Massachusetts residents must apply through the local licensing authority in the city or town where they live. Tyngsborough residents should apply through the Tyngsborough Police Department. Applications may be completed online through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal.
|People who live outside Massachusetts should see the nonresident licensing question below.
A first-time LTC or FID applicant must successfully complete a currently approved Massachusetts Basic Firearms Safety Course taught by a certified instructor. The required certificate must be submitted with the application.
Applicants should confirm that the course and instructor are currently approved before enrolling. Renewal applicants generally do not need to submit another Basic Firearms Safety Course certificate.
Create an account through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal, complete the application, and upload the required documents, including your Basic Firearms Safety Course certificate.
Tyngsborough applicants must then schedule an appointment with the Tyngsborough Police Department and submit the required payment. Your fingerprints and photo will be taken at this appointment.
Complete and submit your renewal application through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal. Renewal applicants must also complete the required affidavit concerning lost or stolen firearms.
Tyngsborough residents should follow the payment and document-submission instructions on the Renewal Applicants page.
Submit your renewal application before the expiration date shown on your current license.
When a renewal application is submitted before expiration, the existing LTC or FID generally remains valid for lawful purposes until the renewal is approved or denied. Massachusetts law also provides limited protection for certain licenses that have been expired for no more than 90 days, provided the license has not been suspended or revoked.
No. Tyngsborough renewal applicants do not ordinarily need an appointment. After submitting the application through MIRCS, follow the payment and document-submission instructions on the Renewal Applicants page.
The standard fee for an adult resident LTC or FID application or renewal is $100.
Renewal applicants over age 70 do not pay a renewal fee. An FID application for a person under age 18 costs $25. Different fees may apply to certain active or retired law-enforcement applicants.
Applicants who applied online may check their application status through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal.
Applicants may also call the Massachusetts Firearms License Application Status Hotline at (617) 660-4722. Have your full name, date of birth, and driver’s license number available.
You must report your new address electronically through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal within 30 days of moving. Your issuing authority will remain the same until the license expires.
No. You must apply for or renew a resident firearms license through the licensing authority in the Massachusetts city or town where you currently live.
A legal name change should be reported through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal. Supporting documentation may be required.
Contact the firearms licensing authority that issued your license as soon as possible and request instructions for obtaining a replacement.
Tyngsborough license holders should contact the Tyngsborough Police Department Firearms Licensing Office. Generally, there is no additional fee for a replacement license.
Report the loss or theft as soon as possible to the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the location where it occurred.
You must also report the firearm through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal within seven days. The electronic system provides notification to the appropriate licensing authorities. The report should include a complete description of the firearm, including its make, model, serial number, caliber, and whether it is a large-capacity firearm.
Generally, yes. Massachusetts requires the appropriate LTC or FID card to possess or carry firearms or ammunition unless a specific legal exemption applies.
The license required depends on the type of firearm and the activity involved.
An FID card generally provides more limited authority involving certain rifles, shotguns, and ammunition. An LTC provides broader authority, including authority involving handguns and certain other firearms, as well as those designated as large capacity.
The license needed depends on the type of firearm and the intended activity. Applicants with questions should contact the Firearms Licensing Office before applying.
Not unless that community is also your primary residence. A resident application must be submitted to the licensing authority in the city or town where the applicant lives. The law no longer allows application on the basis of business ownership.
The Tyngsborough Police Department processes firearms-license applications but cannot provide private legal advice about a particular firearm, magazine, configuration, or transaction.
Questions about a specific firearm or proposed transaction should be directed to the Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau, a licensed Massachusetts firearms dealer, or qualified legal counsel.
A firearm that is not being carried by or kept under the control of the owner or another lawful user must be secured in accordance with Massachusetts law.
This generally means placing it in a locked container or securing it with a properly engaged tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other qualifying safety device that renders the firearm inoperable to an unauthorized person.
Transportation requirements depend on the type of firearm and the license held.
A loaded firearm carried in a vehicle must remain under the direct control of the properly licensed person. A large-capacity rifle or shotgun must be unloaded and secured in a locked container. Any firearm left in the vehicle and no longer under the person’s direct control must be secured in accordance with Massachusetts storage law.A firearm that is not being carried by or kept under the control of the owner or another lawful user must be secured in accordance with Massachusetts law.
This generally means placing it in a locked container or securing it with a properly engaged tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other qualifying safety device that renders the firearm inoperable to an unauthorized person.
A large-capacity rifle or shotgun must be unloaded and secured in a locked container while transported in a vehicle.
More generally, a firearm that is not under the direct control of an authorized person must be secured in accordance with Massachusetts storage law.
A firearm left unattended in a vehicle is considered stored or kept and must be secured in accordance with Massachusetts law.
It must be placed in a qualifying locked container or secured with an appropriate locking device that renders it inoperable. A firearm should never be left loose, visible, or unsecured inside a vehicle.
A private firearm sale or transfer must be conducted and reported through the Massachusetts electronic firearms transaction system before or at the time of the transaction.
Both parties must hold the licenses or permits required for the particular firearm and satisfy all applicable transaction requirements. A pin number, assigned when the license is issued is usually required.A firearm left unattended in a vehicle is considered stored or kept and must be secured in accordance with Massachusetts law.
It must be placed in a qualifying locked container or secured with an appropriate locking device that renders it inoperable. A firearm should never be left loose, visible, or unsecured inside a vehicle.
Yes. A firearms-license PIN is required to purchase a firearm and to report a personal firearm sale or transfer through the Massachusetts Gun Transaction Portal.
You may retrieve your PIN through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal.
An heir or devisee who receives a firearm through the distribution of an estate generally has 60 days to register it through the Massachusetts electronic firearms registration system.
A Massachusetts resident who imports or otherwise acquires a firearm must register it through the Massachusetts electronic firearms registration system.
The deadline depends on how the firearm was acquired. For example, a new Massachusetts resident generally has 60 days to register a firearm brought into the Commonwealth. Other acquisitions may require registration at the time of acquisition or within a shorter period.
The Firearms Licensing Office may provide general procedural information but cannot provide private legal advice.
Questions involving a specific firearm or proposed transaction should be directed to the Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau, a licensed Massachusetts firearms dealer, or qualified legal counsel.
Nonresident firearms licenses are processed by the Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau, not by the Tyngsborough Police Department.
Nonresident applicants may apply through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal and should follow the instructions provided by the Firearms Records Bureau.
No. Massachusetts does not recognize firearms licenses issued by other states.
An out-of-state license does not, by itself, authorize a person to possess or carry a firearm in Massachusetts. A person who wishes to carry in Massachusetts may need a Massachusetts nonresident LTC unless a specific state or federal exemption applies.
The written denial should explain the reason for the decision and the applicant’s appeal rights.
Most licensing denials, suspensions, or revocations may be appealed to the appropriate District Court within the period permitted by law. The Firearm Licensing Review Board has limited authority to review certain disqualifying misdemeanor convictions and cannot review every type of denial, including an ordinary denial based on suitability.
No. The Tyngsborough Police Department can provide general information about the local application and renewal process, but it cannot provide legal advice or determine how the law applies to a person’s particular circumstances.
Additional information regarding Massachusetts firearms laws, firearms licensing, the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal, private firearms transactions, nonresident licensing, approved firearms safety courses, and other firearms-related services can be found on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Firearms Services website:
https://www.mass.gov/firearms-services
For questions about a Tyngsborough application, contact:
Tyngsborough Police Department Firearms Licensing Office
Email:
Phone:
For questions involving MIRCS, state firearms records, nonresident licensing, firearms transactions, or Massachusetts firearms laws, contact:
Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau
Phone: 617-660-4782
Email: FRB@Mass.gov
Additional information can also be found at: