On March 26, 2026 the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) sent a memorandum concerning the state’s new training requirements:

https://www.mass.gov/doc/basic-firearms-safety-course-information-for-law-enforcement/download

GOAL is recommending that any firearm license applicant that is being told anything that goes against this memo, including live fire, to print a copy of the memo and present it to the licensing officer. We also urge you to contact the State Police Firearms Compliance Unit at firearmscomplianceunit@pol.state.ma.us and inform them of any issues.

The key points in the memo:

• Suicide prevention and injury reduction education, laws governing use of force, and disengagement and conflict avoidance tactics materials have been provided to Firearms Instructors and are available to anyone wishing to update a BFS course.

• Mass State Police will have several courses approved by April 2, 2026 that meet the new requirements. The updated course list may be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/firearms-safetyinstructors-certification-program .

• For licensing purposes, please be advised that if an applicant completed a BFS course prior to April 2, 2026, their certificate of completion should be accepted and processed in the ordinary course, even if the application is submitted after April 2, 2026.

• Stated another way, the new course requirements are only applicable to applicants who take a BFS course after April 2, 2026.

• The content of live-firing training have not been finalized. Until regulations are promulgated and live fire is fully implemented, live fire does not need to be included in a BFS course.