve, except for certain authorized persons (section 23-4-4(B)(3));

• Inside of or within 50 feet of any magazine or in or around any trucks or other vehicles containing explosives (sections 29-349-135, 29-349-198); and

• Inside or within 50 feet of any plant, area, or warehouse used for mixing, packaging, or storing blasting agents (section 29-349-274).

Concealed weapons permit holders may be subject to additional location limits.  Please see the Location Limits subsection below for further information.

Transportation of Firearms

Pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 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 trunk 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.  This prohibition does not apply to the interstate transportation of firearms through the state in accordance with 18 U.S.C. §§ 926A, 927, by any person who is not otherwise prohibited from shipping, transporting, receiving or possessing a firearm, provided that the firearm is unloaded and neither such firearm nor any ammunition is accessible from the passenger compartment of the vehicle.  Section 29-38d.

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.

Section 53a-174 prohibits any person not authorized by law from conveying or passing any firearm into any correctional or humane institution.

An administrative regulation prohibits any emergency medical service provider from possessing or carrying firearms in an emergency medical service vehicle.  Conn. Agencies Regs. § 19a-179-9(a).  Similarly, firearms are prohibited in or around vehicles containing explosives or blasting agents.  Sections 29-349-135, 29-349-198, 29-349-282.

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, are 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).

Concealed handgun permit holders may be subject to generally applicable possession prohibitions.  Please see the Possession Restrictions and Transportation of Firearms sections above for further information.

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).

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.

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; and

• 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.

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

Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers

There are 433 federally licensed firearms dealers and pawnbrokers in Connecticut. Federal firearms licensee totals for Connecticut as of November 8, 2007 were provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Firearm Prohibitions for Domestic Violence Misdemeanants

There is no law in Connecticut prohibiting individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from purchasing or possessing firearms or ammunition.  Federal law prohibits purchase and possession of firearms and ammunition by persons who have been convicted of a “misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.”  18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). Federal law defines a “misdemeanor crime of domestic violence” as an offense that is a federal, state or tribal law misdemeanor and has the use or attempted use of physical force or threatened use of a deadly weapon as an element, if the offender:

• Was a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim;

• Shares a child in common with the victim;

• Was a current or former cohabitant with the victim as a spouse, parent or guardian; or

• Was similarly situated to a spouse, parent or guardian of the victim.

18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(33).

According to Bureau of Justice Statistics Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales, 2005 (November 2006), Connecticut maintains flagged domestic abuse misdemeanor data.

Firearm Prohibition for Persons Subject to Domestic Violence Restraining/Protective Orders

Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-217 prohibits firearm possession by a person who knows that he or she is subject to a restraining or protective order that was issued after notice and a hearing in a case involving the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against such person. In addition, section 29-36f(6) makes a person ineligible for a certificate for a pistol or revolver if that person is subject to a restraining or protective order (including an order issued without notice and a hearing)  in a case involving the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against such person. Any family or household member who has been subjected to a continuous threat of present physical pain or physical injury by another family or household member, or any person in or who has recently been in a dating relationship who has been subjected to a continuous threat of present physical pain or physical injury by the other person in such relationship, may apply for a restraining or protective order.  Section 46b-15(a).  “Family or household member” means:

• Spouses, former spouses;

• Parents and their children;

• Persons 18 years or older related by blood or marriage;

• Persons 16 years or older presently residing together or who have resided together;

• Persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they are or have been married or have lived together at any time;

• Persons who are in or have recently been in a dating relationship.

Section 46b-38a(2). The application form must allow the applicant, at the applicant’s option, to indicate whether the respondent holds a permit to carry a pistol or revolver or possesses one or more firearms. Section 46b-15(b).
According to Bureau of Justice Statistics Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales, 2005 (November 2006), Connecticut maintains protective order data.

For general information on the background check process and categories of prohibited purchasers/possessors, see the Connecticut Background Checks section.

Removal or Surrender of Firearms When Domestic Violence Restraining/Protective Orders Are Issued

There is no law in Connecticut allowing a victim of domestic violence to seek a protective order requiring the removal or surrender of firearms.  However, upon complaint on oath by any state’s attorney or assistant state’s attorney or by any two police officers, alleging probable cause to believe that a person poses a risk of imminent personal injury to himself or herself or to other individuals, and that the person possesses one or more firearms, within or upon any place, thing, or person, a judge may issue a warrant commanding a proper officer to search that person, place, or thing, and take any and all firearms into custody.  Section 29-38c. The court must hold a hearing no later than 14 days after execution of the warrant to determine whether the seized firearms should be returned to the person named.  Id.  If the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the person poses a risk of imminent personal injury to himself or herself or others, it may order the state to continue to hold the firearms for up to one year. Id.

Removal or Surrender of Firearms at the Scene of a Domestic Violence Incident

Whenever a peace officer determines that a family violence crime has been committed, such officer may seize any firearm at the location where the crime is alleged to have been committed that is in the possession of any person arrested for the commission of the crime or suspected of its commission or that is in plain view.  Section 46b-38b(a). The law enforcement agency must return the firearm to the rightful owner not later than seven days after the seizure, unless the person is ineligible to possess the firearm or otherwise ordered by the court. Id.

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.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-74a(a) exempts from criminal prosecution, and makes immune from civil liability, any owner, operator or user of a firing or shooting range operating on October 1, 1998, with respect to noise or noise pollution violations resulting from shooting activity on such range, provided the range was, at the time of its construction or operational approval by the municipality in which it is located, in compliance with Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 442 and regulations adopted under that Chapter.  However, section 22a-74a states that it does not limit the ability of a municipality to regulate an increase in noise attributable to a physical expansion of an existing firing or shooting range.  Section 22a-74a(c). For more information regarding the ability of a Connecticut municipality to regulate firing or shooting ranges, see the Connecticut State Preemption section above. 

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.

No relevant statutes currently exist.

No relevant statutes currently exist.

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).

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.

In homes of relatives certified to provide foster care to a related child, and in foster and prospective adoptive homes, firearms and ammunition must each be locked in separate places inaccessible to children.  Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 17a-114-17(k), 17a-145-141, 17a-150-99. Whenever practicable, firearms must be equipped with a trigger guard lock.  Id. Keys to the locked storage area of firearms and ammunition must be kept in the secure possession of an adult or reasonably secure from children. Id.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling or otherwise transferring a firearm or ammunition to any person who has been “adjudicated as a mental defective” or involuntarily “committed to any mental institution.” 18 U.S.C. § 922(d)(4). No federal law requires states to report the identities of these individuals to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database, which the FBI uses to perform background checks prior to firearm transfers.

In 2005, Connecticut enacted a law requiring its Department of Public Safety, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Judicial Department to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the FBI for the purpose of implementing the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).  Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-36l(d)(2).  The Department of Public Safety is required to report to NICS the name, date of birth and physical description of any person “prohibited from possessing a firearm” pursuant to federal law. Id.

In addition, the Commissioner of Public Safety must verify that a person who seeks an eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver has not been confined in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities within the preceding 12 months by order of a probate court, by inquiring with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to receive only a report on the commitment status of the person.  Section 29-38b(a).

The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services must maintain information on commitment orders by a probate court and shall provide such information to the Commissioner of Public Safety in fulfillment of his or her obligations under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d.  Section 17a-500(b).

For general information on the background check process and categories of prohibited purchasers/possessors, see the Connecticut Background Checks section.

*New Legislation Alert*  See LCAV's Recent Developments in State Law page.

A person must be at least 21 years old to obtain an eligibility certificate for 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.

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.

No relevant statutes currently exist.

No relevant statutes currently exist.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-33(a) prohibits any person, firm or corporation from selling, delivering or otherwise transferring a handgun to any person prohibited from possessing a handgun by section 53a-217c.  Section 53a-217c is described above in the Connecticut Background Checks section.  Section 29-33(c) prohibits the sale, delivery or other transfer of a handgun until the person, firm or corporation making the transfer, including any private (unlicensed) seller, obtains an authorization number from the Connecticut Department of Public Safety ("CDPS"). This authorization can only be obtained after a background check is conducted by CDPS. Id. Moreover, section 29-33(b) prohibits any person, firm, or corporation from transferring a handgun unless the transferee has a permit to carry a handgun, a permit to sell handguns at retail, or a handgun eligibility certificate.

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.

2007 Conn. Pub. Acts 163, § 3, adopted in 2007, states that a person is guilty of “firearms trafficking” if he or she knowingly and intentionally, directly or indirectly, causes one or more firearms that the person owns, is in possession of or is in control of, to come into the possession of or control of another person whom the person knows or has reason to believe is prohibited from owning or possessing any firearm under state or federal law.  Firearms trafficking is a class C felony if the person transfers five or fewer firearms, and a class B felony if he or she transfers more than five firearms. Id.

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.

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 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.

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.

Section 53a-174 prohibits any person not authorized by law from conveying or passing any firearm to any inmate of a correctional or humane institution.

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

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-202g, as amended by 2007 Conn. Pub. Acts 163, § 1, requires any person who lawfully possesses a firearm that is lost or stolen to report the loss or theft to the organized local police department for the town in which the loss or theft occurred, or if such town does not have an organized local police department, to the state police troop having jurisdiction for such town within 72 hours of when the person discovered or should have discovered the loss or theft.

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.