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Connecticut Firearm Bill of Sale | Form DPS-3-C

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Connecticut Firearm Bill of Sale | Form DPS-3-C

Updated October 05, 2023

A Connecticut firearm bill of sale (Form DPS-3-C) is a legal document that a seller presents to a buyer during the sale of a firearm in the State of Connecticut. It proves that the transaction took place in a legal environment. The form can also be used as proof of a legal change of ownership.

Table of Contents

Privately Selling a Firearm

A private seller is required to obtain an authorization number from the Connecticut Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection.[1]

Prohibited from Buying

A Permit or a Handgun Eligibility Certificate is required for anyone to buy a firearm in Connecticut.[2] A person is prohibited from buying a firearm if that person:[3]

  • has been convicted of (A) a felony committed prior to, on or after October 1, 2013, (B) a misdemeanor violation,[4] committed on or after October 1, 2015, or (C) a misdemeanor violation[5] committed during the preceding twenty years;
  • has been convicted as delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense;[6]
  • has been discharged from custody within the preceding twenty years after having been found not guilty of a crime by reason of mental disease or defect;[7]
  • (A) has been confined prior to October 1, 2013, in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities,[8]  within the preceding twelve months by order of a probate court, or has been confined on or after October 1, 2013, in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities, within the preceding sixty months by order of a probate court, or, with respect to any person who holds a valid permit or certificate that was issued or renewed[9] in effect prior to October 1, 2013, such person has been confined in such hospital within the preceding twelve months, or
    • (B) has been voluntarily admitted on or after October 1, 2013, to a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities, within the preceding six months for care and treatment of a psychiatric disability and not solely for being an alcohol-dependent person or a drug-dependent person;[10] 
  • knows that such person is subject to
    • (A) a restraining or protective order of a court of this state that has been issued against such person, after notice has been provided to such person, in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person, or
    • (B) a foreign order of protection,[11] that has been issued against such person in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person;
  • knows that such person is subject to a firearms seizure order issued prior to June 1, 2022,[12] after notice and an opportunity to be heard has been provided to such person,
    • or a risk protection order or risk protection investigation order issued on or after June 1, 2022;
  • is prohibited from shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm;[13] or
  • is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. For the purposes of this section, “convicted” means having a judgment of conviction entered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Registering a Firearm

Connecticut does not have any laws requiring firearms to be registered unless the firearm can be classified as an assault weapon.[3] 

Licensed firearm vendors must maintain detailed records of all firearm sales.[14]

Concealed Carry

All Connecticut residents are required to obtain a Permit in order to carry a concealed firearm within the state.[15]

How to Apply

The age requirement to carry a concealed firearm in Connecticut is 21.

Step 1 – Complete a firearms safety training course that meets legal requirements.[16] 

Step 2 – Obtain, complete, and submit a State Permit to Carry Firearms at the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Headquarters or a satellite office. 

Step 3 – Pay the $70 application fee.[17]

Step 4 – Pass a background check.

Step 5 – The issuing authority will approve or deny the application within eight weeks of receiving it.

Reciprocity

Connecticut does not recognize concealed carry licenses issued by other states but allows any nonresidents with an out-of-state license to apply for their own Permit in Connecticut.[18]

Sources

  1. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-33c
  2. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-33b
  3. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-217c
  4. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-279
  5. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-58, 53a-61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a-63, 53a-96, 53a-175, 53a-176, 53a-178, 53a-181d
  6. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-120
  7. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-13
  8. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-495
  9. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 29-28, 29-38f
  10. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-680
  11. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-15a
  12. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-38c
  13. 18 USC 922(g)(4)
  14. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-202a
  15. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-31
  16. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-28b
  17. Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection: State Permit
  18. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-28f