How to Get a Massachusetts LTC or FID Card

Massachusetts issues two firearm licences, and choosing the right one is the first decision a new owner makes. Both come from the same place, cost the same in most cases and last the same length of time, but they permit very different things. This guide covers who issues them, what each one allows, the safety course requirement, the suitability review, fees, timing and renewal, as of September 2026.

FID card

A Firearms Identification card, issued under Chapter 140 section 129B, allows the holder to purchase, transfer, possess and carry rifles and shotguns that are neither large capacity nor semi-automatic, and the ammunition for them. That last restriction is new: before the 2024 Firearms Act an FID covered non-large-capacity semi-automatic long guns, and it no longer does. An FID does not cover handguns and does not authorise carrying a loaded firearm in public.

An adult applies from age 18. Applicants aged 15 to 17 may apply with the written consent of a parent or guardian, and an application filed at 14 cannot produce a card before the applicant turns 15. Minors' cards carry a reduced fee.

License to Carry

The LTC, issued under section 131, is the broader licence. It permits the holder to purchase, rent, borrow, possess and carry firearms, including large capacity firearms and ammunition, and it is the licence required to carry a handgun in public, concealed or otherwise. Applicants must be 21 or older and must live within the jurisdiction of the licensing authority they apply to. An LTC does not by itself authorise possession of an assault-style firearm; section 131M governs that separately.

Who issues it

Your local licensing authority is the chief of police, or the board or officer having control of the police department, in the city or town where you live. Massachusetts has no county-level firearm licensing. Someone living in Lynn applies to Lynn police, someone in Pittsfield applies to Pittsfield police, and the standards are statewide even though the appointment process and paperwork differ slightly from one department to the next.

The basic firearms safety course

A first-time applicant must submit a basic firearms safety certificate issued under section 131P, or a hunter education certificate where the statute allows it. Chapter 135 expanded the required curriculum, and from 2 April 2026 an approved course must include safe handling and storage, childproofing, Massachusetts law on possession, transport and storage, safe operation, suicide prevention and injury reduction, the law on use of force, disengagement and conflict avoidance, and live-fire training.

The live-fire element deserves a note. The requirement is in the statute, but the detailed standards, such as round count and qualification criteria, were still being finalised by the state when the new curriculum took effect, and guidance issued at the time indicated instructors were not immediately obliged to include live fire until those standards were published. Check the current position on the mass.gov firearms safety pages and with your instructor before booking. The state publishes an approved course list and an instructor list, and only courses on that list count.

Prohibited persons and suitability

Section 121F sets out who is disqualified outright: certain convictions, certain mental health commitments, outstanding warrants, active restraining or extreme risk protection orders, and the federal prohibitions. Beyond that, a licensing authority may find an applicant unsuitable. The 2024 Act tightened what that means. A determination of unsuitability must be based on reliable, articulable and credible information that the applicant has exhibited or engaged in behaviour suggesting that, if licensed, they may create a risk to public safety or a risk of danger to themselves or others. A denial must be explained in writing, and an applicant can petition the district court for review within 90 days.

Fee, term and timing

The standard fee for a licence, card or permit is $100, split between the licensing authority, the General Fund and the fingerprint identity verification fund. Reduced fees apply to minors' cards and to certain law enforcement renewals, and applicants over 70 are exempt.
A licence runs for not more than six years and expires on the holder's birthday, which in practice means five to six years from issue.
The licensing authority has 40 days from receipt of a completed application to approve or deny it, with the State Police handling the records check inside that window.
If you file a renewal before the expiry date, the old licence stays valid for lawful purposes until the renewal is decided. There is also a limited 90-day grace provision after expiry.

The licensing portal

Applications and renewals now start on the Firearms Records Bureau licensing portal on mass.gov rather than on paper at the station, though almost every department still requires an in-person appointment for fingerprints, photograph and signature. The Massachusetts Gun Transaction Portal is a separate system, used to record purchases, private transfers, inheritances and lost or stolen firearms.

Non-residents

Massachusetts does not recognise any other state's carry permit. A non-resident who wants to carry here applies under section 131F for a temporary licence issued through the Firearms Records Bureau on behalf of the colonel of State Police. It is marked as a temporary licence to carry, costs $100, runs for one year, and cannot be used to purchase firearms in the Commonwealth. Anyone travelling through with a firearm should read the storage and transport rules in our state law overview first.

After the licence

Once your card arrives you can order from the shop and choose a dealer from our Massachusetts gun shop pages to receive the transfer. If you are licensing mainly to hunt, the deer hunting guide and the waterfowl guide explain what is legal to use in the field.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Massachusetts firearm law changes often and parts of it are in litigation. Everything here is current as of September 2026; check the Massachusetts General Laws at malegislature.gov, the Firearms Records Bureau pages at mass.gov and your own local licensing authority before you act.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.