New License to Carry Application Advisory

GOAL

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New License to Carry Application Advisory

Over the past months, GOAL has been contacted countless times from citizens looking to acquire their first License to Carry in the Commonwealth. During the COVID-19 era most cities and towns have been good about processing renewals. Some municipalities are refusing to process any applications. Most of the problems have come from the majority of local authorities refusing to process new applications. The excuse has been that it is not safe to conduct initial interviews and obtain fingerprints. If your local licensing authority is refusing to process your License to Carry (only LTCs) there is another option under the law.

Here is what GOAL is recommending:

In accordance with MGL C.140 § 131(d) you may submit your LTC application to either your local authority or to the Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). If your local licensing authority is refusing to process your LTC application, GOAL is recommending that you send your completed application to the Colonel of the MSP. Residents of the Commonwealth are allowed to do so under Chapter 140, Section 131(d).

Below is the specific legal citation:

C.140 section 131(d) Any person residing or having a place of business within the jurisdiction of the licensing authority or any law enforcement officer employed by the licensing authority or any person residing in an area of exclusive federal jurisdiction located within a city or town may submit to the licensing authority or the colonel of state police, an application for a Class A license to carry firearms, or renewal of the same, which the licensing authority or the colonel may issue if it appears that the applicant is not a prohibited person, as set forth in this section, to be issued a license and has good reason to fear injury to the applicant or the applicant's property or for any other reason, including the carrying of firearms for use in sport or target practice only, subject to the restrictions expressed or authorized under this section.

Your completed application and $100 check made out to The Commonwealth of Massachusetts should be mailed to the below address:

Colonel Christopher Mason
Massachusetts State Police
Attention Firearm Licensing
470 Worcester Road,
Framingham, MA 01702


Please keep GOAL informed as to any progress or response from the State Police should you forward your application to them.
 
Would the applicants required to travel to Framingham for the interview, photo and prints or will that be handled in Boston? Somehow or other, doing an end-run around the local licensing authority is likely to backfire in this socialist state.

That might be the point.

Edit:
I can't imagine that the prints and application would be done in Boston, I think it's more likely it'd have to be done in Framingham. If the point is "we're not processing because __________" I doubt handing an application to the colonel is going to fix the ____________ problem, and I doubt MSP has the authority to tell the local PD how to do their administrative paperwork. I think its also pretty unlikely one guy is going to manage to keep applications inside 40d for a whole state, so that'll be interesting, as well as the whole AG being the head of the MSP thing.
 
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Would the applicants required to travel to Framingham for the interview, photo and prints or will that be handled in Boston? Somehow or other, doing an end-run around the local licensing authority is likely to backfire in this socialist state.
That wa my 1st thought also.
 
Now what about towns/cities refusing to even do renewals? My LTC expires in 6 weeks..

**Edit**

Worcester is doing renewals
 
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Curious - did GOAL contact said Colonel and inquire as to his or her relative level of "acceptance" of this action? i.e., will they see this as a "hostile action" or do they handle applications on the daily already? I can see how "adding more work" to the MSP could result in them pressuring the locals to get off the schneid. Or, as suggested above, it has the potential to backfire. Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it.

Anyone know what percent / number of applicants already go to the MSP vs their local licensing authorities?



(edited to chg 'on' to 'off' and to correct the spelling of 'schneid')
 
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Curious - did GOAL contact said Colonel and inquire as to his or her relative level of "acceptance" of this action? i.e., will they see this as a "hostile action" or do they handle applications on the daily already? I can see how "adding more work" to the MSP could result in them pressuring the locals to get back on the snide. Or, as suggested above, it has the potential to backfire. Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it.

Anyone know what percent / number of applicants already go to the MSP vs their local licensing authorities?
Probably more common out in Western MA thinking some towns might not have a "local" PD. It's very common in Maine. In fact I would have to go thru the SP as my town does not have a PD nor do any around me to the north. In fact only one town has a PD heading south and nothing north.
 
I would be careful with this approach particularly for first-time applications. In a municipality, there is at least the recognition that you are a local taxpayer. As those of us who went through this process awhile ago know, it is critical to avoid any rejections of an application since those stay with you for life.
 
Curious - did GOAL contact said Colonel and inquire as to his or her relative level of "acceptance" of this action? i.e., will they see this as a "hostile action" or do they handle applications on the daily already?

I'd hardly qualify following the law as a hostile action. If your town won't process your application it is the alternative. The guy can get his panties in a bunch because nobody ever uses him as an alternative, but that doesn't make his gripe legitimate, that's like saying taking the Sagamore over the Bourne bridge is a hostile action- it's not, it's an alternative to get to the cape (your destination).

it is critical to avoid any rejections of an application since those stay with you for life.

Yeah, not looking forward to my potentially arbitrary and capricious rejection this renewal. I'm guessing my chances of a smooth renewal are about 40% or so and I haven't even broken a single law.
 
Seriously?! Some of you are worried about mailing an application as being a "hostile action?" People are BURNING buildings and KILLING people. If everyone rolls over and just let's them strip you of your rights "because covid" then you deserve what you get.

The government already has them exactly where they want them. Afraid of their own shadow and not willing to stick their heads out of the hole. It's only a matter of time now......
 
why would anyone think a renewal would be rejected? it's basically a formality. i'm sure it has happened but i've never known anyone or heard of anyone who has been rejected on a renewal. the only thing i'd be concerned about on a renewal to the state police would be trying to get restrictions removed. but i've never involved the sp honestly don't know about those restrictions.
 
why would anyone think a renewal would be rejected? it's basically a formality. i'm sure it has happened but i've never known anyone or heard of anyone who has been rejected on a renewal. the only thing i'd be concerned about on a renewal to the state police would be trying to get restrictions removed. but i've never involved the sp honestly don't know about those restrictions.
My last renewal was delayed by a couple of weeks because the Commonwealth somehow lost my fingerprint records and I had to go in and have them redone. The licensing officer was as dumbfounded
 
My last renewal was delayed by a couple of weeks because the Commonwealth somehow lost my fingerprint records and I had to go in and have them redone. The licensing officer was as dumbfounded
That happened to me last year. I had an additional 6 week processing time added.
 
I may be seeing things where they do not exist, but I see this as a strategy. All the sudden, the colonel gets hundreds if not thousands of requests. She puts pressure of the unwanted work load onto the governor who will put pressure back on the local COP.
The colonel can not be bothered with work that a mere chief of police could and should handle.
 
I may be seeing things where they do not exist, but I see this as a strategy. All the sudden, the colonel gets hundreds if not thousands of requests. She puts pressure of the unwanted work load onto the governor who will put pressure back on the local COP.
The colonel can not be bothered with work that a mere chief of police could and should handle.
The problem with your theory is that chiefs don't work for/report to the MSP Colonel nor to the governor. Just like when AG Harshbarger tried to order local chiefs to confiscate FFLs from those operating from their residences. I had two chiefs tell me that the AG could go F himself as the chief doesn't answer to him.

This will be an interesting experiment, but it won't force chiefs to do anything. And the Colonel currently has a clerical person handling licensing of dealers/instructors/etc. so it would likely be shuffled off to her and then perhaps to the FRB Director, assuming that the MSP took any action on the applications.
 
The only problem with this is.... what happens if MSP decides to do this, and then consequently issues a restricted LTC to a first timer, and essentially gives the applicant an unwanted case of LTC AIDS? (That's what I call this, it's essentially a 6 year long prison herpes/aids sentence to someone's LTC, unless they just say f*** it and ignore the restriction. )

They could wait X? months for the PD to open back up, or take this other maneuver and potentially risk getting LTC AIDS.... calculated risk I guess.
 
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