Budget $350 to $450 all-in for a Massachusetts LTC, and expect the class to be the biggest line. Here is every cost, including the ones nobody mentions until you're standing at the counter.
The unavoidable costs
| Item | Cost | Paid to |
|---|
| State-approved safety course | $99–$300 | Your instructor (ours: $249 or $349) |
|---|
| State license fee | $100 | Your police department, at application |
|---|
| Administrative fee | $0–$25 | Some departments only |
|---|
| Realistic total | $350–$450 | Before you own anything |
|---|
The $100 state fee is fixed by statute and is the same whether you get an LTC or an FID. The license lasts six years, so amortised it's under $60 a year — but it lands as one bill.
Why courses range from $99 to $300
The state sets the curriculum floor, not the price, and the difference is almost entirely about what happens on the range:
A $99–$150 classroom course
- Classroom only no range
- Plastic trainers or a table display no live fire
- Often a rented function room off site
- Larger groups 30+
You then still needrange time
Ours at $249
- Classroom and indoor range one roof
- Live fire, real pistol included
- Firearm, ammunition, ear & eye, target included
- Instructor behind you on the line included
Nothing to add$249
If you take a classroom-only course and then go and rent a lane, a firearm and ammunition to actually learn to shoot, you are looking at $75 or more on top — plus a second trip. That is the whole price gap, and you get an instructor next to you rather than a range officer watching from behind glass.
The costs after the license
The license is the entry fee, not the hobby. What people spend next:
- A firearm — $400–$800 for a reliable, common handgun. Buy after the class, not before; four to five hours of handling changes what you want.
- A lockbox or safe — $30 for a cable-lock box, $200+ for a quick-access safe. Not optional: Massachusetts storage law requires secured storage whenever the firearm is not under your direct control.
- Ammunition — roughly $15–$25 for a box of 50 in a common calibre.
- Range time — around $25–$35 per visit around Boston, plus rental if you don't own yet. Our own classes include the lane, the firearm and the gear in the price, so there is no rental line on the day.
- Renewal — $100 every six years.
The 39-state question
The one place the maths genuinely favours spending more: if you drive, fly or work across state lines, the 39 State Multi License Course is $349 rather than $249. That extra $100 covers the law for five more states in the same four to five hours. Getting those five licenses by taking each state's course separately runs about $1,200 plus five trips.
If you will only ever carry in Massachusetts, don't pay it. You're buying states you'll never visit.
Ways to spread it
The class can be split into four interest-free payments with Afterpay — $62.25 today for the Basic course, or $87.25 for the Multi — with the remaining three every two weeks. Your seat and your date are locked when you book, not when the last payment clears.
Is the $100 state fee refundable if I'm denied?
No — that's the department's fee for processing the application. Our course fee is what we refund under the guarantee if you follow the process, have no disqualifications and are still denied.
Is there a discount for a second person?
Everyone needs their own seat at the standard price — each attendee signs their own waiver and needs their own email and phone. Coming as a pair is worth doing anyway; people who arrive together are visibly calmer.
Do I pay for ammunition in the class?
No. The rounds you fire in the class are included. If you want more time on the line, you can extend your range session at checkout.
What does an FID cost?
The same $100 state fee, and the same class requirement. Fee treatment differs for some applicants by age — confirm with your department.
Any hidden costs on the day?
None. Bring yourself and a photo ID. Parking is free.
What we do and don't do. We teach the state-approved class and the law Massachusetts requires you to complete before you apply. Applying is your own step with your own police department; we are not part of it. This guide is general information, not legal advice — the licensing authority and the statute are the final word.