Guide to gun rights in your Massachusetts town

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Here is a town list, type your town and the color and someone will make the edit. Although we will do our best to keep this list accurate and updated as always your local issuing officer has the last say. This list is compiled from the experiences of NES members. Remember we don't know everyone's full story, so take it for what it's worth.

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Moderator said:
This right here is the most solid information we have gotten to date. I am perma-linking it to the OP. Support COMM2A

http://www.comm2a.org/index.php/8-home/197-licensing
Click to expand...


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FIREARM APPLICATION STATUS INFO

You can now retrieve the status of the firearms license application you’ve submitted to your local police department through the DCJIS by calling (617) 660-4722 during the normal business hours of Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The following information is required:
• Name
• Date of birth
• Active LTC, FID card, or machine gun license number
• Driver’s license number (for identity verification)

Questions other than license status should be directed to the FRB at (617) 660-4782.
Bold Green usually Issue "Class A" "ALP"

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Bold Red May Issue and/or are difficult to obtain a "Class A" "All Lawful Purposes" usually give out restricted such as "Sport and Target"

Cities in Bold Black are almost Impossible or impossible to Obtain a "Class A" usually issue a "Class B" or "FID"
Cities in Blue are still awaiting member feedback at this time.

Cities in Orange have conflicting or inconsistent information or experiences.

***Important*** If you did a search on your town, the software will default it's color to RED (this is the softwares way of highlighting it). Please don't use the forum software to search a town.

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jar said:
Guys, please also complete Comm2A's survey if you've applied in the last 6 months. Information here: http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/127021-The-Mass-Licening-Survey-Launches-Today!

Survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6M9GPHD
Click to expand...

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Abington
Acton
Acushnet Formerly red
Adams May give out ALP on renewal.
Agawam
Alford
Amesbury
Amherst
Andover Formally Red
Aquinnah
Arlington
Ashburnham
Ashby
Ashfield
Ashland
Athol
Attleboro
Auburn
Avon
Ayer
Barnstable
Barre
Becket
Bedford
Belchertown
Bellingham
Belmont
Berkley
Berlin
Bernardston
Beverly
Billerica
Blackstone
Blandford
Bolton
Bourne
Boxboro
Boxford
Boylston
Braintree
Brewster
Bridgewater Formaly red Read this And this and this too
Brimfield
Brockton
Brookfield
Brookline
Buckland
Burlington
Cambridge
Canton
Carlisle formerly red
Carver
Charlemont
Charlton
Chatham
Chelmsford
Chelsea
Cheshire
Chester
Chesterfield
Chicopee Formally red [banana]
Chilmark
Clarksburg
Clinton
Cohasset
Colrain
Concord
Conway
Cummington
Dalton
Danvers (May issue A or B for first time apps)
Dartmouth
Dedham Formally red
Deerfield
Dennis
Dighton
Douglas
Dover
Dracut
Dudley
Dunstable
Duxbury
East Bridgewater
East Brookfield
East Longmeadow
Eastham
Easthampton
Easton
Edgartown
Egremont
Erving
Essex
Everett
Fairhaven
Fall River
Falmouth
Fitchburg Unknown at present
Florida
Foxborough
Framingham used to be green
Franklin
Freetown
Gardner
Georgetown
Gill
Gloucester
Goshen
Gosnold
Grafton
Granby
Granville
Great Barrington
Greenfield
Groton
Groveland Mixed info
Hadley
Halifax
Hamilton Inconsistent info at this time. May issue black for first time applicants.
Hampden
Hancock
Hanover
Hanson
Hardwick
Harvard
Harwich
Haverhill
Hatfield
Hawley
Heath
Hingham
Hinsdale
Holbrook
Holden
Holland
Holliston
Holyoke
Hopedale
Hopkinton
Hubbardston
Hudson Used to be red.
Hull read this
Huntington
Ipswich
Kingston
Lakeville
Lancaster
Lanesborough
Lawrence
Lee
Leicester
Lenox
Leominster
Leverett
Lexington Formally green [angry]
Leyden
Lincoln
Littleton
Longmeadow Formerly Red [smile]
Lowell
Ludlow
Lunenburg
Lynn
Lynnfield
Malden
Manchester-by-the-Sea
Mansfield
Marblehead
Marion
Marlborough
Marshfield
Mashpee
Mattapoisett
Maynard
Medfield
Medford
Medway
Melrose
Mendon
Merrimac Inconsistant info
Methuen Formerly red. Let's hope it stays this way.
Middleborough
Middlefield
Middleton Red at best
Milford
Millbury
Millis
Millville May issue a restricted LTC the first go around
Milton May still issue restricted
Monroe
Monson
Montague
Monterey
Montgomery
Mount Washington
Nahant
Nantucket
Natick Formerly red. Last few post have been positive.
Needham
New Ashford
New Bedford At the moment we have conflicting information on this town
New Braintree
New Marlborough
New Salem
Newbury
Newburyport
NEWTON
Norfolk
North Adams
North Andover
North Attleborough
North Brookfield
North Reading Read this, thing might be getting bad
Northborough
Northbridge
Northfield
Northampton
Norton
Norwell
Norwood Formally Red. [smile]
Oak Bluffs
Oakham
Orange
Orleans
Otis
Oxford
Palmer
Paxton
Peabody
Pelham
Pembroke
Pepperell
Peru
Petersham
Phillipston
Pittsfield Formally Red [wink]
Plainfield
Plainville but turning orange-ish. I hope to change this soon, just need a little more info
Plymouth
Plympton
Princeton
Provincetown
Quincy
Randolph
Raynham
Reading
Rehoboth
Revere Inconsistent info on this city
Richmond
Ripton
Rochester
Rockland
Rockport
Rowe
Rowley formerly black [smile].
Royalston
Russell
Rutland
Salem
Salisbury
Sandisfield
Sandwich
Saugus
Savoy
Scituate Formerly green [angry]
Seekonk
Sharon
Sheffield
Shelburne
Sherborn
Shirley
Shrewsbury
Shutesbury
Somerset
Somerville
Southbridge
South Hadley
Southampton
Southborough
Spencer
Southwick
Springfield
Sterling
Stockbridge
Stoneham
Stoughton
Stow
Sturbridge
Sudbury
Sunderland
Sutton
Swampscott
Swansea
Taunton
Templeton
Tewksbury
Tisbury
Tolland
Topsfield
Townsend
Truro
Tyngsborough
Tyringham
Upton
Uxbridge
Wakefield
Wales
Walpole
Waltham May issue unrestricted on your second time applying
Ware
Warren
Wareham
Warwick
Washington
Watertown
Wayland
Webster
Wellesley
Wellfleet May give out restricted Class A's for young & first time applicants
Wendell
Wenham
West Boylston
West Bridgewater
West Brookfield
West Newbury
West Stockbridge
West Springfield
West Tisbury
Westborough
Westfield
Westford
Westhampton
Westminster
Weston
Westport
Westwood
Weymouth
Whately
Whitman
Wilbraham
Williamsburg
Williamstown
Wilmington
Winchendon
Winchester
Windsor
Winthrop
Woburn
Worcester
Worthington
Wrentham
Yarmouth
 
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Maynard renewed me ALP no problem all the time ( July 2004 and it's still the same chief and SGTs) but I have no idea of new applicants.
 
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First, a request: can the folks supplying their experience state when it happened? It would be good to know how up to date the data are.

I had no trouble in Bedford. First license, no extraneous crap required, and the only reason I listed was "All Lawful Purposes". This was in January 2004.
 
Bolton First application in the town must meet with the chief.

My Very first LTC under the Chapter 180 rules came from Acton (I was so lucky to have my old one expire at just the right time. At that time Acton was Green and the License Authority said that to keep things simple it was Class A ALP or nothing. Things might have changed. BTW, that first LTC was number 103.

Before that I was in Ashland, but Tom Kinder was my Football coach, and Robert Gonfrade used to hang out and hunt with my best friend's dad. (^_^) Kinda made the whole license thing a moot point. (^_^) So glad i'm not in that town now, I hear that Melnik is as corrupt as mumbles.
 
Canton

Canton

From experiences of family, and stories heard through grapevine, I would say it's "almost impossible"
 
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Brockton - red (for first timers anyway) It's another one of those, they tell you the restricted for your first and then you can get the ALP... we'll see when I renew in 3 years ;)
 
My city is not even listed! Salem is definately BOLD BLACK. I got mine in Aug '04. Lucky for me I was working for the city at the time which I'm sure helped out a lot.
 
I would say Waltham is red.

They require extra crap (3 references and a personal letter to the chief). I moved to Waltham from Medford and they will not honor renewals unless I give them 3 letters of reference and a personal letter even though I already was approved in Medford (Medford required 3 letters).

Medford might issue an ALP if you have a good sob story. Did it for my fiance's Mother, but not for me.
 
Medford = (correction) Red (No ALP on 1st time issue or renewal)

Might as well go ahead and color the well known PITA communities bold black...
Brookline, Quincy, Worchester, Boston, Newton, etc.
 
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LoginName said:
Medford = Green (No ALP on 1st time issue or renewal)
Click to expand...

Wouldn't that be RED? Or is it first time renewal in that town? It that is the case we should make those Green *
 
derek said:
Wouldn't that be RED? Or is it first time renewal in that town? It that is the case we should make those Green *
Click to expand...

Fixed [grin]

1st time renewal I was turned down an ALP, however, from reading kels post there's conflicting experiences WRT to Medford. As an example I wasn't required to provide any letters either for 1st time issuance or renewal, I did have to provide 3 references though.

One suggestion regarding this list... doesn't (shouldn't), GOAL have this information on file? I seem to recall they had a survey or something similar on their website for gun owners to report any hassles with licensing problems.

Couldn't we just get that info from them and post it here?
 
Is there a reason Marlborough isn't listed AT ALL? Did I move to NH without knowing it? [smile]

first license was S&T, renewed as ALP twice. New Chief, though, so I think they only give ALP now. Except for the anecdotal story I got from the guys at the Army Navy store in Boylston: they told me that they got S&T, but from the story it sounds like they were being real dicks to the licensing officer. Again, this is hearsay - I certainly didn't have any problem.

Extra stuff - they want you to take the $20 course from Worcester PD on the legal ramifications of carrying... or they did 8 years ago, anyway. Don't know if Worcester even offers it now.

I'd say Marlborough is green.
 
You're mising a few towns also... West Springfield which is green.
Westfield is also green
these towns are green Williamsburg is also green
South Hadley is also green.
I'll come back and change later. I'll ask my niece about southampton, since she is working in their PD.
 
Sterling is Green. Then again most of the towns out west don't really have problems giving out LTC-A ALP unless you give them problems.

Police here are really nice bunch of guys. Met some of them when I did the Citizens Police Academy. Lots of community involved activities which makes the town a really great place to live.
 
Watertown = RED

You MUST show a need for an LTC-ALP.

As for other criteria as Lens mentioned:

I was LEO for 18 years.
I attended the Citizens Police Academy
I was on the Community Policing Council for my District
My name was submitted by the Department for a position on some state LE regulatory board (I don't remember what it was now).

And yet, I can't get an LTC-ALP. Only an A for "Target/stuff".[frown]

Thank God for LEOSA. [smile]

RJ
 
Jaxon said:
Watertown = RED

You MUST show a need for an LTC-ALP.

As for other criteria as Lens mentioned:

I was LEO for 18 years.
I attended the Citizens Police Academy
I was on the Community Policing Council for my District
My name was submitted by the Department for a position on some state LE regulatory board (I don't remember what it was now).

And yet, I can't get an LTC-ALP. Only an A for "Target/stuff".[frown]

Thank God for LEOSA. [smile]

RJ
Click to expand...

I met a lawyer who had an ALP from Watertown. He said they gave it to him as "a professional courtesy," in recognition of the fact that he might know people or have the know how to make their life annoying. He also said they do not issue ALP.
 
Oh- and from my experience in Melrose (also not on your list) I'd put it as GREEN since it was admitted they only give out ALP, but maybe with a note that you'll get the major runaround before you get your LTC
 
How does this look? Clicking on the community will bring the user to the firearms licensing requirements and/or contact info for that department. "NI" (No Info), means that department doesn't have a website, or there is no licensing info for that department.

These are the communities that have been reported so far (including some of the better known 'yeas or nays'... Brookline, Boston, Quincy, Arlington, etc).

Amherst

Arlington

Bedford (Note:PDF file)

Bellingham NI

Belmont LTC

Belmont FID

Bolton

Boston

Brockton

Brookline

Burlington NI (contact phone # only)

Haverhill (Note: PDF File)

Holden

Hubbardston NI (website directs to CHSB)

Leominster NI

Maynard

http://www.medfordpolice.com/gunpermits.htm#Steps

Melrose

North Attleborough

Northhampton

Plymouth

Salem

Quincy NI

Somerville NI

South Hadly NI

Sterling NI

Waltham

Watertown

Westfield

Westford NI

West Hampton NI

West Springfield NI

Link to MA Police Departments websites
 
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