State Gun Laws

Massachusetts state law says that you can only get a firearms license, which is necessary to have or buy a gun if:

• you have not been convicted in Massachusetts state court, in any other state’s court, or in federal court of:
  1. a felony;
  2. a misdemeanor punishable by more than two years of imprisonment;
  3. a violent crime; or
  4. any weapons or drug-related offenses; and
• you are not subject to an outstanding arrest warrant.¹

Note: For the crimes listed in #2 and #4, the prohibition only lasts for five years after the person was convicted/adjudicated, or released from confinement, probation, or parole supervision, whichever occurs later.¹

Federal laws, which apply to all states, also restrict a person’s right to have a gun if s/he has been convicted of certain crimes. Go to Federal Gun Laws to get more information.

¹ Mass. Gen. Laws 140 § 121F(j)