Massachusetts Resident Firearm Owners

Massachusetts residents are subject to an extensive system of firearm licensing, possession, storage, transportation, registration, serialization and firearm-classification laws.

A resident should not assume that possession of an LTC or FID answers every firearm-law question.

Primary Massachusetts Sources

• M.G.L. c. 140, §121 — firearm definitions.
• M.G.L. c. 140, §121B — registration.
• M.G.L. c. 140, §121C — serialization.
• M.G.L. c. 140, §129B — Firearm Identification Card.
• M.G.L. c. 140, §129C — exemptions.
• M.G.L. c. 140, §131 — License to Carry.
• M.G.L. c. 140, §131C — vehicle possession and transportation.
• M.G.L. c. 140, §131L — safe storage.
• M.G.L. c. 140, §131M — assault-style firearms and large-capacity feeding devices.
• Mass.gov — Firearms Services
• 501 CMR 19.00 — firearm registration regulations.
• 501 CMR 20.00 — serialization regulations.

  1. Firearm Licensing

  Massachusetts requires a resident to possess an appropriate firearm license unless a statutory exemption applies.

  License to Carry — LTC
  
  Provides broader firearm authority, including authority concerning firearms that an FID does not generally cover.

  Firearm Identification Card — FID
  
  Provides more limited firearm authority and is subject to significant restrictions involving semiautomatic and large-capacity firearms.

  Current Massachusetts law provides that qualifying residents 18 or older may apply for an FID, while applicants ages 15–17 may apply with the required parental or guardian permission and subject to the statutory requirements.

  2. License to Carry — LTC

  An LTC provides broader authority than an FID but does not create a blanket exemption from Massachusetts firearm restrictions.

  An LTC holder must still separately determine whether:

  • the firearm is an assault-style firearm;
  • the firearm is large-capacity;
  • a feeding device is lawful;
  • registration is required;
  • serialization is required;
  • storage requirements are satisfied;
  • transportation requirements are satisfied; and
  • the firearm is lawful for the intended activity.

  3. Firearm Identification Card — FID

  FID HOLDERS SHOULD NOT RELY ON PRE-CHAPTER 135 ASSUMPTIONS.

  Current Massachusetts law significantly limits the firearms an FID holder may possess.

  FID covers rifles and shotguns that are not large-capacity or semi-automatic, with an exception for being under the supervision of an LTC holder. There is also a transitional possession grandfather for firearms an existing FID holder is authorized to possess when the card was issued, until the card expires, is suspended, or is revoked.

  Residents with an FID should review M.G.L. c. 140, §129B before acquiring, possessing, carrying or transferring a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun.

  4. Age Matters

  Massachusetts firearm licensing and possession rules can vary substantially according to age.

  Ages 15–17
  
  An FID application may be available subject to statutory requirements and parental or guardian permission.

  Ages 18–20
  
  Residents in this age group can face significant restrictions because ordinary LTC eligibility and FID firearm authority differ.

  Age 21+
  
  A qualifying resident may seek an LTC, subject to the applicable statutory standards.

  5. Semiautomatic Firearms

  Semiautomatic status is an independent classification issue.

  A firearm can be:

  • semiautomatic;
  • large-capacity;
  • assault-style; or
  • more than one of those at the same time.
  Do not use the terms semiautomatic, large-capacity and assault-style as if they mean the same thing.

  6. Assault-Style Firearms

  MASSACHUSETTS SEPARATELY RESTRICTS ASSAULT-STYLE FIREARMS.

  M.G.L. c. 140, §131M prohibits possession, ownership, sale, transfer and importation of assault-style firearms except where a statutory exception applies.

  One statutory exception concerns qualifying assault-style firearms lawfully possessed in Massachusetts on August 1, 2024 by an LTC holder or licensed dealer, provided the firearm satisfies the applicable registration and serialization requirements.

  Classification can involve:

  • enumerated firearm families;
  • copies or duplicates;
  • feature tests;
  • receiver or component issues;
  • semiautomatic operation;
  • feeding-device capability; and
  • statutory exclusions.

  7. Large-Capacity Firearms

  Massachusetts separately defines large-capacity firearm.

  Large-capacity status can affect licensing, transportation, possession and associated feeding-device requirements.

  DO NOT ASSUME AN LTC ELIMINATES ALL LARGE-CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS.

  8. Feeding Devices and Magazines

  Massachusetts separately regulates large-capacity feeding devices.

  Section 131M provides a limited exception for qualifying large-capacity feeding devices lawfully possessed on September 13, 1994, but restricts the locations and travel circumstances in which they may be possessed.

  Authorized travel under that provision requires the device to be:

  • unloaded; and
  • secured in a locked container.

  9. Firearm Registration

  Massachusetts firearm registration is governed primarily by M.G.L. c. 140, §121B and 501 CMR 19.00.

  REGISTRATION AND LAWFUL POSSESSION ARE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.

  The ability to register a firearm does not independently establish that:

  • the resident's license authorizes possession;
  • the firearm is not assault-style;
  • the firearm is not large-capacity;
  • the associated feeding device is lawful; or
  • the firearm satisfies serialization requirements.
  Current implementation date: Massachusetts currently states that individuals must begin complying with the firearm registration and serialization requirements on October 28, 2026. The MIRCS Unified Gun Portal is already live.

  10. Firearms Purchased From a Massachusetts Dealer

  Current state guidance says a resident purchasing a firearm from a Massachusetts firearm dealer does not separately register that dealer purchase because the dealer records the transaction.

  Previously registered firearms also do not need to be registered again solely because the new system is operational.

  11. Serialization

  Massachusetts serialization is governed primarily by:

  • M.G.L. c. 140, §121C; and
  • 501 CMR 20.00.

  Section 121C requires firearms subject to the law to bear a qualifying serial number and establishes specific requirements for privately made firearms and untraceable firearms.

  REGISTRATION DOES NOT REPLACE SERIALIZATION.

  A firearm may have to satisfy both requirements.

  12. Privately Made Firearms

  A resident manufacturing or assembling a privately made firearm must separately analyze:

  • serial-number requirements;
  • registration requirements;
  • the legality of the firearm's configuration;
  • assault-style firearm restrictions;
  • large-capacity rules; and
  • applicable state and federal law.

  Section 121C requires a person manufacturing or assembling a privately made firearm to obtain a unique serial number before manufacture or assembly, apply it during manufacture or assembly, and register the firearm within seven days.

  13. Frames and Receivers

  Massachusetts' firearm definition reaches qualifying frames and receivers.

  A frame or receiver can therefore create issues involving:

  • licensing;
  • registration;
  • serialization;
  • transfer;
  • manufacturing or assembly; and
  • the ultimate firearm configuration.

  14. Unfinished Frames and Receivers

  DO NOT ASSUME AN INCOMPLETE COMPONENT IS OUTSIDE MASSACHUSETTS FIREARM LAW.

  Massachusetts separately defines certain unfinished frames and receivers.

  Marketing terms such as "80 percent," "blank," "kit" or "unfinished receiver" should not be used as the sole basis for determining Massachusetts legal status.

  15. Safe Storage

  M.G.L. c. 140, §131L requires a firearm that is stored or kept to be:

  • secured in a locked container; or
  • equipped with a qualifying tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device that renders the firearm inoperable by anyone other than the owner or another lawfully authorized user.

  The statute states that a firearm is not considered stored or kept when it is carried by or under the control of the owner or another lawfully authorized user.

  STORAGE VIOLATIONS CAN CARRY SERIOUS CRIMINAL PENALTIES.

  16. Firearms in Vehicles

  Massachusetts vehicle rules depend on firearm type, loaded status and license or exemption.

  Section 131C provides that a loaded firearm carried in a vehicle under specified licensing or exemption authority must remain under the person's direct control.

  A large-capacity rifle or shotgun transported under the applicable authority must be unloaded and secured in a locked container.

  17. Carrying Firearms

  The authority to possess a firearm at home should not automatically be treated as authority to carry it in public.

  Carry can involve additional questions concerning:

  • license type;
  • loaded status;
  • firearm type;
  • large-capacity status;
  • feeding devices;
  • vehicle possession;
  • restricted locations; and
  • other Massachusetts laws.

  18. Restricted Locations

  Massachusetts law restricts firearm possession in certain locations and circumstances.

  Residents should separately review current law before carrying or possessing a firearm at or near:

  • schools and educational facilities;
  • courthouses and government facilities;
  • polling places and election-related locations;
  • private property where firearm possession is restricted;
  • airports and secured transportation areas; and
  • other statutorily restricted locations.

  19. Ammunition and Components

  Massachusetts defines ammunition broadly.

  The statutory definition can include:

  • complete cartridges;
  • cartridge cases;
  • primers or igniters;
  • bullets;
  • propellant powder designed for firearm use; and
  • certain other ammunition-related items.
  RELOADING COMPONENTS CAN THEMSELVES FALL WITHIN THE MASSACHUSETTS DEFINITION OF AMMUNITION.

  20. Muzzleloaders

  Not every muzzleloader is automatically treated as an antique firearm under Massachusetts law.

  Classification can depend on whether the muzzleloader:

  • can use fixed ammunition;
  • incorporates a firearm frame or receiver;
  • was converted from another firearm; or
  • can readily be converted to fire fixed ammunition.

  Hunting regulations must be reviewed separately.

  21. Hunting

  A Massachusetts hunting license does not replace firearm licensing requirements.

  A resident hunter should separately determine:

  • whether the firearm is lawful to possess;
  • whether the person's LTC or FID authorizes it;
  • whether the firearm is semiautomatic;
  • whether the firearm is large-capacity;
  • whether it is assault-style;
  • whether the feeding device is lawful;
  • whether registration and serialization requirements are satisfied; and
  • whether the firearm is permitted for the particular hunting season and species.

  22. Private Sales and Transfers

  Massachusetts regulates private firearm transactions separately from dealer sales.

  Residents involved in a private transfer should determine:

  • whether both parties have the necessary firearm authority;
  • whether the firearm may lawfully be transferred;
  • whether the electronic transaction system must be used;
  • whether registration information must be updated;
  • whether serialization requirements are satisfied; and
  • whether federal law also applies.

  23. Lost or Stolen Firearms

  Current state guidance requires Massachusetts residents to report lost or stolen firearms to:

  • the local licensing authority; and
  • DCJIS through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal

  within seven days of the loss or theft.

  24. Moving Within Massachusetts

  Residents who move should ensure that applicable firearm-license records and other required information are updated as required by current Massachusetts law.

  A change of residence does not eliminate firearm storage, registration, serialization or possession requirements.

  25. Moving Into Massachusetts

  A person becoming a Massachusetts resident should immediately review firearm licensing, registration, serialization and firearm classification.

  Section 121C provides a 60-day serialization period for qualifying lawfully owned firearms imported by new residents when serialization is required.

  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL AFTER MOVING TO DETERMINE WHETHER A FIREARM OR FEEDING DEVICE MAY LAWFULLY BE BROUGHT INTO MASSACHUSETTS.

  26. Before Acquiring or Possessing a Firearm

  1. Identify Your License
  
  LTC, FID or applicable statutory exemption.

  2. Identify the Firearm
  
  Handgun, rifle, shotgun, frame, receiver, muzzleloader or other item.

  3. Check Semiautomatic Status
  
  Semiautomatic status can affect licensing and classification.

  4. Check Large-Capacity Status
  
  Review the firearm and feeding device separately.

  5. Check Assault-Style Status
  
  Review §121 and §131M before relying on possession.

  6. Check Registration
  
  Determine whether §121B and 501 CMR 19 apply.

  7. Check Serialization
  
  Determine whether §121C and 501 CMR 20 apply.

  8. Check Storage & Transport
  
  Review §§131C and 131L before traveling with or storing the firearm.

  27. GOAL Guidance for Massachusetts Residents

  GOAL INFORMATION
  
  Massachusetts firearm owners should treat firearm compliance as a series of separate legal questions rather than relying on a single license, registration entry or state-system response.
  
  Before possessing, acquiring, carrying, transporting or transferring a firearm, determine:

  • what firearm or regulated item you have;
  • what firearm license or exemption applies;
  • whether the firearm is semiautomatic;
  • whether it is large-capacity;
  • whether it is an assault-style firearm;
  • whether the associated feeding device is lawful;
  • whether registration is required;
  • whether serialization is required;
  • whether storage and transportation requirements are satisfied; and
  • whether additional activity-specific laws apply.

  No single Massachusetts firearm credential or database entry should be treated as answering all of these questions.