CGS 29-37a:
Long Gun Sale, Delivery, and Transfer

Connecticut General Statutes Section 29-37a establishes the requirements for the sale, delivery, and transfer of long guns, which the section defines as firearms other than pistols or revolvers. Like the handgun transfer statute (CGS 29-33), this section requires an authorization number from the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), obtained by the person, firm or corporation selling, delivering or transferring the long gun, before a covered long gun transfer. Transfers exempt under subsection (e) do not require that number.^[1]

Eligibility Certificate Requirement

Effective April 1, 2014, no person may purchase or receive any long gun unless they hold one of the following:^[1]

• A valid Long Gun Eligibility Certificate issued under CGS 29-37p
• A valid State Pistol Permit issued under CGS 29-28(c)
• A valid Eligibility Certificate for a Pistol or Revolver issued under CGS 29-36f
• A valid Permit to Sell Firearms at Retail issued under CGS 29-28(b)

The credential requirement already covered private long gun transfers under the 2013 law. HB 6667 (2023) instead extended the under-21 restriction for semiautomatic centerfire rifles that have or accept magazines with a capacity exceeding five rounds to private transfers, effective October 1, 2023.^[2]

Authorization Number Process

Except for transfers exempt under subsection (e), no sale, delivery, or other transfer of a long gun may be made until the person, firm or corporation selling, delivering or transferring it completes a transfer document on a form prescribed and furnished by the Commissioner of DESPP and obtains an authorization number from the Commissioner. The Commissioner performs the national instant criminal background check and makes a reasonable effort to determine whether there is any reason that would prohibit the transferee from being eligible to receive the long gun. This process mirrors the handgun authorization number system under CGS 29-33.^[1]

Age Restrictions

Except as provided in subsection (b)(2), no person, firm, or corporation may sell, deliver, or otherwise transfer any long gun at retail to a person under 18 years of age. Additionally, as of October 1, 2023, no person, firm, or corporation may sell, deliver, or otherwise transfer a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has or accepts a magazine with a capacity exceeding five rounds to any person under 21 years of age. This rifle rule does not apply to a transfer to a member or employee of an organized local police department, DESPP or the Department of Correction, or a member of the military or naval forces of this state or of the United States, for use in the discharge of their duties.^[3]

Transfer Document

Before the sale, delivery, or other transfer of a long gun, the person, firm or corporation selling, delivering or transferring it must complete a transfer document on a form prescribed and furnished by the Commissioner of DESPP. The transfer document must contain the items listed below.^[1]

• Name and address of the transferor and transferee
• Firearm permit or certificate number of the transferee
• Firearm permit or certificate number of the transferor, if any
• Date of sale
• Caliber, make, model, and manufacturer's number of the long gun
• A general description of the long gun
• The authorization number provided by DESPP

Packaging and Condition Requirements

When any long gun is delivered in connection with a sale or purchase, it must be enclosed in a package with securely fastened paper or wrapping. The long gun must not be loaded or contain any gunpowder, explosive, bullet, ball, or shell at the time of delivery.^[1]

Record Retention

The person, firm or corporation selling, delivering or transferring the long gun must give one copy of the transfer document to the transferee and retain one copy for at least five years. If the transferor or transferee is a federally licensed firearms dealer, that dealer must retain the transfer document for at least twenty years or until it goes out of business. The transfer document must be available for inspection during normal business hours by law enforcement officials.^[1]

Penalties

Any person who violates any provision of CGS 29-37a is guilty of a class D felony. A person who sells, delivers, or otherwise transfers a long gun in violation of the statute, knowing that the long gun is stolen or that its manufacturer's number or other mark of identification has been altered, removed, or obliterated, is guilty of a class B felony. Persons who transfer long guns to ineligible persons, or who fail to obtain the required authorization number, face felony charges. Any long gun found in the possession of any person in violation of the statute is forfeited.^[1]

Key Differences From Handgun Transfers

While the long gun transfer process mirrors the handgun process under CGS 29-33, there are differences. A long gun delivered in connection with a sale or purchase must be enclosed in a package whose paper or wrapping is securely fastened, whereas CGS 29-33 has no packaging requirement for handguns. The minimum age for long gun purchases is generally 18 (compared to 21 for handguns), though the age rises to 21 for certain semiautomatic centerfire rifles. Both statutes require the transferor to retain a copy of the transfer document for at least five years and a federally licensed firearms dealer that is a party to the transfer to retain it for at least twenty years, and both use the same DESPP authorization number process.

See also: Universal Background Check Requirement