Connecticut Concealed Carry Law

Connecticut law generally requires a permit issued under CGS 29-28 to carry a pistol or revolver on the person, subject to the exceptions in CGS 29-35.^[1] Carrying a pistol or revolver without a permit is prohibited under CGS 29-35, with limited exceptions for carrying within one's own dwelling, on land owned or leased by the carrier, or within the carrier's place of business.^[2]

May-Issue Framework

Connecticut is classified as a may-issue state, meaning the issuing authority has discretion to deny a permit based on a "suitability" determination. In its 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the U.S. Supreme Court held that when the Second Amendment's plain text covers an individual's conduct, the government must justify a firearm regulation by demonstrating consistency with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation.^[7]

Two-Step Permit Process

Connecticut residents generally use a two-step pistol permit application process. If the local authority neither issues a temporary permit nor expressly denies the application, applicants who filed on or after April 1, 2024 may submit an affidavit to DESPP after 16 weeks. During the emergency declarations specified in CGS 29-28a(b)(2), the wait is 32 weeks.^[4]

• Step 1 -- Local Temporary Permit: The applicant submits an application to the local chief of police or, where there is no chief of police, the municipal chief executive officer or a resident state trooper or state police officer designated by that officer. Where an eligible tribal police department accepts applications under CGS 29-28(c), the applicant applies to its chief of police. The local authority conducts a background investigation, collects fingerprints and photographs, and ordinarily approves or denies a temporary permit within 8 weeks after a sufficient application. If national criminal history results have not been received within 8 weeks after a sufficient application, the authority must notify the applicant of the delay in writing and decide within one week after receiving the results.
• Step 2 -- State Permanent Permit: Within 60 days of receiving the temporary permit, the applicant must appear at a location designated by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) commissioner to receive the full State of Connecticut Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers. The state permit is valid for 5 years.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following criteria and the other requirements of CGS 29-28(c).^[5]

• Must be at least 21 years old
• Must be a legal resident of the United States
• Must not have been convicted of a felony or have another conviction that prohibits firearm possession under federal law
• Must not have been convicted of the specified Connecticut misdemeanors or qualifying out-of-jurisdiction misdemeanors during the preceding eight years, a misdemeanor violation of CGS 21a-279 on or after October 1, 2015, or a Connecticut misdemeanor designated as a family violence crime under CGS 46b-38h
• Must not be subject to a court-issued protective or restraining order in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person, including a qualifying ex parte order
• Must not have been confined to a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities by probate court order within the preceding 60 months, or voluntarily admitted on or after October 1, 2013 or committed under an emergency certificate on or after October 1, 2023 to such a hospital within the preceding 6 months for psychiatric care and treatment other than solely for alcohol or drug dependence
• For applications filed on or after July 1, 2024, must successfully complete, not earlier than two years before applying, a DESPP-approved firearms safety course, such as an approved NRA Basic Pistol Course. The course must be conducted by an NRA-certified or state-certified instructor and include instruction in state law requirements for safe storage in the home and in vehicles, lawful use of firearms and lawful carrying of firearms in public.

Carry Requirements

Permit holders must carry the permit on their person at all times while carrying a pistol or revolver. The permit must be presented upon the request of a law enforcement officer who has reasonable suspicion of a crime, provided the holder is carrying a pistol or revolver that is observed by the officer.^[2]

Fees

The statutory permit fee is $140 total ($70 retained by the local authority plus $70 forwarded to the state), plus funds for the national criminal history records check. Permit renewal costs $70, and DESPP allows a 90-day grace period after the permit's 5-year expiration for renewal. CGS 29-30(f) does not extend the validity of permits that have been revoked or have revocation pending.^[6]

Reciprocity

Connecticut does not honor concealed carry permits from any other state. Non-residents must obtain a Connecticut Non-Resident Pistol Permit to carry a pistol or revolver in the state unless a statutory exception under CGS 29-35 applies. Texas recognizes valid Connecticut handgun licenses for carry in Texas, and North Carolina recognizes valid concealed handgun permits issued by other states.^[3]

Federal Litigation

In Wolford v. Lopez, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on January 20, 2026 on the question of whether Hawaii's requirement that licensed carry holders obtain express advance permission from property owners before carrying on private property open to the public is constitutional under the Second Amendment. On June 25, 2026, the Court held that Hawaii's requirement violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments and reversed and remanded the case. A Connecticut pistol permit does not authorize possession or carry on premises where the owner or person exercising control prohibits it.

See also: How to Apply for a Connecticut State Pistol Permit