Can a Felon Own a Gun in Massachusetts? Penalties and Restoration

A felon cannot own a gun in Massachusetts. Any felony conviction, from any state or federal court, is a permanent bar to firearm ownership under Chapter 140, Section 121F of the Massachusetts General Laws.¹ Licensing authorities must deny both the Firearm Identification (FID) card and the License to Carry (LTC) to anyone with a felony on their record, and there is no waiting period after which the bar automatically lifts. The only realistic route back is a gubernatorial pardon, and even a pardon does not guarantee firearm rights are restored.

What Counts as a Disqualifying Conviction

Massachusetts defines a “prohibited person” broadly. The categories that permanently bar firearm ownership include:

Any felony conviction, in any jurisdiction.
Any conviction for a violent crime, whether it was charged as a felony or a misdemeanor.
Any misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence, mirroring the federal Lautenberg Amendment.¹

Two other categories act as long-term rather than permanent bars, but only for the FID card:

A misdemeanor punishable by more than two years in prison. What matters is the maximum possible sentence, not the sentence actually imposed. Eligibility for an FID returns five years after conviction, release from confinement, or completion of probation or parole, whichever is later.
Any drug offense involving controlled substances. The same five-year clock applies for FID eligibility.¹

Those five-year exceptions do not open the door to an LTC, and they do not apply to felonies, violent crimes, or domestic violence misdemeanors. A felony stays disqualifying forever unless the conviction itself is undone.

Beyond convictions, the “unsuitability” standard in Section 121F gives licensing authorities discretion to deny an application based on the full picture of an applicant’s behavior, not just their criminal record.¹ Denials can be appealed through the district court.

Federal Law Runs in Parallel

Even if you found a way around the state prohibition, federal law would still apply. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison — the federal definition that captures most state felonies — is barred from possessing a firearm or ammunition anywhere in the United States.² The federal list also covers fugitives, unlawful drug users, people subject to certain restraining orders, and others.

The state and federal prohibitions overlap heavily, but each contains categories the other doesn’t, so both apply at the same time. That matters for anyone pursuing restoration: clearing the state bar does nothing if the federal bar remains, and vice versa.

What Happens if a Prohibited Person Is Caught With a Gun

Massachusetts has one of the strictest illegal-possession penalty structures in the country. Under Chapter 269, Section 10, carrying a firearm without a valid license carries a mandatory minimum of 18 months in a house of correction, or two-and-a-half to five years in state prison. That 18-month minimum cannot be suspended, and the defendant is not eligible for probation, parole, work release, or good-conduct reductions until the full 18 months are served.³

Additional facts add time on top of the base sentence:

If the firearm is loaded, an additional sentence of up to two-and-a-half years runs consecutively.⁴
Carrying a firearm on the grounds of any school, college, or university without written authorization carries up to two years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.⁴
A second offense carries five to seven years in state prison, with no suspension or probation.
A third offense carries seven to ten years.
A fourth offense carries ten to 15 years.³

A conviction also results in forfeiture of the firearm and adds a fresh disqualifier to the record, which permanently forecloses future licensing in Massachusetts.

Restoring Firearm Rights After a Felony

Massachusetts offers no straightforward path back to firearm ownership after a felony. The prohibition is permanent unless the conviction itself is set aside, and the primary mechanism for that is a gubernatorial pardon under Chapter 127, Section 152.

The pardon process works like this:

You file a written petition with the Parole Board, which serves as the Advisory Board of Pardons. The petition becomes a public record the moment it is filed.
The Board reviews the petition and forwards it, along with a recommendation, to the Governor and the Governor’s Council.
For anyone confined under a felony sentence, a public hearing before the Council is required. Victims and community members can provide input.
The Council votes by roll call, and the Governor can grant or deny the pardon with the Council’s advice and consent.⁵

Pardons in Massachusetts are rare, and receiving one does not automatically restore firearm rights. The pardon itself may contain conditions or limitations. And because the federal prohibition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) operates independently, a state pardon may not remove the federal barrier unless it expressly restores civil rights including firearm privileges.² Anyone pursuing this route needs to confirm both barriers come down, not just the state one.

The Narrow Exceptions That Are Not Felony Relief

Two categories of prohibited persons can regain FID eligibility without a pardon, but neither helps someone convicted of a felony:

A person disqualified by a misdemeanor punishable by more than two years, or by a drug offense, becomes eligible again for an FID card five years after completing their sentence, probation, or parole.¹
A person disqualified by a prior involuntary mental health commitment, other than a court-ordered commitment, can apply after five years with an affidavit from a physician or psychologist confirming they no longer have the disqualifying condition.

These exceptions do not touch felony convictions, violent crimes, or domestic violence misdemeanors. For those disqualifiers, the pardon route is the only route, and it does not come easily. If you are trying to sort out whether your specific conviction leaves any path open, that is a conversation for a Massachusetts firearms attorney, because the interplay between state and federal law is where most self-directed efforts break down.

1
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws – Part I, Title XX, Chapter 140, Section 121F
2
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
3
Mass.gov. Massachusetts General Laws c.269 Section 10 – Carrying Dangerous Weapons
4
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws – Part IV, Title I, Chapter 269, Section 10
5
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws – Part I, Title XVIII, Chapter 127, Section 152