Connecticut - CT Gun Laws

Connecticut requires a Handgun Eligibility Certificate or state pistol permit to purchase a handgun, and a separate Long Gun Eligibility Certificate (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-37p) to purchase a rifle or shotgun — no one may buy a long gun without holding one of these certificates or a retail handgun sales permit. Both processes involve training and a background check on top of the standard federal NICS check. Federal age minimums also apply: 18 for a long gun, 21 for a handgun.

Connecticut requires the same eligibility certificate or permit framework for private sales as for dealer purchases — a buyer must already hold the applicable certificate or permit regardless of whether the seller is a licensed dealer or a private individual, effectively closing the private-sale gap seen in less-regulated states.

Connecticut follows the standard federal prohibited-persons categories: felony conviction, certain domestic violence convictions or active protective orders, unlawful drug users, individuals adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, fugitives from justice, dishonorable military discharge, undocumented immigration status, and renunciation of U.S. citizenship. Connecticut also has a red-flag law (one of the earliest in the country) allowing certain petitioners to seek a court order temporarily removing firearms from someone found to pose a risk.

Illegal as of October 1, 2023, with limited exceptions for one's own property, authorized shooting ranges, and lawful hunting where otherwise permitted. Long guns can still generally be carried openly without a permit, though a Long Gun Eligibility Certificate is required to have purchased one in the first place.

Requires a state pistol permit, issued through local police chiefs (or the state, for non-residents) to applicants 21 or older who complete required training and pass a background check. Connecticut's system is described as "shall-issue, with limited discretion," and carries a $70 state permit fee. Connecticut has not adopted permitless carry.

A valid state pistol permit is required to carry a concealed handgun in a vehicle. The same sensitive-location and eligibility-certificate requirements that apply elsewhere also apply to firearms transported in a vehicle.

Connecticut's restricted-location list includes K-12 schools, courthouses, and certain government buildings. Federal restrictions still apply regardless of state law — federal buildings and other federal property remain off-limits under federal statute.

Connecticut does not set a comprehensive statewide minimum age for possessing a firearm beyond the federal purchase-age framework (18 for long guns, 21 for handguns through a dealer, matching Connecticut's own pistol permit age floor). Supervised possession and use by minors below these ages — for hunting, target shooting, or firearms safety instruction under adult supervision — is common practice and not separately restricted by a dedicated state age-floor statute.

Connecticut bans magazines holding more than 10 rounds (magazines registered before April 4, 2013 are grandfathered) and bans a defined list of "assault weapons" under a 2013 law enacted after Sandy Hook, covering named firearms plus any semiautomatic that meets certain feature-based tests. A 2025 bill (HB 7052) to raise the magazine limit from 10 to 15 rounds had not been signed into law as of this review.

Connecticut is not a Stand Your Ground state — state law explicitly imposes a duty to retreat before using deadly force outside the home. Inside your dwelling, there is no duty to retreat, and the same generally applies at your workplace if you weren't the initial aggressor (a narrower castle doctrine).

Connecticut has no explicit statutory firearm preemption. Courts have interpreted legislative intent to preempt local regulation of firearm sales, hunting, and carrying under a state permit, but without a clear statute, this protection is less certain than in states with explicit preemption language. Municipalities can still restrict the discharge of firearms within their borders.

Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), pistol permit resources: portal.ct.gov/despp
Connecticut General Statutes, Title 29, Chapter 529 (full text): cga.ct.gov
Your local police department (or DESPP for non-residents): for pistol permit and eligibility certificate applications
ATF: for federal NFA questions — Connecticut allows suppressor possession but still prohibits their use while hunting