Non-Resident permit · CT → MA
Is a Connecticut Non-Resident Permit Valid in Massachusetts?
The answer is no. Massachusetts's reciprocity policy excludes Connecticut non-resident permits, and its law requires a permit to carry concealed. Visitors without a Massachusetts-recognized permit cannot legally carry.
Why
- Massachusetts does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
Mass.gov firearms FAQ: 'No. Massachusetts does not have reciprocity with any other states.' The former MGL c.140 §131G exemption letting non-residents with home-state permits carry for competition/hunting was REPEALED by Ch. 135 of the Acts of 2024, effective Oct 2, 2024 — no out-of-state permit is valid in MA for any purpose.
The permit (Connecticut)
- Permit
- State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers (Connecticut State Pistol Permit)
- Issued by
- Two-step - local police chief/chief executive officer issues a temporary state permit, then the DESPP Special Licensing and Firearms Unit issues the state permit
- Issue policy
- May-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — A bona fide US resident with no Connecticut residence who holds a carry permit or license issued by another state or subdivision may apply directly to the DESPP commissioner for a non-resident Connecticut permit (CGS 29-28(f)); DESPP requires that non-resident applicants already hold a home-state carry permit.
The destination (Massachusetts)
- Recognition policy
- Honors no out-of-state permits
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Carry rules in Massachusetts
Your Connecticut habits may not match Massachusetts's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- No Massachusetts statute imposes a proactive duty to tell an officer you are carrying; carry the LTC when carrying and present it on lawful demand.
- Massachusetts limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Massachusetts is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Massachusetts recognizes.
- An LTC is required to have a loaded handgun in a vehicle, and MGL c.140 §131C requires it to be under the licensee's direct control or secured in a locked container.
Off-limits places in Massachusetts
Massachusetts bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Elementary/secondary schools, colleges and universities without written authorization (MGL c.269 §10(j))
- Government administrative, judicial/court and correctional buildings, including grounds and parking areas (MGL c.269 §10(k), added by Ch. 135 of 2024)
Connecticut vs Massachusetts: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Connecticut into Massachusetts changes one rule: open carry (No → With a permit).
| Rule | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | None |
| Open carry | No | With a permit |
Going the other way, a Massachusetts non-resident permit in Connecticut: not recognized.
Driving on from Massachusetts
How a Connecticut non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Massachusetts:
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- New York — Not recognized
- Rhode Island — Not recognized
- Vermont — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Massachusetts honor a Connecticut resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Massachusetts non-resident permit holder carry in Connecticut?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Connecticut's law, not Massachusetts's.
- Where does Massachusetts publish its official reciprocity list?
- Massachusetts publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- Mass.gov — Firearms License and Transaction FAQs (no reciprocity; large-capacity feeding devices; issuing authorities) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MGL c.140 §131G — repealed by Ch. 135 of 2024, Sec. 64 (Mass. Legislature) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Acts of 2024, Chapter 135 (An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws) — Sec. 124 prohibited areas — accessed 2026-08-08
- Mass.gov — Apply for or renew a firearms license (fees, where to apply) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131 — License to carry firearms (age, term) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131P — Basic firearms safety certificate (live firearms training) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.269 §10 — Carrying a firearm without a license — accessed 2026-09-27
- CT DESPP - Connecticut State Pistol Permit — accessed 2026-08-08
- CT DESPP - Pistol Permit FAQ (non-resident application process) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Chapter 529 - Secs. 29-28 (permits) and 29-35 (carrying without permit prohibited) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Sec. 53-202w - Large capacity magazines (10-round limit) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Sec. 53a-217b - Possession of a weapon on school grounds — accessed 2026-08-08