Who Cannot Carry
G.L. c. 140, § 121F — a prohibited person is denied every permit, card or license
Denied. A licensing authority denies any application for a firearms permit, card or license under the chapter, or its renewal, to a person it determines to be a prohibited person.
- A conviction or adjudication, anywhere, for a felony, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for more than 2 years, a violent crime, a firearms law violation carrying a possible prison term, a controlled substance violation, or a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
- A commitment to a hospital or institution for mental illness or for alcohol or substance use disorder, or a probate court guardianship or conservatorship for lack of mental capacity, unless the conditions the section sets for relief are met.
- A current protection order, harassment prevention order, extreme risk protection order, or order to suspend or surrender firearms, or a similar order from another jurisdiction.
- An outstanding arrest warrant in any state or federal jurisdiction.
- A dishonorable discharge from the armed forces.
Those are among the conditions that make a person a prohibited person under the section.
Five years for some. For a firearm identification card, a misdemeanor punishable by more than 2 years, a firearms law violation, or a controlled substance violation disqualifies only for 5 years after the conviction, adjudication or release from confinement, probation or parole, whichever is later.
Unsuitable. Apart from that list, a licensing authority denies a permit or license to a person it determines to be unsuitable, on reliable, articulable and credible information of behavior suggesting a risk to public safety or of danger to self or others, and gives the specific reasons in writing.
A firearm identification card. For that card the authority may not deny on unsuitability itself, but may petition the district court, which holds a hearing within 90 days. If no judgment of unsuitability is entered within 90 days of the petition, judgment that the applicant is suitable is entered automatically. A denied applicant may appeal as the section provides.
Federal law keeps its own list of prohibited persons, which applies alongside the state's and is not on this page. Whether a particular conviction, order or commitment brings a person within the section, and whether rights can be restored, are questions for a licensed Massachusetts attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.L. c. 140, § 121F — Process for obtaining permit, card or license; prohibited persons
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.