Brittany Murphy
Contributing Writer
To obtain a pistol permit you must be at least 21 years old and a legal resident of the United States. The cost of the permit is $70 and is valid for five years.
Statutory Criteria for acquiring a gun in Connecticut:
• has to pass the state and national criminal history record check
• deemed suitable to get a permit
Anyone looking to own or sell a gun in Connecticut must have an eligibility certificate or a permit to sell or carry handguns.
For Connecticut, gun dealers are further regulated by the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit (SLFU). The National Instant Criminal Background Check is run through them.
Secondhand sales between non-licensed dealers for the sale of long arms require no paperwork or notification.
The law designates four types of firearms: handguns (pistols and revolvers), long guns (rifles and shotguns), assault weapons and machine guns.
Section 53-202a of the Connecticut General Statues defines an assault weapon as, “(1) Any selective-fire firearm capable of fully automatic, semiautomatic or burst fire at the option of the user or any of the following specified semiautomatic firearms.”
Pistol Permit:
Anyone filing for a permit is required to complete a handgun safety course, including the “NRA’s Basic Pistol Course.” Those students must fire a semi-automatic pistol or a revolver. Live fire is a requirement. If you have been convicted of a felony or any one of the 11 misdemeanors, you’re ineligible to receive a permit.
A background check, criminal history check, as well as photographs and fingerprints are a requirement. The statute also contains a “suitability clause.” This allows an issuing authority the power to deny an applicant if they are determined unsuitable to possess or carry a pistol or revolver. The issuing authority also has 8 weeks to review your application and determine whether it will be approved or denied.
States that honor Connecticut Permit(s):
Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin
Not honored by:
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, New York City, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, American Samoa, Illinois, N. Mariana Islands.
Resident Permits only:
Michigan
Concealed Carry Permit:
Connecticut issues a State Permit which allows you to carry concealed or open. Cities and towns are left with deciding which restrictions they will place on concealed carry in certain areas, for example public parks or buildings. A permit is needed if you carry a handgun outside your home or where you’re an employee, not including if you are an owner or operator. A permit is also needed when the gun is being transported. You can not posses a firearm on a public or private elementary or secondary school property. Possession of weapon on school grounds is considered a Class D Felony.
Public Act 13-3: An Act Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety:
Public Act 13-3 summarized includes the banning of more than 100 types of military-style rifles. The rifles that are banned feature characteristics such as a detachable magazine and a pistol grip. The AR-15 rifle is banned with this act. The age requirement to own a firearm switched from the original 18 years to 21 years old. A 10 bullet limit, included at shooting ranges and in homes, was placed on large-capacity magazines. Anyone who does not register their ammunition that holds more than 10 bullets by Jan. 1, 2014 can be liable for law infraction.
Finally the bill requires private gun sellers and buyers to cooperate with a licensed gun dealer. The buyer would need an eligibility permit and have issued to a criminal background check. For about $20 the licensed gun dealer would contact state police and see if the person was eligible.
If one has an assault weapon and it is not registered before Jan. 1, 2014, one will have two options: giving the gun to the authorities or to sell the gun to a federally licensed gun dealer.
Ineligibility:
If a person has been convicted of a Felony or Misdemeanor crime of domestic violence involving the use or intended use of physical force or a deadly weapon, he or she cannot own any fire arms in Connecticut.
The person can’t own a Pistol Permit, Eligibility Certificate, or any firearms if he or she is under 21 years of age and/or have been convicted of a felony or any of these misdemeanors:
Illegal possession of narcotics or other
Brittany Murphy can be contacted at bmurphy@ksc.keene.edu