Connecticut Concealed Carry Permit Information

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Concealed Permit:
May Issue to Residents and Non-Residents. Connecticut issues a State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers which allows you to carry concealed or open.

Example Permit:

Issuing Authority:
Connecticut State Police. Apply for your state permit if you are a resident at any Connecticut State Police licensing station.

NICS check:
Yes

Permit Valid For:
A statewide permit to carry is valid (unless revoked for cause) for five years.

Processing Time:
The issuing authority has eight weeks to inform the applicant whether his or her application has been approved or denied. An eligibility certificate or permit to carry revocation or refusal to issue or renew may be appealed within 90 days to the Board of Firearm Permit Examiners, State Armory, 505 Hudson Street, 5th Floor, Hartford, CT 06106. No fee is charged for this review. A revocation or refusal to issue will be overturned by the Board if “just and proper cause” is found. Either the applicant or the issuing authority may appeal any decision of the Board to the courts

Cost:
The application fee is $70.00 plus sufficient funds as required to cover the cost of a National Criminal History Records Check.

The renewal fee for a carry permit shall be $35.00.

Featured Connecticut Concealed Weapons Permit Instructors:

Requirements:
1. Is twenty-one years of age;
2. Is a legal resident of the United States;
3. Has a residence or business in the jurisdiction in which they are applying;
4. Intends to use the handgun for only lawful purposes;
5. Is a “suitable person” to receive a permit;
6. Has successfully completed an approved handgun safety course;
7. Has not been convicted of a felony or a violation of;
a. Criminal possession of a narcotic substance;
b. Criminally negligent homicide;
c. Assault in the third degree;
d. Reckless endangerment in the firstdegree;
e. Unlawful restraint in the second degree;
f. Riot in the first degree;
g. Stalking in the second degree;
8. Has not been convicted as a delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense;
9. 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;
10. Is not subject to a restraining or p[protective order issued by a court in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person;
11. Is not subject to a firearms seizure order issued for posing a risk of personal injury to self or others after a hearing; or
12. Is not prohibited from possessing a firearm for having been adjudicated as a mentally incompetent under federal law.

Required Documents:
1. Completed application - Call 860-685-8494 to have an application mailed out.
2. Two fingerprint cards
3. Two copies of your birth certificate or passport
4. Firearms training certificate if you are a resident of Connecticut
Renewal Information:

Change of Address:

Informing Law Enforcement of Carry:

Automobile carry:
Individuals not licensed to carry handguns in Connecticut may not possess firearms in their vehicles

Places off-limits when carrying:
1. A permit to carry is required to carry a handgun outside one’s home (even though one may still be on his own property) or in any place of business in which one is merely an employee, not an owner or operator. A permit is also required to transport a handgun back and forth between one’s home and place of business, or to and from a range for target shooting.
2. It is unlawful to possess a firearm on public or private elementary or secondary school property. This prohibition shall not apply to a person with a firearm carrying permit, with permission from school officials, or while traversing school property with an unloaded firearm for the purpose of gaining access to lands open to hunting or for other lawful purposes, provided entry is not prohibited by school officials.

Alcohol and Drugs:
Waiting For Information. As always, alcohol/drugs don't mix with firearms. That's a pretty simple rule of thumb.

Deadly Force / Castle Doctrine:
Connecticut is a Castle Doctrine state and does have a stand-your-ground law.

 

Open Carry:
Prohibited in all public areas unless one has a permit.

Localities with Varying Laws:
For additional information please contact your local county Sheriff's office.

Forms & Links:
NRA-ILA: Connecticut Gun Laws

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  • http://www.facebook.com/mikebutlermedia Mike Butler

    re: “Alcohol and Drugs:
    Waiting For Information. As always, alcohol/drugs don’t mix with firearms. That’s a pretty simple rule of thumb.”

    Sec. 53-206d. Carrying a firearm while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug prohibited. Hunting while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug or while impaired by the consumption of intoxicating liquor prohibited. (a)(1) No person shall carry a pistol, revolver, machine gun, shotgun, rifle or other firearm, which is loaded and from which a shot may be discharged, upon his person (A) while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, or both, or (B) while the ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person is ten-hundredths of one per cent or more of alcohol, by weight.

    (2) Any person who violates any provision of this subsection shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

    (b) (1) No person shall engage in hunting while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, or both, or while impaired by the consumption of intoxicating liquor. A person shall be deemed under the influence when at the time of the alleged offense the person (A) is under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, or both, or (B) has an elevated blood alcohol content. For the purposes of this subdivision, “elevated blood alcohol content” means (i) a ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person that is ten-hundredths of one per cent or more of alcohol, by weight, or (ii) if such person has been convicted of a violation of this subsection, a ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person that is seven-hundredths of one per cent or more of alcohol, by weight. A person shall be deemed impaired when at the time of the alleged offense the ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person was more than seven-hundredths of one per cent of alcohol, by weight, but less than ten-hundredths of one per cent of alcohol, by weight.

    (2) Any person who violates any provision of this subsection shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
    ================================================
    In short, carrying while intoxicated is illegal. If you’re too drunk to drive, you’re too drunk to pack heat. I have been told that the standard has been changed to .08% to match the DWI law.
    On the other hand, CT has no restriction against carrying in an establishment that sells or serves alcohol, so you can go ahead and order a glass of wine (just one, please) with dinner or stop by the store on the way home to get a bottle of booze without disarming.

    • Mad_River_Firearms

      The State Statute has NOT yet been changed regarding the BAC. It still reads .10% in Regards to the Carrying of a Firearm.

      Sec. 53-206d. Carrying a firearm while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug prohibited. Hunting while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug or while impaired by the consumption of intoxicating liquor prohibited. (a)(1) No person shall carry a pistol, revolver, machine gun, shotgun, rifle or other firearm, which is loaded and from which a shot may be discharged, upon his person (A) while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, or both, or (B) while the ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person is ten-hundredths of one per cent or more of alcohol, by weight.
      (2) Any person who violates any provision of this subsection shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

      (b) (1) No person shall engage in hunting while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, or both, or while impaired by the consumption of intoxicating liquor. A person shall be deemed under the influence when at the time of the alleged offense the person (A) is under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, or both, or (B) has an elevated blood alcohol content. For the purposes of this subdivision, “elevated blood alcohol content” means (i) a ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person that is ten-hundredths of one per cent or more of alcohol, by weight, or (ii) if such person has been convicted of a violation of this subsection, a ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person that is seven-hundredths of one per cent or more of alcohol, by weight. A person shall be deemed impaired when at the time of the alleged offense the ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person was more than seven-hundredths of one per cent of alcohol, by weight, but less than ten-hundredths of one per cent of alcohol, by weight.
      (2) Any person who violates any provision of this subsection shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

      (3) Enforcement officers of the Department of Environmental Protection are empowered to arrest for a violation of the provisions of this subsection.

      • Rthibedeau556

        You are wrong about the open carry in ct. It is in the constitution of Connecticut, you may open carry in ct. It is highly discouraged and you can be charged with breach of peace if the officer chooses to. You must tKe every precaution to not expose the weapon in circumstances were it may alarm certain individuals.

        • Rich_B

          Um. No. 

          Open carry is 100% lawful in the State of Connecticut. BoP does not apply to open carry.

          Mad_River_Firearms has no idea what he is talking about with regards to open carry at all.

          • The dude

            While open carry is 100% legal, and makes 100% perfect sense you will be charged with breach of peace and brandishing if anyone calls the police about seeing your gun. From personal experience what the officer will do is merely ask the person what color it was. If they respond correctly the police have the authority to revoke your permit and take all your guns! That being said you can get your permit and guns back when you file an appeal however this routinely takes two years or longer meanwhile you are unarmed and your weapons sit in a box in an evidence room with no maintenance whatsoever.

  • Mad_River_Firearms

    There are TOO Many INACCURACIES in the ABOVE Information.

    (1) There is “NO OPEN CARRY” allowed in Connecticut. Unless in UNIFORM Displaying a Badge. ie Police, Armed Security, Bail Enforcement Agent etc.
    (2) There is “NO CASTLE DOCTRINE or STAND YOUR GROUND LAW”. You are REQUIRED to RETREAT if you can do so with Complete Safety UNLESS in your DWELLING or place of WORK.
    (3) You Must Apply for a Temporary Permit at the Local Level FIRST. The Temporary Permit is Valid for 60 Days and is NOT VALID to PURCHASE. All PISTOL SALES require a Connecticut Pistol Permit and also an Authorization & Authorization Number issued by them with Paperwork Forwarded to the Buyers Police Dept. & the State Police Dept.
    (4) Permit NOT required to TRANSPORT to Range, Gunsmith etc.
    NOTE Transport is NOT CARRYING there is a Clear Difference in the Law.

    The Connecticut Pistol Permit Application Process STARTS at the LOCAL LEVEL.
    You MUST apply for a TEMPORARY Permit to Carry at the Local Police Dept. in which you Reside. After receiving the Temporary Permit from the Local Authority you then have 60 Days to Apply to the Dept. of Public Safety (State Police Dept.) for a FIVE year Permit which is referred to as a Regular Permit and the REGULAR (5 Year) Permit Fee is $70.00.
    (1).
    Completed State and Federal fingerprint cards with $50.00 fee and $19.25 fee payable to DPS for criminal history background checks;

    • Valentine Gregg

      You are miss informed ..read the laws..a permit to carry..not concealed carry.there are many loop holes in which u may b penalized . You should delete ur lies and get get the facts correct

      • Dalmatian90

        There are folks challenging the interpretation, and I don’t know if case law is settled yet.

        Until recently the Board of Firearm Permit Examiners absolutely considered it a “lack of mature judgement” if you caused public alarm by where you were carrying.  So if the public called the police due to their concern, the police would charge breach of peace and pull the permit, and let the examiners decide if you were acting with “mature judgement” or not.

        Statutorily, there is nothing to keep you from carrying in the open.  It was the interpretation of who was suitable by the examiners that meant it was for practical purposes a concealed-only permit — and they legally have that discretion.

        I believe the recent trend has been to ask the police to exercise more discretion so that not every concerned citizen call is treated as a breach of peace — so that an inadvertent exposure of a concealed firearm when reaching for something else is not a breach of peace.  But until I see something in black and white on state letterhead rather then press reports, I would defer to what Mad_River said rather then deal with the potential hassle and suspension of the permit for years while waiting for your case to come up on the examiner’s docket.

        • Thedude

          Thank you for being the only post worth a damn. The point being made here folks is that the police can and will take your permit ( they want to do so ) ie they are always looking to disarm us. So conceal your gun and never loose your permit, or you can read the letter of the law and have the police called loose your permit have to wait two years to get it back, but you just might be so lucky as to be the case that brings this discrepancy between law and practice to light. In which case because CT is liberal the law will be changed to CC only. My advice? Don’t be that guy man.

  • Glock19_CTCCW

    Mad river is incorrect in his first “correction”. There is currently no law in the state of Connecticut that prohibits open carry, that is, there is nothing in our state statutes that make it illegal, nor is there a law the requires conceal carry.

    Look at your permit, it’s a permit to CARRY, it doesn’t say how to carry, and the DPS has even released memos to all it’d employees advising them that they can not detain someone for OC (that means it’s not a crime).

    Some may tell you that if you do carry you will be charged with breach of peace, threatening, and insighting, abd lose your permit, when in actuality these laws actually STATE that the lawful OC
    of a firearm does not constitute a charge.

    • Shadowr434

      The page here has another mistake.They list Connecticut as a may issue state but Connecticut is actually a shall issue state. Our Massachusetts friends to the north are a may issue state.

      • CT resident

        Connecticut is a may issue state in law but in practice is a shall issue state as they do not deny the permit so long as you meet the criteria but by law they can if they choose to which makes them correct saying CT is may issue.

  • Anonymous

    Sorry Mad River, but your second ‘correction’ is wrong as well…your own copy of the legislation (and it is correct, I checked) states that you do not need to retreat in your own home and that dealy force is justified…that’s what a ‘castle doctrine’ is…exactly…to the letter.

  • Ethan17508

    there is no law that mandates concealed carry. that is a misconception. the license and laws say nothing about it.  courts have also ruled that in most cases, open carry cannot constitute breaking the peace on its own.

    • The dude

      Again the operative words here are “in most cases” and “courts”. The police will take your permit, and it will take at least two years to get it back via the “courts”

  • guest

    In regards to alcohol and drugs, see statute 53a-206d. .10 BAC is the legal limit on alcohol.