Applicants are required call the Boston Police Licensing Unit to schedule an appointment.
Boston Police Headquarters
Licensing Unit, 1st Floor
One Schroeder Plaza
Boston, MA 02120
617-343-4425
Customer Service Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
from 8:30am-4:00pm
Tuesday from 8:30am-6:00pm
On the day / time of your appointment, the applicant must report to the Licensing Unit with the proper documents, see below. Do not bring any weapons, including firearms, to your appointment. Applicants must complete and sign a license to carry firearms application. All applicants will be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed by a police officer from the Licensing Unit. Applicants will be issued a dated receipt to confirm the application. A background investigation and determination of suitability will be conducted on all applicants.
Pursuant to MGL. Ch. 140, § 131, applicants must be at least 21 years old. The nonrenewable processing fee is $100.00 dollars, payable by cash or money order. Credit cards and checks are not accepted. Renewal fee will be waived for applicants 70 years of age and older. Applicants must reside or have a place of business in the City of Boston. Applicants must submit a copy of the following applicable documents:
All answers to questions on the submitted License to Carry Application must be truthful. Failure to answer any question on the submitted License to Carry Application in a truthful manner will result in an automatic denial of a License to Carry.
Applicants will be required to qualify at the Boston Police Department Firearms Range at Moon Island within two weeks of the date of the application.
An LTC is valid for not more than six years and will expire on the licensee’s birthday.
Statutory disqualifications include:
Pursuant to MGL. Ch. 140 § 131, the licensing authority will make a determination of suitability on all LTC applicants and active licensees. If the licensing authority determines an applicant or licensee could create a risk to public safety, the licensing authority will deny the issuance of a new LTC or suspend / revoke an active LTC.
Licensee shall notify, in writing, the issuing licensing authority, the Chief of Police into whose jurisdiction the licensee moves and the Firearm Record Bureau of any change of address. Notification shall be made within thirty days by certified mail. Failure to notify shall be cause for suspension or revocation.
Officials at the governmental institutions and other entities authorized to submit fingerprints and receive FBI identification records under this authority must notify the individuals fingerprinted that the fingerprints will be used to check the criminal history records of the FBI. The officials making the determination of suitability for licensing or employment shall provide the applicants the opportunity to complete, or challenge the accuracy of, the information contained in the FBI identification record. These officials also must advise the applicants that procedures for obtaining a change, correction, or updating of an FBI identification record are set forth in Title 28, C.F.R., 16.34. Officials making such determinations should not deny the license or employment based on information in the record until the applicant has been afforded a reasonable time to correct or complete the record, or has declined to do so.