How to Get a Connecticut Pistol Permit

The Connecticut State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers is the most useful firearm credential in the state. It lets you buy handguns, rifles, shotguns and ammunition, and it is the only credential that lets you carry a handgun. Getting it takes two separate approvals, one from your town and one from the state. This guide explains each step as of September 2026, along with the eligibility certificates for people who only want to buy and keep firearms at home. It is general information, not legal advice. The governing statutes are sections 29-28 through 29-32 and 29-36f of the Connecticut General Statutes.

Who can apply

You must be at least 21 and a Connecticut resident, or a nonresident who holds a valid carry permit from your home state. Applicants must pass state and national criminal history checks and cannot fall into any of the categories barred by state or federal law. These include people convicted of felonies and certain misdemeanors, people subject to some protective and restraining orders, and people with specific mental health commitments. The local authority must also find that you want the permit for a lawful purpose and are a suitable person to hold it.

Step 1: Take a handgun safety course

Before you apply, complete a handgun safety course that is at least equal to the NRA Basic Pistol course. DESPP requires live fire. Students must fire a real semi-automatic pistol or revolver, and courses built on simulators, dry fire, air guns or plastic projectiles are not accepted. Since 2023 the course must include Connecticut rules on safe storage, lawful use and carrying in public, and it must be completed within two years before you apply. Keep your certificate, since it goes with your application.

Step 2: Apply for the temporary state permit in your town

The first approval comes from the local issuing authority where you live. In most towns that is the chief of police. In towns without a police department, it is the first selectman or the town's chief executive, often working through the resident state trooper. Connecticut has no county government, so the application always goes to your town, not a county office.

Each town sets its own paperwork schedule, but you can expect to submit:

The state application form
Your handgun course certificate
Proof of residence and a government photo ID
Fingerprints for state and FBI checks
The $70 local fee, plus fingerprint and background check fees

DESPP says the temporary permit generally takes about eight weeks. Since 2023, if the local authority fails to approve or deny within the required time, you may present an affidavit to DESPP and ask the state to decide your application directly. Any denial, local or state, must come with a written reason.

Step 3: Get the state permit from DESPP

Once you receive the temporary permit, you have 60 days to visit a DESPP Special Licensing and Firearms Unit office to apply for the state permit. You pay a second $70 fee, the state photographs you and completes its checks, and it issues the State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers. The permit is valid for five years from the date of issue, and renewal costs $70. Check the DESPP website for current office locations and appointment rules before you go.

Carrying with a permit

With the state permit you may carry a handgun in most public places. You must have the permit on you and show it to a police officer who sees you carrying and has reasonable suspicion of a crime. Failing to carry or show it is an infraction. Since October 1, 2023, it is illegal to carry a firearm with intent to display it, so keep the handgun covered. A brief glimpse or a printed outline through clothing is not a violation. Carrying is still barred on school grounds, in legislative buildings and in other restricted places, and private owners may ban firearms on their property.

Out-of-state permits

Connecticut does not recognize carry permits from other states. Nonresidents who want to carry here must apply to DESPP for a Connecticut permit, which requires a valid permit from their home state.

Eligibility certificates: buy but do not carry

If you only want to buy firearms and keep them at home or at your business, an eligibility certificate may be enough.

Handgun Eligibility Certificate. Allows you to buy handguns, long guns and ammunition. Minimum age 21. You apply directly to DESPP, not your town. $35, valid five years.
Long Gun Eligibility Certificate. Allows you to buy rifles, shotguns and ammunition. Minimum age 18. $35, valid five years.

Both require an approved safety course, fingerprints and background checks. DESPP notes that certificates can take up to 90 days. A certificate does not allow you to carry a handgun in public.

The ammunition certificate

Anyone buying ammunition or magazines in Connecticut must show a pistol permit, an eligibility certificate or an ammunition certificate. The ammunition certificate is for people who own firearms but hold no other credential. You must be 18. It costs $35 and runs five years, with fingerprint and background check fees on top.

Keeping your permit valid

DESPP can revoke a permit or certificate for any event that would have disqualified you, such as a disqualifying conviction or a protective order. If revoked, you must surrender it within five days, and you may appeal to the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners. Keep your address current and renew before the five-year expiration date.

Costs at a glance

Temporary state permit: $70 to the town
State permit: $70 to DESPP
Renewal every five years: $70
Eligibility or ammunition certificate: $35 each
Fingerprint and FBI check fees: extra, set by DESPP
Handgun course: set by the instructor

Next steps

Once your permit arrives, our buying guide explains how an online order reaches your Connecticut dealer, and the Connecticut gun laws overview covers the assault weapon and magazine rules that decide what you can buy. You can then browse handguns in the shop, or see the home defense guide if you are choosing a first handgun for the house. Your city's gun shop page lists the local details.

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