Just moved here

Moved here with firearms?

This is the situation we most want people to get ahead of. Massachusetts requires a license to possess a firearm — not just to carry one — and no other state's permit counts here. Arriving with a collection and sorting it out later is the wrong order.

See class dates Do I qualify? · 30 sec
4–5 hrsOne class, one visit
Live fireIncluded, every seat
4,176Google reviews · 5.0
7 daysAM, PM & evening
A Boston Firearms class in progress at 151 Bow Street, Everett.
Everett, ten minutes from Boston.
What to expect

Four things worth knowing.

Possession needs a license here

Unlike most states, keeping a firearm at home in Massachusetts requires a license. This is the rule that catches new arrivals.

Your old permit doesn't transfer

Massachusetts honours no other state's carry permit. There is no reciprocity path in.

Get licensed before you move if you can

Non-residents can apply through the Firearms Records Bureau, and you can take the class before you have a Massachusetts address.

Storage and transport rules are stricter

Locked container or a tamper-resistant lock whenever it isn't under your direct control, and unloaded and locked in a vehicle. Read the storage guide before the moving van arrives.

The class itself

Same four to five hours. Pick how far it reaches.

Basic Firearm Safety Course

Carry in Massachusetts.

$249per seat · 4–5 hours · one visit

  • Everything Massachusetts requires before you apply
  • Live fire, real firearms, ear and eye — all in the price
  • Runs morning, afternoon and evening
See dates — $249Full details
Best value
Map of MA and the 38 other states where the Multi License Course licenses let you carry.
39 State Multi License Course

Carry in MA + 38 other states. Includes the MA LTC.

$349per seat · 4-5 hours · one visit · $100 more, once

  • Six states' courses — MA, ME, NH, CT, PA, FL
  • Same live fire, same instructor, same guarantee
See dates — $349Full details
Live fire

Live fire with every class.

Plenty of courses pass you without a single round downrange. Ours puts a real firearm in your hands the same day — your own lane, an instructor behind you, everything you'd otherwise rent already in your seat.

See class dates
Questions

The ones we get asked.

Can I bring my firearms with me?
You need to be licensed here and comply with Massachusetts reporting obligations. Talk to your new department before the move, not after.
Can I take the class before I'm a resident?
Yes. The training requirement is the same whether you apply as a resident or a non-resident.
Will my out-of-state training count?
Massachusetts requires a state-approved course. Ours is Course LTC035.
What about the firearms I own that aren't MA compliant?
That's a dealer and lawyer question and it's worth asking early — the roster and feature rules here are narrower than most states.
More in who it's for

The class, written for the person actually asking.

Gun Classes for Women in MassachusettsFirst-Time Gun Owner Classes Near BostonFirearms Classes for Seniors in MassachusettsTake the Massachusetts LTC Class Together
See class datesThe license class — $249All of who it's for

Elsewhere on the site: Getting licensed · Massachusetts gun law · Where you can carry · Your town · At the range

Getting here

Ten minutes from Boston. Free parking.

151 Bow Street, Unit 2
Everett, MA 02149