There can be several reasons why you might want to get a pistol permit in CT, with one of them being that you want to be an armed security guard in the state. You will have to go through several steps in order to get this. If you successfully complete them, then you will most likely get a pistol permit and blue card in CT.
Requirements
Are you looking to get a state or local pistol permit? While you will have to go through the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit to get a state permit, you will have to get a local one first, which requires you to go to the police chief in your town. Once you have approval for the local permit, then you can apply for the state one.
In order to get a CT pistol permit, you need to be at least 21 years old and live as a legal resident of the United States. If you have a felony conviction, you cannot get a permit, nor if you also committed one of the 11 misdemeanors that the state lists. There are also requirements prohibiting people who commit juvenile offenses or who are put into a hospital for certain psychiatric reasons.
As of this writing, the cost for getting the pistol permit was $70 and the permit lasts for five years. You can get the paperwork for it at your local police department, city or town half, or your first selectman’s office. If you’re looking for a state permit, you can go to a permitting office.
The next step is to take and complete a handgun safety course. There are many pistol permit classes in CT. This has to at least be the “Basic Pistol Course,” which the NRA gives. You can’t use the “Home Firearms Safety Course” or the “First Steps Pistol Orientation Program” in its place – the state will not approve that.
While technology has greatly advanced over the years, especially with computer-generated shooting programs, you must do live firing. Also, you will have to submit to a background investigation, and criminal history check, and also have your fingerprints and photographs. If you don’t pass the “suitability clause,” the issuer of your permit can deny your application. You must also prove that you are in the country legally, whether as a natural-born citizen, a legal alien, or a naturalized citizen. The issuer will ask for things like a birth certificate or a passport or a green card.
You can expect to wait around 8 weeks for the issuing authority to approve or deny your application. If it turns out that you are denied, then you can always appeal to the Board of Firearm Permit Examiners.
Purchases
Once you have done all of the above, you will be able to get an eligibility certificate, which cost $35 at the time of this writing. You can take it to places that legally sell firearms and it will show that you can buy the firearm. Once you have it, you can only take it to your residence or place of business – you CANNOT carry it around with you.
Renewals
You should get a notice roughly 90 days before your permit expires – the issuer will send it to your last known address. If you change your address, you must let them know up to 48 hours after you change the address. You can only renew your permit through the mail and it costs $70 as of early 2023.
If you find that you lost the permit, you must notify the local police where you lost it. Then notify the issuer. In order to replace it, you need to go to your local police station and pay a $5 processing fee.
Revocation
You can lose your permit if you commit a felony or certain misdemeanors while you have the permit. When that happens, you have five days to return the permit or face a Class C misdemeanor charge. If you do all of that, you should have no problem owning a firearm in CT.
