Concealed Carry in Connecticut

No. Connecticut does not allow permitless carry. No person may carry a pistol or revolver on their person, except in their own home, on land they own or lease, or in their own place of business, without a permit issued under § 29-28. Carrying a handgun without a permit is a class D felony with a one-year mandatory minimum sentence absent mitigating circumstances (as summarized by the legislature's research office).

State Permit to Carry Pistols or Revolvers. The local chief of police (or the town's chief executive officer or designated resident state trooper/state police) first issues a temporary state permit valid 60 days, if it finds the applicant intends no use of the handgun other than a lawful use and is 'a suitable person'; the applicant must then appear within 60 days to receive the state permit from the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). Applicant must be at least 21, pass a state and national criminal history check, and (for applications filed on or after July 1, 2024) have completed, not earlier than two years before applying, a DESPP-approved course in the safety and use of firearms that covers safe storage, lawful use and lawful carrying. Fee: $140 for the original permit plus the FBI background-check cost; renewal $70. The state permit expires five years after it becomes effective. Nonresidents who hold a carry permit from another state may apply directly to the DESPP commissioner.

None. Connecticut has no state law that honors other states' carry permits; a Connecticut permit is required to carry a handgun. Nonresidents who hold a carry permit from another state may instead apply to DESPP for a Connecticut nonresident permit; nonresidents may also transport unloaded firearms to competitions, training, repair or collector meetings, and through the state as federal law allows.

Public or private elementary and secondary school property and school-sponsored activities (class D felony); buildings where either house of the General Assembly or legislative offices are located or where a legislative committee is holding a public hearing (class D felony); and any premises where carrying is prohibited by other law or by the person who owns or controls the premises.

Without a permit, a person may not knowingly have a pistol or revolver in a vehicle they own, operate or occupy; doing so is a class D felony. Non-permit holders may transport a handgun only for listed purposes, unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment (or, if there is no separate compartment, in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console). Anyone leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle must keep it in the trunk, a locked safe or a locked glove box. Long guns may not be loaded in a vehicle.