A friend in Hartford has expressed interest in getting a gun. The only problem is that although he has lived there for several years now, he's in the country on an H1B work visa, so he's a nonresident alien. Can he get a gun in Connecticut? He'd prefer a handgun, and he might be interested in carrying, but he'll settle for a long gun if that's all he can get.
I tried to do some homework:
So much for my homework. As a Massachusetts resident, I'm used to not being able to understand gun laws without the help of NES. So—does anyone know what the real answer is? Can my friend get a gun, or even a handgun, or even a carry permit? Practically, how is Hartford PD and/or the state police going to treat him?
I tried to do some homework:
- At the federal level, I believe the only extra hoop is 18 USC 922(y)(2)(A). As a nonimmigrant alien, he's good to go as soon as he is "in possession of a hunting license or permit lawfully issued in the United States." He could take the hunting class in Texas (where it is offered online, without a field day) and use it to apply for a hunting license in Connecticut.
- Reading C.G.S. 29-28, it looks like there used to be a restriction for all aliens, but that the restriction was removed in 1994 (PA 94-1). The current law only restricts "an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States," which he clearly is not.
- But the confusion seems to run deep, probably because he will be applying for a resident permit (because he has "a bona fide residence" in the jurisdiction, 29-28(b)), yet he's a nonresident alien. For instance, the state's web page says that "[a]pplicants must provide proof you are legally and lawfully in the United States" (which matches the law I found), but then it says that "Legal Alien Residents must provide Alien Registration numbers and 90-day proof of residency." As an H1B visa holder, he does not have an alien registration number. The application forms only require "[p]roof you are legally and lawfully in the United States (e.g., certified copy of birth certificate, U.S. passport or documentation issued by I.C.E.)," which matches the law I found).
So much for my homework. As a Massachusetts resident, I'm used to not being able to understand gun laws without the help of NES. So—does anyone know what the real answer is? Can my friend get a gun, or even a handgun, or even a carry permit? Practically, how is Hartford PD and/or the state police going to treat him?