Transporting Firearms in Massachusetts:
Legal Requirements

Transporting firearms in Massachusetts requires compliance with both state law and practical considerations. The rules differ depending on your license type and whether you are traveling within the state or passing through.

LTC Holders

An LTC holder carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle must keep it under the holder's direct control.^[1] Section 131C does not define a bright-line distance for direct control. A violation of subsection (a) carries a $500 fine; after a conviction under Section 131C, the licensing authority must revoke the person's card or license, and no new card or license may issue until one year after revocation. A firearm outside an authorized person's control must also comply with the applicable storage rules.

FID Holders

Under Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024^[2], an FID covers only non-large-capacity, nonsemiautomatic rifles and shotguns. Chapter 131, Section 63 requires rifles and shotguns in a motor vehicle to be unloaded, subject to its exceptions.^[4] On a public way, Chapter 269, Section 12D generally requires an unloaded rifle or shotgun carried on the person to be enclosed in a case.^[5] Section 131L separately governs storage when a firearm is not under an authorized person's direct control. A locked-trunk rule does not apply to every FID firearm. Ordinary Massachusetts possession of a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun requires an LTC, while 18 U.S.C. Section 926A may protect qualifying interstate transport between places where possession and carry are lawful.

Prohibited Areas (New Under Chapter 135)

Chapter 135 added Section 10(k) to Chapter 269. Its prohibited areas include the listed government administrative, judicial, and correctional buildings together with their grounds and parking areas. During voting and tabulation periods, the rule also covers ballot-storage or tabulation locations and points within 150 feet of an open polling-place or early-voting entrance. State-owned public land open for hunting is excluded. The statute provides a vehicle-storage defense for qualifying licensees and allows municipalities to opt their administrative buildings out.

Federal Protections (FOPA)

FOPA's safe-passage provision, 18 USC 926A^[3], provides a federal safe harbor for persons traveling through Massachusetts with firearms that are legal at both the origin and destination. The firearm must be unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition may be readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment. In a vehicle with no separate trunk, both must be in a locked container that is not the glove compartment or console. Travelers should not make unnecessary stops in Massachusetts beyond fuel and emergencies.

Transporting to a Range or Hunting

When transporting firearms to a shooting range or for hunting purposes, the same rules apply based on your license type. LTC holders have the most flexibility. FID holders should ensure their non-semiautomatic rifles and shotguns are unloaded and properly cased.

Airport Travel

At Logan Airport, 740 CMR 30.04^[6] requires an ordinary passenger carrying a firearm under Massachusetts law to keep it unloaded and in a locked gun case while on airport property and to deliver it promptly to the airline agent for transport in the aircraft hold. Ammunition must be stored separately. TSA separately requires unloaded firearms in a locked hard-sided container as checked baggage and declaration to the airline at the ticket counter. Check the airline's current requirements before travel.

See also: Vehicle Carry in Massachusetts: Passengers, Storage, and Rideshare