Massachusetts Dealer License Requirements

Operating as a firearms dealer in Massachusetts requires compliance with both state and federal licensing requirements. Massachusetts imposes additional restrictions beyond the federal FFL framework. Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024^[1] amended several provisions affecting dealer operations.

State Dealer License

Under current MGL Chapter 140, Section 122^[2], the local licensing authority may grant or renew a license to sell, rent, lease, purchase, or otherwise transfer firearms and ammunition, or to operate as a gunsmith. The applicant must be at least 21, must be neither prohibited nor unsuitable under Section 121F, and must complete the Section 125 online dealer training.

Current State License

• Section 122 provides a local license for firearm and ammunition sales, rentals, leases, purchases, transfers, and gunsmith work.
• The license covers only the business location stated on it and does not itself authorize possession or carry outside the licensed premises.

Federal Requirements

Federal law separately requires a person engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms to obtain the appropriate federal license.^[3] The application must be filed with the required fee, and the federal license does not replace the Massachusetts dealer license.

Business Premises

The licensed premises may not be a residential dwelling under Section 123(b). Transactions must be conducted at the licensed non-residential business premises except that Section 123(j) allows a licensee to sell or transfer firearms and ammunition at a regular meeting of an incorporated collectors club or a gun show open to the public while complying with the section and federal and state law. Dealer records must remain at the licensed business premises. Under Section 123(n), the local licensing authority must inspect the licensee's records and inventory at least once per calendar year.

Record-Keeping

Massachusetts dealers must make and keep an on-site or electronic record of all firearm transactions with the detailed fields required by Section 123(h). Reportable firearm transactions must also be submitted through the real-time electronic firearms registration system under Section 121B. Section 121B exempts a loan of less than 7 days to a duly licensed or exempted person from transaction reporting.

Current Item and Transaction Rules

Section 131M prohibits covered sales and transfers of assault-style firearms and large-capacity feeding devices, subject to its stated exceptions. Section 121C prohibits knowing possession, manufacture, assembly, import, sale, or transfer of an untraceable firearm. Dealers must also satisfy the recordkeeping, registration, and transaction duties that apply to their licenses.