Massachusetts offers no general carry reciprocity and does not honor another state's license or permit for carrying a handgun. For non-residents who are at least 18 years old, Section 129C recognizes a home-state permit, card, or license whose requirements the Colonel of State Police has determined to be substantially similar to a Massachusetts firearm identification card, allowing a non-resident to possess rifles and shotguns that are not large capacity or semi-automatic. Section 129C also allows a non-resident who is at least 18 years old to possess those rifles and shotguns to hunt during hunting season with a nonresident hunting license or with a hunting license or permit from their state of residence whose requirements the Colonel has determined to be substantially similar to those of Massachusetts, while on a firing or shooting range, while traveling in or through the commonwealth with the firearms unloaded and in a locked container, or while at a firearm showing or display organized by a regularly existing gun collectors' club or association. A non-resident may also carry a firearm on their person while in a vehicle lawfully traveling through the commonwealth, provided that the firearm remains in the vehicle and, if it is outside its owner's direct control, is stored in the vehicle in accordance with Section 131C. To carry a handgun outside that vehicle exemption, or to possess firearms beyond those limited exemptions, non-residents must obtain a temporary license issued by the Colonel of State Police or an authorized designee under MGL Chapter 140, Section 131F[1].
Eligibility
Non-residents must satisfy the Section 131F eligibility and suitability standard. Section 131F does not require a home-state firearms license. The current FRB application asks whether the applicant has ever held a firearms license in any other state, territory or jurisdiction and, if so, which states. Applicants should follow the current FRB form instructions.
Application Process
- Submit a completed non-resident application form to the FRB[2], online through the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal or by mail
- If you are a first-time applicant, include a copy of a Massachusetts Basic Firearms Safety Course certificate, unless you held a Massachusetts resident or non-resident LTC on or after June 1, 1998
- State on the application any firearms license you have held in another state, territory or jurisdiction
- Include a valid residential address. A P.O. box is accepted only as a mailing address
- Pay the $100 application fee
- Undergo a state and federal background check, a fingerprint based background check, and a check with the Department of Mental Health
Duration and Renewal
The non-resident temporary LTC is generally valid for one year from the date of issue. However, a non-resident employed by a bank, public utility corporation, a firm engaged in the business of transferring monies or a business of similar nature, or a licensed private detective firm, whose application is endorsed by the employer, or a member of the armed services stationed in Massachusetts who has the written consent of the commanding officer, may receive a license for any term not to exceed two years. The colonel may renew the license if the renewal is necessary.
Limitations
The non-resident temporary LTC may not be used to purchase firearms in the Commonwealth, it is generally valid for one year rather than up to six years for a resident LTC, and it permits carrying a large-capacity firearm only if that entitlement is clearly indicated on the license itself.
Constitutional Challenge Resolved: Donnell/Marquis
The constitutionality of the non-resident licensing framework was challenged in two related cases, Commonwealth v. Donnell and Commonwealth v. Marquis, which reached the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
On March 11, 2025, the SJC issued its rulings in both cases.[3] In Commonwealth v. Donnell, the SJC held that the pre-Bruen "may issue" non-resident licensing scheme was facially unconstitutional. In Commonwealth v. Rodriguez (September 30, 2025), the SJC said that the Donnell conclusion did not take into account the proviso that no license shall be issued to a person convicted of a felony or a violent crime, and abrogated Donnell to the extent that this omission is called into question. In Commonwealth v. Marquis (SJC-13562), the SJC reversed the trial court, holding that the current "shall issue" non-resident licensing framework, enacted by St. 2022, c. 175, is facially consistent with the Second Amendment.
Marquis petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for certiorari (Docket No. 25-5280) in July 2025, and New Hampshire and 24 other states filed an amicus brief in support of the petition. In January 2026, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.[4]
The legislature replaced the pre-Bruen "may issue" system with the current "shall issue" framework in St. 2022, c. 175, effective August 10, 2022. The Supreme Judicial Court held that framework facially valid in Marquis, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied review on January 12, 2026.
See also: Analysis: Impact of Bruen on Massachusetts Firearms Licensing