Connecticut generally requires a State Pistol Permit to carry a concealed pistol or revolver outside one's dwelling house, land one leases or owns, or place of business. For Connecticut residents, the permit is governed by CGS 29-28 and is issued through a two-step process involving both local and state authorities.[1] The local issuing authority must find that the applicant intends lawful use of the pistol or revolver and is a suitable person to receive the permit.[2]
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for a Connecticut State Pistol Permit, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:[3]
- Be at least 21 years old
- Be a legal resident of the United States
- Have no felony convictions
- Have no disqualifying misdemeanor convictions, including a violation of CGS 21a-279 on or after October 1, 2015, a violation of CGS 53a-58, 53a-61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a-63, 53a-96, 53a-175, 53a-176, 53a-178 or 53a-181d during the preceding eight years, or a Connecticut misdemeanor designated as a family violence crime under CGS 46b-38h
- 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 an ex parte order
- Not have been confined in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities by probate court order within the preceding 60 months, or voluntarily admitted there on or after October 1, 2013, or committed there under an emergency certificate on or after October 1, 2023, within the preceding six months for psychiatric care and treatment other than solely for alcohol or drug dependence
- Not be subject to a firearms seizure order issued before June 1, 2022, after notice and hearing, or a risk protection order or risk protection investigation order issued on or after June 1, 2022, under CGS 29-38c
- Not be an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States
Out-of-state misdemeanor convictions: Effective October 1, 2025, Public Act 25-43 (HB 7042) expanded the disqualifying misdemeanor provisions to include convictions from other states and jurisdictions.[8] A misdemeanor conviction in another state, a federal, tribal or military court, or a foreign jurisdiction bars issuance if a reasonable reviewer would believe it constitutes violence causing physical injury, conduct with extreme indifference to human life creating a risk of serious physical injury, criminal negligence causing death other than by motor vehicle, threats or a course of conduct causing reasonable fear for personal safety, engaging in or inciting a riot, or possession of a controlled or hallucinogenic substance other than less than four ounces of cannabis, less than one-half ounce of psilocybin or nicotine. The lookback period for these out-of-state misdemeanor convictions is eight years. Applicants with misdemeanor convictions from any jurisdiction should review their eligibility carefully or consult a licensed attorney before applying.
Required Firearms Safety Course
For applications filed on or after July 1, 2024, applicants must complete a DESPP-approved firearms safety course within the two years before applying, taught by an instructor certified by the NRA or the state. DESPP requires the course to meet or exceed the NRA's Basic Pistol Course. The statute does not require additional training for anyone who held a valid pistol permit on July 1, 2024.[3] The course must include live-fire instruction using actual pistols or revolvers. As updated by HB 6667 (2023), the training must also cover safe storage in the home and vehicle, lawful use of firearms, and lawful carrying in public.[4]
Step 1: Apply at Your Local Police Department
Residents must submit form DPS-799-C to the police chief or, where there is none, the municipal chief executive officer or a resident state trooper or state police officer designated by that official. Residents within the jurisdiction of a federally recognized tribe must apply to its police chief if its law enforcement unit accepts temporary permit applications.[5] The application requires:
- Completed DPS-799-C application form
- Proof of citizenship or legal residency (birth certificate or U.S. passport)
- Government-issued photo identification (driver's license)
- Fingerprints and photographs
- Proof of completed firearms safety course
- Application fee of $70.00 (payable to the local municipality)
The local issuing authority conducts a background investigation and forwards fingerprints and other identifying information to the State Police Bureau of Identification within five business days after fingerprinting for the required state and national criminal history records checks. The local issuing authority must notify the applicant of approval or denial within eight weeks after a sufficient application, subject to the statutory provision for delayed national criminal history check results.[1] If the national criminal history check results have not arrived within eight weeks after a sufficient application, the local issuing authority must notify the applicant of the delay in writing.
Step 2: Apply for the State Permit Through DESPP
If the local authority approves the application, the applicant receives a Temporary State Permit valid for 60 days. Within those 60 days, the applicant must appear at a location designated by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) to receive the State of Connecticut Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers. DPS-46 is the state permit application form available at the pistol permit locations listed in the DPS-769-C instruction sheet.[2]
The SLFU office is located at 1111 Country Club Rd, Middletown, CT 06457. When visiting SLFU, bring the temporary permit, a completed DPS-46-C application, proof of lawful presence in the United States, valid state-issued photo identification, and the $70 state application fee payable to the Treasurer, State of Connecticut.[3]
Troop E office closure: The DESPP Troop E pistol permit office has been closed until further notice since August 1, 2025. Applicants in eastern Connecticut who would normally visit Troop E should instead apply at the DESPP headquarters in Middletown or the Troop G location in Bridgeport. Contact SLFU at (860) 685-8290 for current office availability and scheduling.[2]
Permit Duration and Cost
An original State Pistol Permit expires five years after its effective date. A renewal expires five years after the expiration date of the permit being renewed.[6] The statutory fee for an initial permit is $140, consisting of the $70 local portion and the $70 state portion, plus sufficient funds to cover the FBI national criminal history records check. DESPP lists a $75 state criminal history record search fee and a $12 FBI fingerprinting fee, in addition to the $140 permit fee.
What the Permit Authorizes
The State Pistol Permit authorizes the holder to carry concealed pistols and revolvers throughout Connecticut, except on premises where carrying is prohibited by law or by the person who owns or exercises control over the premises. Since October 1, 2023, Connecticut law has generally prohibited knowingly carrying a firearm with intent to display it. Exceptions include carrying within one's dwelling or business or on land one leases, owns or otherwise possesses, carrying with intent to display a firearm within another person's dwelling house or business or on land that person leases, owns or otherwise possesses, with that person's explicit permission to carry with intent to display it, firearm training and bona fide hunting.[7] The permit also serves as an eligibility credential for purchasing both handguns and long guns, eliminating the need for a separate eligibility certificate.
Permit holders must carry the permit on their person while carrying a pistol or revolver. They must present it on request to a law enforcement officer who has reasonable suspicion of a crime and observes them carrying a pistol or revolver, for verification of the permit's validity or identification of the holder.[7]
See also: Connecticut Two-Step Pistol Permit: Local to State