Open Carry Ban (HB 6667, 2023)

Effective October 1, 2023, Connecticut banned the open carry of firearms statewide through HB 6667 (Public Act 23-53). The law amended CGS 29-35 to add a new prohibition against knowingly carrying any firearm with intent to display it in public.^[1] Prior to this law, Connecticut permit holders could legally carry firearms openly.

What the Law Prohibits

Under the amended CGS 29-35(a)(2), no person may knowingly carry any firearm with intent to display such firearm in a public setting.^[2] The prohibition applies to all firearms -- not just pistols and revolvers -- and covers any intentional public display of a firearm outside the permitted exceptions.

Exceptions

The open carry ban includes several exceptions. A person may carry a firearm with intent to display it:^[2]

• Within the person's own dwelling house
• On land leased, owned, or otherwise possessed by the person
• Within the person's place of business
• While engaged in firearm training at a firing range, training facility, fish and game club or sporting club
• While engaged in bona fide hunting activity
• With the explicit permission of another person, while within that person's dwelling house, on land leased, owned or otherwise possessed by that person, or within that person's place of business

Accidental Exposure Safe Harbor

The statute includes a safe harbor provision for unintentional display. Neither a fleeting glimpse of a firearm nor an imprint of a firearm through a person's clothing (commonly called "printing") constitutes a violation of the open carry prohibition.^[2] A person who has taken reasonable measures to conceal a firearm is not deemed to be carrying it with intent to display it.

Penalties

Knowingly carrying a firearm with intent to display it in violation of CGS 29-35(a)(2) is:^[2]

• First offense: Class B misdemeanor (up to 6 months imprisonment, up to $1,000 fine)
• Subsequent offense. Class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days imprisonment, up to $2,000 fine)

These penalties are distinct from and less severe than the penalties for carrying without a permit entirely, which remains a Class D felony under CGS 29-35(a)(1).

Legal Challenges

On March 2, 2026, U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall dismissed We the Patriots, Inc. v. Doyle, a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Connecticut's open carry ban under the Second Amendment.^[4] The court dismissed the handgun purchase-limit claims for lack of standing and found that only Mr. Tischer had standing to challenge the open carry provision. Judge Hall also found that the open carry statute was "within historical tradition and recent precedent" under the framework established by the Supreme Court in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022).^[5]

The same lawsuit also challenged Connecticut's bulk handgun purchase limit (CGS 29-33(f)), which was likewise dismissed. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement praising the ruling, calling Connecticut's gun safety laws "commonsense" and "lawful, necessary and lifesaving."^[4]

Legislative Context

The open carry ban was part of the broader HB 6667 omnibus gun reform legislation signed by Governor Lamont on June 6, 2023. The bill also expanded the assault weapons ban, limited bulk handgun purchases, strengthened safe storage requirements, and expanded ghost gun registration requirements.^[3]