Connecticut Gun Laws: A Plain Overview for 2026

Connecticut has one of the most detailed firearm licensing systems in the country. Almost every purchase of a gun, ammunition or a magazine needs a state credential, many popular rifles and pistols are banned by name or by feature, and carrying a handgun takes a two-step permit that starts in your own town. This guide sums up the main rules as of September 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. Most of the law sits in Chapter 529 of the Connecticut General Statutes (sections 29-27 through 29-38) and in the weapons sections of Chapter 943, starting at section 53-202a. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), through its Special Licensing and Firearms Unit, runs the permit and background check systems.

The credentials Connecticut uses

Connecticut recognizes four main credentials for buying guns and ammunition, and each does a different job.

State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers. Lets you buy handguns, long guns and ammunition and carry a handgun. Minimum age 21. Valid five years.
Handgun Eligibility Certificate. Lets you buy handguns, long guns and ammunition and keep handguns at home or at your business, but not carry them. Minimum age 21. $35, valid five years.
Long Gun Eligibility Certificate. Lets you buy rifles, shotguns and ammunition. Minimum age 18. $35, valid five years.
Ammunition Certificate. Lets you buy ammunition and magazines only. Minimum age 18. $35, valid five years.

Each credential needs an approved firearms safety course, fingerprints and state and national background checks. Since 2023, the training for the eligibility certificates and the pistol permit must be completed within two years before you apply. See our pistol permit guide for the step-by-step process.

Buying a handgun

To buy a handgun from a dealer you must be a Connecticut resident, at least 21, and hold a pistol permit or a Handgun Eligibility Certificate. The dealer contacts DESPP, which checks state records and the federal NICS system and issues an authorization number for the sale. Public Act 23-53 limits most buyers to three handgun retail purchases in any 30-day period. Certified firearms instructors may buy up to six. Connecticut has no fixed waiting period once the authorization number is issued. Our buying guide walks through an online order from checkout to pickup.

Buying a rifle or shotgun

Long guns need a Long Gun Eligibility Certificate, a Handgun Eligibility Certificate or a pistol permit. Dealers may not sell long guns to anyone under 18, and no one may sell or transfer a semi-automatic centerfire rifle that has or accepts a magazine of more than five rounds to anyone under 21. The dealer runs the same DESPP check and gets an authorization number before the gun leaves the counter. Since September 2023, DESPP policy effectively routes private sales through a licensed dealer as well, so a background check applies to nearly every transfer.

Ammunition and magazines

Under section 29-38m, no one may sell ammunition or a magazine to a buyer who does not show a pistol permit, an eligibility certificate or an ammunition certificate with photo ID. Buyers must be at least 18. Large capacity magazines, meaning those that can hold more than 10 rounds, cannot be sold, bought or possessed unless the owner had them before the ban and declared them to DESPP. Any magazine you order for Connecticut should hold 10 rounds or fewer.

The assault weapon ban

Connecticut's assault weapon law, sections 53-202a through 53-202o, was widened in 2013 and again in 2023. It works in three layers.

Named firearms. A long list of rifles and pistols is banned by name, along with copies or duplicates that have the same capability. The list includes AR-15 and AK type rifles and pistols and many other common models.
One-feature test. A semi-automatic centerfire rifle that accepts a detachable magazine is banned if it has any one of these: a folding or telescoping stock, a pistol grip or thumbhole stock, a forward pistol grip, a flash suppressor, or a grenade or flare launcher. Semi-automatic pistols that accept a detachable magazine are banned if they have features such as a magazine that attaches outside the grip, a threaded barrel or a barrel shroud.
Other tests. Semi-automatic rifles and pistols with a fixed magazine over 10 rounds, semi-automatic centerfire rifles shorter than 30 inches, semi-automatic shotguns that accept a detachable magazine, and semi-automatic shotguns with both a folding or telescoping stock and a pistol grip are also covered. The 2023 law added other semi-automatic firearms with features like arm braces and pre-1994 guns that were not covered before.

Owners who lawfully held these firearms before the bans took effect had to register them with DESPP for a certificate of possession. Everyone else may not buy, sell, import or possess them. This matters for online shopping. Our catalog is a national distributor list, and many items in it are sold legally in other states but cannot be transferred in Connecticut. The Connecticut dealer you ship to will only transfer items that are legal in Connecticut. If you are unsure about a model, check with the dealer before you order.

Carrying a handgun

Anyone carrying a handgun outside the home, business or land they own or lease needs a Connecticut State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers. The permit comes in two steps: a temporary state permit from the local authority in your town, then the five-year state permit from DESPP. The initial fees total $140, plus fingerprint and FBI check fees, and renewal is $70 every five years. You must carry the permit with you and show it to an officer who sees you carrying and has reasonable suspicion of a crime. Since October 1, 2023, Connecticut bars carrying a firearm with intent to display it, which in practice ends open carry. Connecticut does not honor carry permits from other states, but nonresidents who hold a home-state permit may apply directly to DESPP.

Places where carry is barred

Even with a permit, you may not carry on school grounds, in buildings where the General Assembly meets, and in several other places listed in state and federal law. Private property owners can also bar firearms. Check the current statutes before carrying somewhere new.

Storage and transport

Since 2023, anyone who controls a home or other premises must keep every firearm there in a securely locked box or container, or carry it on their person. A handgun left in an unattended vehicle must be in the trunk, a locked safe or a locked glove box. Loaded long guns may not be carried in a motor vehicle. When transporting a handgun without a permit under one of the legal exemptions, it must be unloaded and out of reach of the passenger compartment.

Hunting and ranges

Hunting licenses come from CT DEEP, which requires a hunter education course for a first license. Deer rules differ between private and state land, and rifles are allowed for deer only on private land of 10 acres or more. Read our deer hunting guide for 2026 season dates and legal firearms. The state lists only a few public ranges on state land, including the Glastonbury range in Meshomasic State Forest and the High Rock range in Naugatuck State Forest.

Where to go next

Browse the shop for handguns, rifles, shotguns and accessories, keeping the rules above in mind, or visit the gun shop page for your city. If you are setting up a firearm for the house, our home defense guide covers options that fit Connecticut law. Laws change, and parts of the assault weapon law continue to be challenged in court, so check the current statutes or ask your dealer before you buy.

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