greetings gentlemen/ladies...

I have recently relocated to MA for employment reasons....(I know Iknow, but it was a deal too good to pass up, big promotion, anyways...)

I have always been under the assumption that MA was difficult to get a pistol permit in (aka class 2 FID)

The town I'm in seems pretty fair in this regard however, the cheif of police was like it was no big deal, fill out the paper work and I'll have it in  less than 30 days...

Keep in mind I already have a ccw in CT, but it took me almost 2.5 years to get it. (after being denied in my issuing town for bogus reasons and then going through through the board of permit examiners I finally got one...)

I will be the first to admit that I was arrested when I was a bit younger, nothing firearms related or any of the specific misdemeanors that would bar one from obtaining a permit (distubing the peace)

The charges were nollied and from what I have been told, I can now legaly say that I have never been arrested, even under oath.

Now my real question is, on the MA application, it asks if you have ever been denied a permit in another state, and if you have ever appeared before a court of law for anything other than dmv violations...

Do I say Yes or NO?

I'm kinda in a pinch here because I don't want to lie, but then again, legally it wouldn't be a lie....I guess.   Technically I have never been denied by another STATE (it was by the issuing town, and now I actually have a STATE issued permit in CT)  I have however been in court because of the arrest i had years ago, even though it was nollied, and should not appear on my "record".

What does everybody recomend I do?

Thanks in advance

Go to the site below,lots of knowledgable folks there.

Northeast Shooters

According to Chief Ron Glidden, the acknowledged authority on MA Firearms Law, you should answer YES on both and explain it on the form or a separate piece of paper. According to Ron, regardless of the outcome an arrest is an arrest and appearing in court is appearing in court . . . most chiefs will do an automatic DQ (under "suitable person" criteria, as allowed by MGL) if you say no here and they determine otherwise (and unless it was a full governor's pardon, the arrest is most likely going to come up on the full background check).

I know someone who lost his LTC due to lying on these questions . . . and I heard both sides of the story as his chief was a personal friend and the person who lost the LTC is a fellow member of two organizations with me.

Thanks TrijiCog,

Yes, join us at northeastshooters.com and use Advanced Search to find info in the Gun Laws forum.

so basically, I'm probably going to get denied because I will deemed "unsuitable" because of an unrelated arrest from over 4 years ago, and will not legally be able to own my current firearms in MA?

I hate this shit.  You try to play everything to a T when it comes to staying compliant with teh law, and then they shove it up your you-know-what with no lube and break it off...

I can neither afford or am willing to go through what I had to in CT to get a permit if I am denied here in MA...

Is there a provision so at least I don't have to sell my stuff after my 60 day new residency clause runs out?  I don't even really care about carrying, just owning and keeping my firearms LEGALLY in my residence.

Quoted: so basically, I'm probably going to get denied because I will deemed "unsuitable" because of an unrelated arrest from over 4 years ago, and will not legally be able to own my current firearms in MA? I hate this shit.  You try to play everything to a T when it comes to staying compliant with teh law, and then they shove it up your you-know-what with no lube and break it off... I can neither afford or am willing to go through what I had to in CT to get a permit if I am denied here in MA... Is there a provision so at least I don't have to sell my stuff after my 60 day new residency clause runs out?  I don't even really care about carrying, just owning and keeping my firearms LEGALLY in my residence.

Unfortunately no.You need a license to LEGALLY own firearms here.There is nothing stopping you from keeping your guns in your home,just don't get caught.

Quoted: so basically, I'm probably going to get denied because I will deemed "unsuitable" because of an unrelated arrest from over 4 years ago, and will not legally be able to own my current firearms in MA?

That's not what he said.

He said if you lied and wrote "NO" and got caught.

well what I meant, is that I will probably be deemed "unsuitable" because I was arrested in the past...therefore, I will automatically be denied no matter what.

in other words, person doing the paper work sees a "yes" to that question, and then automatically stamps it "denied"

As you may know the CLEO is the man on MA LTC's  I believe in my town-413 area code, you would be good to go with "no restrictions"

A lot of the denial happens on the chiefs desk.

Gun Owners Action League should be on your list of things to join

Chris  

With or without any arrests, "suitability" is a very large umbrella under which each of the 351 chiefs in MA get to pass judgment.

Sit down and talk with your chief. Explain the circumstances (verbally), and your fears and let him tell you if he's going to screw you or accept your honesty and issue you a LTC! That is the ONLY way you'll ever know!

Quoted: With or without any arrests, "suitability" is a very large umbrella under which each of the 351 chiefs in MA get to pass judgment. Sit down and talk with your chief. Explain the circumstances (verbally), and your fears and let him tell you if he's going to screw you or accept your honesty and issue you a LTC! That is the ONLY way you'll ever know!

Len is right. There are NO more sealed records in Massachusetts, at least when it comes to discretionary gun licensing.

Whatever you did in the past, even if it was "continued without a finding" or a sealed youthful offender record (supposedly wiped clean, so to speak, when you turned eighteen), can and will be used against you if a police chief is so inclined. It is all open to them now, at least for CCW applicants.

Be upfront with the CLEO. Honesty pays.

If you lie now, even by omission, expect a pissed-off CLEO to yank your license.

That's how it is, or could be, if the CLEO is so inclined, in many towns in MA.