How to Obtain A Connecticut Pistol Permit

The journey to get a pistol permit in the state of Connecticut is not for the faint of heart. It took me 4+ months and over $300 just to have access to my rights supposedly guaranteed to me by the second amendment of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. Despite the bureaucratic BS, I have persevered and finally received my Connecticut pistol permit.


My memory may fail me on all the exact fees and charges, but the process for getting a Connecticut pistol permit is summarized below:

1) Consider getting your hunting license. This is not a requirement, but the NRA firearms safety course that is required to obtain a hunting license is useful. It gives you some education, and gives your future pistol permit class instructor a good feeling that you are at least somewhat familiar with firearms.
2) Take an NRA-certified pistol safety course. Cost: ~$100. You can use the NRA website to find courses and instructors in your area. Be sure to take the correct course required for the pistol permit, as the NRA offers several types of courses. The course I took was held in the basement of a local NRA instructor. The course is designed to be a full day course, but the actual length will vary depending on the number of students, and the knowledge level of the students. I was done with my class by lunchtime. Live fire is required for the course. For that portion we had to go to a local indoor shooting range. There is also a basic written test that must be passed in order to complete the class. The instructor determines the price of the class, but most instructors are charging around $100.
3) Apply for a local permit at the local police station. Cost: $70. After passing the NRA course, you will need to take your course certificate, certified birth certificate ($10) or passport, drivers license, and passport-style photo (free at AAA if you are a member) to your local police station. There they will give you the necessary forms to fill out to apply for the local permit. Of course, there is a processing fee. They may also schedule a time for you to be fingerprinted if they don’t do it at that time.
4) Get finger printed. Cost: $50. You will need to submit to fingerprints at the local police station. There is a charge for the station to do the fingerprinting.
5) Wait for background check. At this point, you have provided the local police department everything they need to process your permit. They will conduct a background check and call you at the conclusion of the background check. They estimate that the background check will take 6 weeks, but it will most likely take longer.
6) Pick up local pistol permit. Cost: $70. After completing the background check, the local police department will call you to pick up your local pistol permit. This permit is good for 60 days.
7) Go to DPS to obtain state permit. Cost: $70. After getting your local permit, you take this permit, your certified birth certificate or passport, and drivers license to one of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety locations. At that point, you will wait in line, fill out a form, pay another $70 any they will take your picture and immediately issue your state pistol permit, which is good for 5 years. I went to the DPS headquarters location in Middletown, but your local police station should provide a list of all the available locations. Most other locations are in police barracks throughout the state.

That’s it. At that point, you have your Connecticut pistol permit.

It seems simple on paper, but in my case it required a trip to the town hall of the town in which I was born to obtain a certified birth certificate, a trip to the local AAA office to get a passport photo, sacrificing a Saturday for the NRA class, 3 trips to the local police station, and an afternoon driving and waiting in line at the state DPS.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Confucius

“From my cold, dead hands” – Charlton Heston