Can You Buy a Shotgun in CT Without a Permit?

No. You cannot buy a shotgun in Connecticut without a permit or certificate. Since April 1, 2014, every long gun sale in the state requires the buyer to hold a valid Long Gun Eligibility Certificate, a pistol permit, or an Eligibility Certificate to Purchase Pistols or Revolvers, all issued by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP).¹ For a first-time buyer with no pistol credential, the Long Gun Eligibility Certificate is the document you need.

If you already carry a valid Connecticut pistol permit or a pistol eligibility certificate, you’re covered for shotgun purchases too. No separate long gun certificate is required in that case.¹

What the Long Gun Eligibility Certificate Is

The Long Gun Eligibility Certificate is a state credential that authorizes you to purchase rifles and shotguns. Any Connecticut resident at least 18 years old can apply.² It is valid for five years, and you can renew inside a 31-day window on either side of the expiration date.³

How to Get the Certificate

Take a State-Approved Safety Course

Before you apply, you have to complete a course in firearm safety and use taught by instructors certified by the National Rifle Association or the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Courses are run by law enforcement agencies, private schools, and educational institutions.² You’ll get a completion certificate to attach to your application. Course prices typically run $100 to $250.

File the Application

The application is form DPS-799-C. You can request it by calling the DESPP Special Licensing and Firearms Unit at (860) 685-8290.⁴ Along with the form, submit proof of Connecticut residency, your safety course certificate, and a photograph. You can have your thumbprint notarized and mail the packet to the SLFU office in Middletown, or go in person to have the photo taken there.

Fingerprints and Background Check

DESPP runs a fingerprint-based criminal history check. The State Police Bureau of Identification charges $15 for fingerprinting, $75 for the state criminal history check, and $13.25 for the federal check. Pay each separately by check, money order, or exact cash.⁵

Fees and Timing

The certificate application fee is $35, payable to the Treasurer of the State of Connecticut.⁴ Add fingerprinting and background check fees, and the paperwork alone runs around $125 to $140 before the course. DESPP has up to 90 days to approve or deny.⁶ Actual processing time depends on volume, so start well ahead of any hunting season or event you’re planning around.

Who Gets Denied

DESPP will refuse a certificate if any of the statutory bars applies to you.² The most common:

A felony conviction. Any felony is a permanent bar.
Certain misdemeanor convictions in the preceding 20 years, including assault, threatening, and stalking. A misdemeanor drug possession conviction on or after October 1, 2015 also disqualifies.
An active court-issued restraining or protective order involving physical force.
Involuntary psychiatric commitment by probate court order in the preceding 60 months.
Voluntary psychiatric admission in the preceding six months, unless it was solely for alcohol or drug dependency treatment.
A finding of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect with discharge in the preceding 20 years.
An active firearms seizure order or risk protection order under Connecticut law.

Federal law adds its own prohibited categories, including fugitives from justice, unlawful users of controlled substances, anyone dishonorably discharged from the military, and anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.⁷ A federal bar will block the sale even if the state check clears.

At the Counter

Bring the certificate and a valid photo ID to the dealer. You’ll complete two state forms — the DPS-67-C (Application to Purchase a Firearm) and the DPS-3-C (Sale or Transfer of All Firearms) — plus federal ATF Form 4473.¹ The dealer then calls the DESPP Special Licensing and Firearms Unit for a sale authorization number and runs the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).⁴ Most checks return in minutes.

Connecticut has a two-week waiting period for long gun purchases from dealers, but holding a valid eligibility certificate, pistol permit, or hunting license exempts you.⁸ Since one of those credentials is already required to buy, the waiting period rarely applies in practice.

Private Sales Follow the Same Rules

Connecticut does not carve out private sellers. Every long gun sale, transfer, or delivery uses the same forms and the same authorization call, whether it’s a shop or your neighbor. Both parties complete the DPS-67-C and DPS-3-C, and the seller must call DESPP for an authorization number before handing over the firearm.¹ The buyer still needs a valid Long Gun Eligibility Certificate or equivalent. The seller keeps their DPS-3-C copy for 20 years. Skipping the process can bring criminal charges against both parties.

Shotguns a Certificate Won’t Let You Buy

The certificate authorizes you to buy shotguns, but not every shotgun. Connecticut’s assault weapons ban covers several shotgun categories you cannot buy, sell, or possess: semi-automatic shotguns that accept a detachable magazine; semi-automatic shotguns with a folding or telescoping stock combined with a pistol grip that lets the trigger finger fall below the action; shotguns with a revolving cylinder; and specifically named models like the IZHMASH Saiga 12, along with copies or duplicates.⁹ Standard pump-action, break-action, and bolt-action sporting shotguns are unaffected.

Federal law separately restricts short-barreled shotguns, defined as those with a barrel under 18 inches or an overall length under 26 inches.¹⁰ Those fall under the National Firearms Act and require a $200 tax stamp plus ATF approval, and Connecticut layers additional restrictions on top. Legal ownership of a short-barreled shotgun in this state is difficult. Check the barrel and overall length before you commit to buying any shotgun that looks unusually compact.

1
CT.gov. Your Guide to Firearms and Permits in Connecticut
2
Justia. Connecticut Code Title 29 Chapter 529 Section 29-37p – Long Gun Eligibility Certificate
3
Justia. Connecticut Code Title 29 Chapter 529 Section 29-37r – Long Gun Eligibility Certificate Renewal
4
Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection. Firearms and Permit Related Forms and Information
5
Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection. State Police Bureau of Identification
6
CT.gov. State Pistol Permit and Eligibility Certificate FAQ
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
8
Justia. Connecticut Code Title 29 Chapter 529 Section 29-37a – Sale, Delivery or Transfer of Long Guns
9
Connecticut General Assembly. Weapons Banned as Assault Weapons
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 5845 – Definitions