Massachusetts firearm license: color codes on license

[Reptile]

A Massachusetts LTC has different colors on the license. There is a 1cm strip on the top can can be a variety of colors.

A standard Class A LTC is white or has no color. (the card is white)

A Machine Gun license is green.

Can somebody define what all the colors are and what they mean?

My guesses...

Blue - dealer(?)
Red - Pepper spray only (?)
Orange - manufacturer (?)

I tried a search but came up with no valid responses.

 

[Dench]

Blue is LTC-B
Gray is an FFL if i remember correctly (i've only seen it once)

 

[zule]

Red is for FID-Restricted, and Orange is for FID.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Blue is LTC-B
Gray is an FFL if i remember correctly (i've only seen it once)

There would be a color code for a MA dealer's license, but an FFL is printed on plain white paper and is not issued by the state.

The MA dealer's license is a separate item from an FFL. Both a are required to engage in retail gun trade, however, there are circumstances in which one would need an FFL but no state license.

At least some of these color codes date from the old days of laminated paper licenses - MG licenses were printed on green paper, LTC-Bs on blue paper, and LTC-As on white. (Not sure about the paper color for the two flavors of FID). This is why you will, to this day, hear gun people who are naturally born US citizens talking about "getting their green card".

 

[cekim]

There would be a color code for a MA dealer's license, but an FFL is printed on plain white paper and is not issued by the state.

The MA dealer's license is a separate item from an FFL. Both a are required to engage in retail gun trade, however, there are circumstances in which one would need an FFL but no state license.

At least some of these color codes date from the old days of laminated paper licenses - MG licenses were printed on green paper, LTC-Bs on blue paper, and LTC-As on white. (Not sure about the paper color for the two flavors of FID). This is why you will, to this day, hear gun people who are naturally born US citizens talking about "getting their green card".

Well, it is the closest you will come to US citizenship in this state.

 

[qmmo]

State license to sell ammo is gray (mine is anyways...).

 

[one-eyed Jack]

My Mass dealer's license has a brown stripe across the top. In addition I have a license on white paper signed by the COP. Jack.

 

[Dench]

State license to sell ammo is gray (mine is anyways...).

You know what, thats what I saw, it wasnt an FFL it was an Ammo license.

 

[Acme.Armament]

White- MA LTC-A or B with or w/o restrictions. (MGL c. 140 ss.131)
Orange- MA FID, haven't seen one with restrictions in a different color.
Green- MA Resident License to Possess a Machine Gun, Restrictions-Collector. (MGL c. 140 ss. 131)
*Brown- MA License to Sell/Rent/Lease Firearms,Rifles,Shotguns or Machine Guns. (MGL c. 140 ss. 122)
*Gray- MA License to Sell Ammunition. (MGL c. 140 ss. 122B)
*Purple- MA License to Perfom Services as a Gunsmith. (MGL c. 140 ss. 122)

* Dealer licenses have the owners name & address plus the Gun Dealership name and address listed. They look very similar to a LTC/FID even with a "Restrictions:" on them.

ETA: If there is a meaning to the colors, I do not know of any beyond what Rob said about the green card.

 

[MisterHappy]

White: "You got white, it's all right!"

Orange: "Orange you wishing you had an LTC?"

Green: Green means "Go full auto!"

Brown: It's the color of the counter at the dealer.

Gray: It's a gray area

Purple: It's supposed to be blue (as in bluing a barrel), but the printer got it wrong.

(OK, it's a a guess, but I tried)

 

[enbloc]

.

 

[Nicole]

If you have multiple licenses, do you get a card for each... or does it look like a Rainbow Coalition flag?

Separate. Adam jokes he is collecting the whole deck.

 

[Reptile]

Separate. Adam jokes he is collecting the whole deck.

Sounds like a great collection.

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Is there such thing as a "manufacturers license"?

If so, what color is that?

 

[Kevlar]

Can somebody define what all the colors are and what they mean?

Here ya go...