Hello New England friends,

I am married to one of your native daughters and have quite a few brothers and sisters in-law up your way.

Long story short, I have had a TN permit for 8 years and as you may know, our process is simple and relatively easy. I have read off and on about your process for some time, so I have a feel for how it works. I do not and have never brought any firearms with me to MA.

My wife will be the executor of my father-in-law's estate (he is with us still, for now) and when that time comes, things will likely be ugly intrafamily. There are parties that do not get along and they also believe the world owes them something. They have only come around believing they can swoop in and claim everything in the estate and probably won't stop until they get what they want. These two parties in question have plenty of history with the legal system, as well as a long track record of drug use.

Thus, why I am here. I feel a strong need to apply for a MA LTC so that I can defend myself, my wife, and kids if things get extreme.

My questions are below:

1. Can anyone offer guidance to a good LTC class instructor? FIL is in the Boston area, though we usually stay with a sister in law in the Lowell area.

2. How long does it realistically take to get an interview arranged after application is made?

3. How long after an interview does a decision get made?

And the million dollar question...

4. Under the circumstance, what are my odds for an unrestricted NR LTC-A on the first try? Does anything other than an unrestricted LTC-A even make a difference for me?

Last but not least, if this all works out, I will bring either a Glock 43 or a Gen2 G19 with pre-ban 15 round magazines. If I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go with style! ;)

Thanks in advance for the help, y'all!

The class you take has to be given by a MA State Police Certified Instructor and issue a special certificate that gets turned in (turn in a copy, keep the original) with your application for a LTC. You can mail that in with a check for $100.

You will be scheduled for an interview in Chelsea probably 3-4 months out, after the interview it takes ~2 months to get the LTC. It is valid for 1 year from date of issue.

You have to make a specific  case why you are different from the average person in order to obtain an unrestricted LTC, otherwise it will be restricted to something like sporting or target shooting only. Since you can't even possess anything without a LTC, it protects you that way even if you can't carry.

Tons more info in our regional forum, northeastshooters.com in the Mass Gun Law sub-forum.

If you're planning to actually carry, you really need a non-restricted non-resident LTC-A. About the only thing a restricted LTC-A would be good for is storing a firearm in your house/apartment/rental/vehicle or going to a shooting range while visiting MA.

From what I've heard, even with your story you're unlikely to get an unrestricted. If you've got restraining orders, documented death threats (letters, audio recordings, etc.), or can prove that you regularly have to transport large amounts of cash (weekly $5k+ deposit receipts for your business) then you've got a chance at a non-restricted LTC-A. Just "I think my ex-con family member is going to cause trouble someday" isn't going to cut it.

1. Len in this thread has a great reputation as an instructor. I did my MA class with hawgleg44 (https://www.ar15.com/member/user.html?id=16963) who is in Western Mass.  Beyond simply finding somebody to sign a certificate, you as an experienced shooter from another state with very different laws from Mass are going to want somebody who can give you information that will keep you from doing something that is going to get you locked up.

2. In a couple of weeks after sending in your application, expect to get an appointment date by email. Time from that point to appointment can vary a bit  even between applicants who submit their applications around the same time. Like Len said, 3-4 months wait for an interview is typical. If you propose a specific date or time-frame, they will try to fit you in during that time, if possible.

3. You may have a good idea by the end of the interview as to how they will act on your application as to what the outcome will be. They aim for about 6-8 weeks  to get your approved license to you but it can take longer depending on response times from collateral information sources, especially from DMH. My first NR LTC in Mass took over 12 weeks after the interview, ~7 months mailbox to mailbox.

4.They want to see a reason why you are in greater danger than any other member of the public, much as Iram described. In addition to the type of documentation that Iram is describing, it would also be good to document any threats with appropriate LE agencies. There's something to also be said for the way that an applicant articulates his or her motivation/ need. Another consideration that also has been said to play into FRB's decision making process is past possession of an unrestricted Mass resident license. How much influence that has isn't something that I can answer to.


To expand a little bit on what Len is saying- carrying outside of restriction is punishable by a fine $1000 to $10000 and is grounds for license revocation but does not subject somebody to the serious criminal charges that could be applied to an individual who possesses a firearm, ammunition, or feeding device without an LTC. [OBVIOUSLY you should NEVER carry outside restriction!] While there aren't any restrictions that would allow carry in public the situations you describe, it would be a good idea for you to research the scope of the various restrictions. You may find that one of them might allow you to possess a firearm within the scope of those restrictions in situation which might be useful to you at least sometimes.

If you are particularly concerned about a situation, the best thing to do would be to try to have a police officer present for the interaction. Some towns will provide an officer for a brief period of time without charge, but if you want one present for a prolonged period of time, you will have to pay the private duty rate.

The Director of FRB told me that if a person possessed a Resident MA LTC previously that was unrestricted, that it weighs heavily in favor of her issuing unrestricted NR LTC.

On the FRB webpage there is a list of the restrictions and what they mean (ONLY applicable to NR issued LTCs), download and read it carefully and you'll see what you can do with a restricted LTC if it comes to that.

I see she incorporated it as part of the PDF application form. Here it is:

NR LtC Application

One other consideration that has not been mentioned- they will stack restrictions (e.g. sporting and employment) if you looking to engage in activities which require multiple restrictions.

You do have to be smart in how you answer the "why do you want it" questions.