My LTC (License to Carry) finally arrived. In celebration, I thought that I would detail out the steps that it takes for all my readers so that hopefully you will have an easier time getting one. In addition, these steps only apply to the city of Boston, most of the suburbs are less strict, so just keep that in mind and be sure to check in with your city's Police HQ to see what the exact protocol is
Types of LicensesThere are 3 types of Licenses that you can get:
FID Card - A Firearms Identification Card is good for shotguns and rifles only. So if you plan on hunting, you can just go for one of these cards.
LTC Class A - A Class A License to Carry allows you to purchase "high capacity" weapons. A high capacity weapon is defined as a handgun that holds more than 10 rounds or a shotgun that holds more than 5 founds. Also, if you get an unrestricted Class A LTC, you can carry a concealed handgun. Note: If you're in Boston, chances are you won't get approved for an unrestricted Class A.
LTC Class B - A Class B License to Carry does not allow you to purchase "high capacity" weapons. Also, Class B licenses do not allow the option of carrying a concealed handgun.
The application fee for any of these licenses is $100, so I'd suggest you always apply for the Class A.
Boston RequirementsRemember that this is only for Boston and its immediate suburbs. I've heard even Cambridge is alot less strict about the requirements. The City of Boston requires:
1. State Approved Hand Gun Safety Course (Most gun clubs offer a safety course)
2. Membership in a Gun Club
3. Passing a Marksmanship Test (I practiced in NH and at a range in Springfield, MA)
4. This is on top of all the background checks and fingerprinting that they will do when you apply. If you have a criminal record, check with a lawyer or even ask the folks at the Licensing department if you're able to apply. This website (
here) is also a pretty good resource.
Handgun Safety CourseLike I said previously, most gun clubs offer a safety course. Sign up well in advance because these things fill up quickly. Cost is usually around $150 for the class. If you're only interested in hunting, you can take a hunting education course offered by the state of MA. The hunting class is free, schedule and details available (
here). If you're able to, take the class held in Springfield at the Smith & Wesson factory. The teachers there are awesome.
One pitfall to avoid is that I read somewhere online that this hunting class qualified as a handgun safety course so you could apply for an LTC. But when I tried, I was rejected. The police officer said I had to take another handgun safety course. This cost me almost 2 months because all the classes around that time were already full up, so I had to register for one in the future.
Membership in a Gun ClubThis makes sense I suppose. If you're legally trying to get a permit for a gun, then you have to have a place to legally shoot it. My only gripe is that I joined the gun club 3 months ago just so that I could apply for a license. That's 3 months of dues that I paid for a membership I can't use. I guess it would be different if I already had friends at the gun club and use their guns while at the club. Click (
here) for a list of shooting ranges as compiled by the NRA.
Passing A Marksmanship TestI should have taken a picture of the target so I could post it, but I just threw it away last week when I was cleaning my car. The target is oval shaped, fairly large. The shooting test is done at the Police shooting range on Moon Island.
You will be required to fire a .357 revolver with .38 special ammunition. The test consists of 2 parts. Part 1, you fire 12 rounds single-handed double-action from 7 yards. In Part 2, you fire 18 rounds from 15 yards and you choose single or double-action.
A score of 210 out of 300 qualifies as passing. It's really not hard at all. Just make sure you've shot a gun a few times before. And if you've only shot .22's, it would be a good idea to try a .357. There's significantly more kickback with the .357.
I tested a .357 up in NH where there are still a few ranges that you can rent guns. I went to the Manchester Firing Line (
here), just note that it will cost you quite a bit to practice there. If you've got a friend that's already a gun owner, ask him to teach you and offer to pay for the ammo. That would be the most cost effective way to get some practice in.
The Waiting GameAfter you've jumped through all of those hoops. You get to wait 6-8 weeks before the license arrives in the mail. My wait time was just about 6 weeks. If you're interested, here's what I went through and this is why I'm hoping I can save you some time.
January '07 - sign up for Hunter Education Course in March
March '07 - Take Hunter Education Course
April '07 - Join Gun Club and apply for Gun License.
April 'o7 - Get told that I need to take an additional safety course
April '07 - Sign up for Safety Course in May
May '07 - Take Handgun Safety Course
June '07 - Apply for LTC
July '07 - Receive LTC
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