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Massachusetts Concealed Carry Laws (2026)
Restricted: A Massachusetts License to Carry (LTC) is required to carry a handgun in public.
A Massachusetts License to Carry (LTC) is required to carry a handgun in public. Residents must be 21 or older to get one. A visitor needs a Massachusetts non-resident LTC, which costs $100 and lasts one year, unless a travel-through exemption applies (see the transport rule). Massachusetts has no permitless carry.
General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.
Concealed Carry in states bordering Massachusetts
The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.
- ConnecticutRestricted
A Connecticut permit is required to carry a handgun in public. You must be 21 or older. The permit is issued only after the authority finds you a "suitable person." Out-of-state residents who hold a permit from their own state may apply to the Connecticut State Police for a nonresident Connecticut permit.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: portal.ct.gov · Full Connecticut rule →
- New HampshirePermitted
No permit is needed to carry a handgun in New Hampshire, openly or concealed. This applies to residents and visitors alike, as long as you are not prohibited from having a firearm. State law sets no minimum age for carrying, but federal law bars most handgun possession under 18, so 18 is the practical minimum. A New Hampshire license is optional.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: nhsp.dos.nh.gov · Full New Hampshire rule →
- New YorkRestricted
A license is required to carry a concealed handgun in New York. There is no permitless carry. The minimum age is 21, unless you were honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard, or the New York National Guard. Applicants need 16 hours of classroom and 2 hours of live-fire training, at least four character references, an in-person interview and a good moral character finding. Many sensitive places are off-limits.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: troopers.ny.gov · Full New York rule →
- Rhode IslandRestricted
Rhode Island requires a permit to carry concealed, and the minimum age is 21. Issuance is partly discretionary: the Attorney General "may issue" a carry permit to applicants 21 and older on a showing of need, and local authorities may also issue, so the state is effectively may-issue.
Verified Jul 12, 2026 · Source: riag.ri.gov · Full Rhode Island rule →
- VermontPermitted
No permit is needed to carry a handgun in Vermont, openly or concealed, and the state issues no carry permits. This applies to visitors as well as residents. Vermont's own age rule is that a child under 16 may not have a pistol or revolver without a parent's or guardian's consent, and federal law generally bars handgun possession under 18.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: dps.vermont.gov · Full Vermont rule →
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