State Gun Laws

Massachusetts state law says that you can only get a license to have or buy a gun if:

• you have not been convicted of a felony;
• you have not been convicted of a misdemeanor punishable by more than two years of imprisonment;
• you have not been convicted of a violent crime; and
• you have not been convicted of any weapons or drug-related offenses;
• you are not a fugitive from justice; and
• you are not subject to an outstanding arrest warrant.¹

The conviction preventing a person from getting a firearm license could have happened in Massachusetts state court, in any other state’s court, or in federal court.²

Federal laws, which apply to all states, also restrict a person’s right to have a gun if s/he has been convicted of certain crimes. Go to Federal Gun Laws to get more information.

¹ Mass. Gen. Laws 140 § 131(d)(i)
² Mass. Gen. Laws 140 § 131(d)(ii)