Ethan’s Law in Connecticut requires you to keep every firearm on premises you control either in a locked container, otherwise secured in a way a reasonable person would consider safe, or on your person. The duty applies to all gun owners in every home, whether or not children live there, and it applies to loaded and unloaded firearms alike. Codified at Connecticut General Statutes Section 29-37i and expanded by Public Act 23-53 in 2023, the law backs the storage rule with a felony charge when unsafe storage leads to injury and with strict civil liability for damages.
Who the Storage Rule Applies To
The current version of Section 29-37i is universal. No one may store or keep any firearm on premises they control unless the firearm is properly secured or on their person.1Justia. Connecticut Code 29-37i – Responsibilities re Storage of Firearms There is no requirement that a minor or prohibited person live in the home, visit the home, or be likely to access the gun. The obligation is on every owner, at all times.
Before the 2023 amendment, the storage duty only kicked in when the owner knew or reasonably should have known that a minor under 18 was likely to gain access. Public Act 23-53 removed that conditional language and made the rule apply across the board.1Justia. Connecticut Code 29-37i – Responsibilities re Storage of Firearms
How to Store a Firearm Legally
The statute gives you two ways to comply.1Justia. Connecticut Code 29-37i – Responsibilities re Storage of Firearms The first is a securely locked box or container. A gun safe, a lockbox, or a locking cabinet all qualify. The second is any other method that a reasonable person would consider secure. Trigger locks and cable locks fit here, though the statute names no specific device.
The law does not set a brand, a price, or a security rating. What it sets is a standard: would a reasonable person believe the firearm is effectively out of reach of unauthorized users? A broken latch on a cheap case likely fails that test. A bolted steel safe with a combination lock almost certainly passes.
When You Can Keep a Firearm Unlocked
Section 29-37i does not force you to lock a gun away while you have it with you. You can carry the firearm on your person, or keep it close enough that you could retrieve and use it as readily as if it were on your body.1Justia. Connecticut Code 29-37i – Responsibilities re Storage of Firearms A handgun on the nightstand while you sleep, or a firearm within arm’s reach while you are in the room, fits within this exception.
The exception ends the moment that immediate reach ends. Leave the room, leave the house, or step away from the firearm, and the storage requirement takes over again. General household presence is not enough; the standard is continuous physical proximity.
Criminal Penalties When Someone Gets Hurt
The main criminal exposure sits in Section 53a-217a, criminally negligent storage of a firearm. You face this charge when you violate Section 29-37i and another person obtains the firearm and causes injury or death to themselves or anyone else.2Justia. Connecticut Code 53a-217a – Criminally Negligent Storage of a Firearm
Before 2023, the charge only reached cases where a minor or a resident ineligible to possess firearms got the gun. P.A. 23-53 replaced that language with “another person,” so the identity of whoever obtains the firearm no longer limits liability. A roommate, a guest, or anyone else who ends up with the gun can trigger the charge.
Criminally negligent storage of a firearm is a Class D felony.2Justia. Connecticut Code 53a-217a – Criminally Negligent Storage of a Firearm Under Connecticut’s sentencing rules, that carries up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.3Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 952 – Penal Code: Offenses A felony conviction also costs you the right to possess firearms under both state and federal law.
The Break-In Defense and the 72-Hour Report
The statute builds in one defense to the felony charge. You are not criminally liable under Section 53a-217a if someone got the firearm through an unlawful entry into your premises and you reported the firearm stolen as required by law.2Justia. Connecticut Code 53a-217a – Criminally Negligent Storage of a Firearm Both conditions have to be met. An illegal entry alone will not save you if you never filed the theft report.
Section 53-202g sets the report requirement. Any person who lawfully possesses a firearm that is lost or stolen must report the loss or theft to the local police department within 72 hours of discovering it. Where a town has no organized police department, the report goes to the state police troop covering that area.4Justia. Connecticut Code 53-202g – Report of Loss or Theft of Firearm
Missing the deadline is itself a crime, and the penalties climb fast:
- First offense: Class A misdemeanor, fine up to $2,000.5Justia. Connecticut Code 53a-42 – Fines for Misdemeanors
- Subsequent offense: Class C felony.
- Intentional failure to report: Class B felony, whether first or subsequent.4Justia. Connecticut Code 53-202g – Report of Loss or Theft of Firearm
A first offense for failure to report does not cost you your Connecticut firearm permit eligibility. That protection ends with a subsequent offense or an intentional failure. Filing the report on time also keeps the break-in defense available, so the 72-hour window matters twice over.
Civil Strict Liability
Even without a criminal conviction, unsafe storage can cost you in civil court. Section 52-571g imposes strict liability on any person who fails to comply with Section 29-37i when a minor, a resident legally ineligible to possess a firearm, or a resident who poses a risk of imminent harm to themselves or others obtains the weapon and causes injury or death.6Justia. Connecticut Code 52-571g – Strict Liability of Person Who Fails to Store Firearm Securely
Strict liability is a tougher standard for the gun owner than ordinary negligence. The injured party does not have to prove you were careless. Proof that you violated the storage rule and that one of the listed categories of people obtained the firearm and caused harm is enough. Damages can include medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and wrongful death claims filed by surviving family.
The civil statute still uses the older, narrower categories of covered persons rather than the “another person” language now in the criminal statute. That gap matters: the felony can attach whenever any person obtains an unsecured firearm and causes harm, while strict civil liability specifically tracks minors, prohibited residents, and residents posing an imminent risk.