Bulk Handgun Purchase Limit:
Three Per 30 Days

Effective October 1, 2023, Connecticut law bars the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection from issuing more than three authorization numbers for sale at retail of a pistol or revolver to any transferee within a thirty-day period. This restriction was enacted as part of HB 6667 (Public Act 23-53) and is codified at CGS 29-33(f). The provision targets bulk purchasing patterns associated with firearms trafficking and straw purchases.^[1]

How the Limit Works

The bulk purchase restriction is enforced through the DESPP authorization number system. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) will not issue more than three authorization numbers for sale at retail of a pistol or revolver to any transferee within a 30-day period. Because no sale, delivery or other transfer of a pistol or revolver may be made until the transferor obtains an authorization number, except for antique pistols or revolvers as defined in CGS 29-33(g) and transfers between federally licensed manufacturers, importers and dealers under CGS 29-33(h), this mechanism enforces the purchase limit.^[2]

Exception for Firearms Instructors

Firearms instructors certified by the state under CGS 29-28 or by the NRA may purchase up to six handguns at retail within a 30-day period.^[2]

Additional Exemptions

The bulk purchase limit does not apply to:^[2]

• Firearms transferred to a federal, state or municipal law enforcement agency, or legally transferred under CGS 29-36k
• An exchange for another handgun does not count if it is made with the same federally licensed dealer within 30 days of the original purchase and the dealer reports it to DESPP.
• Transfers to a museum at a fixed location that is open to the public and displays firearms as part of an educational mission
• Firearms transferred by bequest or intestate succession, or, upon the death of a testator or settlor, to a trust or from a trust to a beneficiary (since October 1, 2025)
• Firearms transferred to a defense contractor, manufacturer of nuclear-powered submarines, aerospace company or nuclear power generating facility under an agreement with a federal agency or applicable federal regulations to train armed security force personnel or provide or maintain an armed security force (since October 1, 2025)

Long Guns Not Affected

The bulk purchase restriction applies only to handguns (pistols and revolvers). Connecticut imposes no restrictions on the number of long guns that may be purchased within any time period.^[2]

Legal Challenges

On March 2, 2026, U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall dismissed We the Patriots, Inc. v. Doyle, a federal lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the bulk handgun purchase limit alongside Connecticut's open carry ban.^[4] The court found the challenge to the bulk purchase limit lacking on standing grounds and dismissed it. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised the ruling and said that Connecticut's gun safety laws are lawful, necessary and lifesaving.^[5]

Legislative Purpose

Connecticut's limit was enacted due to specific concerns from the Legislature about firearm trafficking and straw purchases. Testimony provides support that the law is intended to curtail an illegal gun market.^[3]

What This Means for Gun Owners

Lawful purchasers who wish to buy more than three handguns at retail must space those purchases so that DESPP issues no more than three authorization numbers to them within any 30-day period. The limit counts the authorization numbers DESPP issues to each transferee, so retail purchases from different dealers count toward the same limit. Persons who attempt to exceed the limit will be denied an authorization number.

See also: Open Carry Ban (HB 6667, 2023)