I lived on the south shore for several years and taught LTC classes.
I haven’t had any issues with students or friends getting their unrestricted LTC in any town on the south shore as a first time applicant.

If he already has a unrestricted LTC then there should be no reason to change that upon renewal unless he does something stupid.

Some town have arbitrary requirement on the application such as a written letter of why they want unrestricted and letters of reference but it should still be easy to do.
I believe Norwood is anti gun but will still issue unrestricted.
Weymouth and a few others require live fire target for first time applicants.

Also, my condolences to him for moving and still staying in MA.

Hanover is super friendly, and the police chief gives basically anyone who applies a lctA with no restrictions or hassle

Does any of this information apply to a non-resident LTC? I'm interested in information regarding non-resident, unrestricted LTCs as the process seems to be slightly different.

NR process is very different. All NR apps go to the state, the Firearms Records Bureau in Chelsea to be exact. They don't require anything not in MGL (e.g. no doctor letters, range tests, notarized reference letters, ad nauseum) BUT you do have to make a case specific to YOU as to why you should be allowed to carry (unrestricted LTC). And you need to do this annually (only one visit to Chelsea every 6 yrs, everything else by US Mail).

Thanks LenS.  

In regards to show reason, this was taken from https://tacdynamics.com/how-to-get-your-ma-non-resident-license-to-carry/

In your experience, does #2 hold true (home state CCL)?

“There are really two solutions to this:

1) Be able to show a good reason to fear for your life or property
2) Have a license to carry in your home state.

Let’s break in to this a bit.

1. If you have a concealed carry permit in your home state you more likely than not have already been vetted to the N’th power regarding your suitability to lawfully carry a firearm. That being said… it is highly unlikely that the MA Firearms Records Bureau will deny or restrict your MA Non-Resident License to Carry. This is due to the fact that they would have to argue that somehow you’re incapable of carrying a firearm in Massachusetts, but can do so within your home state.



2. Be able to show a good reason! Have you been the victim of a violent crime? Do you carry large sums of cash or expensive equipment? Do you work as a firearms instructor? Do you own a business in Massachusetts.
   Either of these reasons are helpful in getting your MA Non-Resident License to Carry. The bottom line is you do need to show a need or otherwise position yourself as there being zero reason for being denied the license.”

This conflates too things. Denial of a NR LTC and being issued an unrestricted NR LTC.

Unless you have some sort of record, you are very unlikely to be denied a NR LTC.

Unless you can show some unique reason that puts you at more risk than the average person, you are likely to receive a restricted NR LTC . . . regardless of how many state licenses you might possess.

MGL specifies that they have the right to restrict and the right to deem who is suitable to carry (vs. possess/shoot at a range/etc.). MA courts have upheld issuing authorities right to restrict a LTC, so you are very unlikely to win if you were to sue.

I am a non-resident LTC-A holder and also hold Mass BFS Instructor Credentials.

Having a license in your home state (if they issue one) is a requirement that the issuing authority has imposed. If you don't have a home-state license, and one is issued, they will not issue you an LTC. This requirement is expressly stated on the cover letter that accompanies the application. As a rule, they will not issue a non-resident a more permissive license than their home state (e.g. An individual with a "Target & Hunting" restricted permit from NYS would not likely be approved for a "Restrictions: NONE" in MA). A person who resides in a state that does not issue licenses (i.e. Vermont)  is required to submit documentation that their state does not issue licenses.

Under the current application, justifying the need for a restricted license that falls into one of their preset criteria is fairly simple.  A individual seeking one of those licenses just needs to check off the box. (That is very different from when I got my initial, and all applicants were required to submit a detailed explanation regarding why they wanted the license, which they would review to determine what type of license would be issued.) They do still require a written explanation for individuals seeking an unrestricted license. When I got my initial, my reasons for wanting the license were something that were further discussed.

For an individual to get an unrestricted license, as a non-resident, they are looking for a specific reason as opposed to a general reason. That is where some types of factors that you referenced might come into play. How the justification is articulated can also impact whether or the issuing authority chooses to issue a license (or not) or whether to issue it without restrictions or with restrictions.

The other thing to remember is that in addition to the restrictions listed on the letter/application, the issuing authority can also create custom restrictions.

Previously, when I have interacted with FRB on the topic,  they have indicated that if an individual wants to change (i.e. have restrictions removed) they have to attempt to do that with their next renewal application. This is something that is different from a number of towns, in which an individual can submit documentation to have that changed during their license term.