Massachusetts has a number of very specific, and very stringent, laws regarding gun possession, beginning with the requirement to be licensed by the state to purchase firearms and ammunition.  Those licenses are issued upon successful completion of a state-approved firearm safety course.  They are also “may issue” state, except in the case of FID’s, which are “shall issue,” so that once the state requirements are met, the issuing agency may still refuse to grant a license at their own discretion.

There are four possible licenses that can be issued, each lasting 6 years, including:

• Firearm Identification License (FID), which only permits ownership of long arms, which are defined as rifles or shotguns) that hold ten rounds of ammunition or less.
• Class B License to Carry, authorizes the ownership of non large-capacity handguns, but place certain restrictions on the possession, use and carrying of said handgun. This license does not permit concealed weapons and the weapons must be unloaded and in a locked case when carried in the gun holder’s vehicle .
• Class A License to Carry, which allows any capacity handgun or long gun, with the ability to carry concealed weapons.
• Machine gun license, which can only be issued to a firearms instructor certified by the Criminal Justice Training Council or a proven collector who can only use the gun for historical information and appreciation, display, research, demonstration, teaching, test firing, investment, or similar activities.

Ownership is restricted from those persons who have a disqualifying conviction, who have been confined for mental illness or confined and treated for drug addiction or alcohol abuse, who are fugitives, who have had a domestic protective order issued against them, are under 15, or are more than 15 but less than 18 and have not obtained parental or guardian permission.

All licensed firearms are to be stored or carried in a locked container or with a trigger lock.  The one exception is the Class A unrestricted license for handguns and it requires the handgun be under the owner’s control at all times.