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Moved out of Mass. Gov't Wants My New Address

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Mattie5960

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I saw there were a few other posts on this topic, but none of those posters seemed particularly adverse to letting good ol' Massachusetts and their draconian, unconstitutional knowledge follow them to their new address. Here's my deal: Massachusetts has a firearms registry.

So, I just have a feeling that when I give them my new address in a free state, they'll type that into their registry and bada-bing, bada-boom, the government knows where me and my guns are at. I would very much prefer for me and my guns to exist together in a location unbeknownst to the government now that I've escaped the insanity of Massachusetts.

I'll be talking to a lawyer tomorrow on this topic because I'm really tiffed by the limitless unconstitutional extension of Massachusetts' molesting legal embrace. Like, it's bad enough if you've made a conscious decision to live in the state, but then you leave and they're like, "Nah, we've got an unconstitutional law for that too, buddy. Where ya goin'?!"

The form itself says that the consequences are merely license suspension or revocation, which is fine as long as I never intend to return. I called the firearms dept. today and the woman told me it was an arrestable offense LOL. I'm not convinced she knew what she was talking about. I called my local sheriff's dept. and the woman who runs firearms licensure got frustrated by my concern for the registry following me and just said, "do whatever you want", which I don't necessarily take with confidence, as much as I'd like to do "whatever I want."

So anyway, I think I'll give the legalese a read over myself, and as I said, talk to a lawyer. I'm just interested to know if anybody else has experience on this front.

Thank you,
 
1. I'm not even sure who wants your new address. Are we talk LTC change of address? FA10? The FA10 is a transaction record (at least that's what they say), so no transfer/sale means no need to file anything.
2. going to LE for legal advice! I hope your lawyer give you an earful for that
 
42! said:
1. I'm not even sure who wants your new address. Are we talk LTC change of address? FA10? The FA10 is a transaction record (at least that's what they say), so no transfer/sale means no need to file anything.
2. going to LE for legal advice! I hope your lawyer give you an earful for that
Click to expand...
On #1 -- The form on this page says I'm required to notify the issuing Sherrif's Dept, as well as the Firearms Records Bureau: https://www.mass.gov/doc/address-change-form-2/download . Interestingly, though, it says at the bottom that only a limited amount of information is required, the new address excluded.

#2 -- LOL. Well, I wasn't asking for advise as much as I was just looking for perspective. I'm perfectly happy to let the state know that I've left and that they should cancel my unrestricted LTC... I was just hoping they'd be like, "oh, yeah, if you're leaving the state, we don't care."
 
Mattie5960 said:
On #1 -- The form on this page says I'm required to notify the issuing Sherrif's Dept, as well as the Firearms Records Bureau: https://www.mass.gov/doc/address-change-form-2/download . Interestingly, though, it says at the bottom that only a limited amount of information is required, the new address excluded.

#2 -- LOL. Well, I wasn't asking for advise as much as I was just looking for perspective. I'm perfectly happy to let the state know that I've left and that they should cancel my unrestricted LTC... I was just hoping they'd be like, "oh, yeah, if you're leaving the state, we don't care."
Click to expand...
Move, then stop by the issuing authority, probably the local PD. Drop off the LTC with a letter saying you don't want it anymore. Turn and walk out. [laugh]

Of course this is all pointless, like they couldn't find you if they wanted to. You do have a driver's license, don't you? Even after you move from MA, if they put your name into that MDT in the cruser it will tell then you had a DL in MA and now have a DL in your new state.

There is no making this stuff disappear, don't waste your time.
 
42! said:
Move, then stop by the issuing authority, probably the local PD. Drop off the LTC with a letter saying you don't want it anymore. Turn and walk out. [laugh]

Of course this is all pointless, like they couldn't find you if they wanted to. You do have a driver's license, don't you? Even after you move from MA, if they put your name into that MDT in the cruser it will tell then you had a DL in MA and now have a DL in your new state.

There is no making this stuff disappear, don't waste your time.
Click to expand...
You mean they could find me if they wanted to? Yes, of course, I'd thought about that. My issue with the registry is that it's a purpose-built tool. If they wanted to go to the trouble of searching my name in a drivers license database, sure, go for it. I'm not inclined to keep the firearms registry updated, though!
 
The Sheriffs Dept has nothing to do with firearms licensing in MA, period. It is the local PD which issued you the LTC and FRB that you must notify per MGL.

You don't have to use any form, a mere letter will do per MGL (but everyone loves forms) and it must be by Certified Mail only per MGL.

It is not an arrestable offense, read the MGL for yourself or pay a lawyer to read it to you and interpret it if you wish.

MA police have no jurisdiction in any other state, so they would have to call your local free state PD to do anything. Free state PDs aren't going to confiscate guns for shits and grins. If something was statutory, there is no hiding. And MA PDs don't chase escapees from the gulag unless they have arrest warrants.

You're making much too much of this.
 
Mattie5960 said:
You mean they could find me if they wanted to? Yes, of course, I'd thought about that. My issue with the registry is that it's a purpose-built tool. If they wanted to go to the trouble of searching my name in a drivers license database, sure, go for it. I'm not inclined to keep the firearms registry updated, though!
Click to expand...
Ah I see the problem. Let me see if I can clear this up for you. Yes there are a bunch of different databases, but they don't go searching for you in each one. They use an application that searches them all. The common one I work with is by Centralsquare. They put in your name and it kicks back your address, DL record and it can go back multiple states, in MA it kicks back firearms transaction record (FA10s) and LTC/FID status. Plus of course the usual warrant check and criminal record. Some local departments also have it kick back arrest records.
So they don't need to do anything to check all the databases. One entry ALL the databases. And they do this for everyone they stop. And since it's also tied into the vehicle registrations, they can run checks on people they don't even stop... and they do, all the time.
 
So, I read the chapters and sections of relevant law. Here are my notes:


129B – This is specific to FIDs, not LTCs. So, this doesn’t apply to my LTC A.
  • Section 1.i. Defines a prohibited person, a person who is ineligible for a license, as “a person who has ever, in a court of the commonwealth, been convicted or adjudicated a youthful offender or delinquent child, or both as defined in section 52 of chapter 119, for the commission of: (D) a violation of any law regulating the use, possession, ownership, transfer, purchase, sale, lease, rental, receipt or transportation of weapons or ammunition for which a term of imprisonment may be imposed;”
  • So, if they took me to court over it, and I lost, I would be a prohibited person. Or, if the sheriff just noticed that I didn’t comply with the change of address law, if it’s actually a law… we’ll find out.
  • Section 11: Failure to notify my issuing authority and the executive director of criminal history systems board “shall be cause for revocation or suspension of such card.’
  • Section 12: This one is tough to understand. There’s a chance I could be subject to a as much as a $5k fine if a LEO finds me with a rifle or shotgun after my license has expired.


131 – This applies to the LTCs
  • Section D(I) is the same as 129B 1.i. above
  • Sections L and M read the same as sections 11 and 12 above.
    • Specifically, this says, "Any licensee shall notify, in writing, the licensing authority who issued said license, the chief of police into whose jurisdiction the licensee moves and the executive director of the criminal history systems board of any change of address. Such notification shall be made by certified mail within 30 days of its occurrence. Failure to so notify shall be cause for revocation or suspension of said license. "
      • That's all it says. It doesn't even specify exactly what I need to tell them, just that I need to notify them of a change of address. I think @Len-2A Training is right -- I can just send them a letter letting them know I've left my address, and I'm no longer in-state, and It appears that would be enough to satisfy the MGL.

Even if I did nothing at all, depending on 131 section K, even if I did move back, I’d be able to apply for a license, and they wouldn’t be able to deny me for not notifying them that I left unless they took me to court over it first.
 
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I think we should fill up their firearm transaction database with thousands and thousands of bad records. We each should sell our guns to someone else here on NES, and that other person should then sell the same firearm to someone else here on NES, and so on, and so on. And then the original owner buys it back from the last person. But do it fast enough so the firearm doesn't have to leave the original owners possession. I know we non-FFLs can only can sell 4x a year (?) to non-FFLs so we need some FFLs to help out
 
Specifically, this says, "Any licensee shall notify, in writing, the licensing authority who issued said license, the chief of police into whose jurisdiction the licensee moves and the executive director of the criminal history systems board of any change of address. Such notification shall be made by certified mail within 30 days of its occurrence. Failure to so notify shall be cause for revocation or suspension of said license. "

Do you want to keep your Massachusetts permit? Or ever get it back? From your original post, it doesn't sound like it. In which case, I'd move and follow whatever procedure they have to turn in your permit. I think I'd shy away from having them revoke it because applications for licenses often ask if you've ever had a permit from any state denied or revoked.

Go re-read @Len-2A Training's posts, he's knowledgeable.
 
I moved out of MA ten years ago never to return, packed my stuff and hit the road. Recorded the numbers off my LTC and MG license and cut both of them up.
Sent no letters, made no phonecalls.
Applied for my concealed carry permit here, received it in a couple of weeks. No hassles.

The law has changed here now ( KY ) and we now have "Constitutional Carry" open or concealed, no NFA restrictions.

Pack your things and hit the road and don't over think the issue. Once you are out of MA they no longer have any jurisdiction.
 
Even if you follow the letter of the law and send in the registered letters notifying the FRB and the local PD of your our of state move, they won't do shit. Your LTC will likely remain "active" until it reaches its expiration date. If you move back to MA before the expiration date and try to apply for an LTC, you'll soon find out that your old one is still active. Don't ask me how I know this.
 
JenkkiMike said:
Even if you follow the letter of the law and send in the registered letters notifying the FRB and the local PD of your our of state move, they won't do shit. Your LTC will likely remain "active" until it reaches its expiration date. If you move back to MA before the expiration date and try to apply for an LTC, you'll soon find out that your old one is still active. Don't ask me how I know this.
Click to expand...
That's exactly how it played out in my minds eye...LOL
 
JenkkiMike said:
Even if you follow the letter of the law and send in the registered letters notifying the FRB and the local PD of your our of state move, they won't do shit. Your LTC will likely remain "active" until it reaches its expiration date. If you move back to MA before the expiration date and try to apply for an LTC, you'll soon find out that your old one is still active. Don't ask me how I know this.
Click to expand...
How do you know this?? [laugh2]
 

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