As of Oct. 1, 2023, the open carrying of a firearm is now illegal in Connecticut. The new law came into effect due to complaints to police from people who were alarmed by the display of guns. The law will allow people to carry their guns, but they need to be concealed. Concealed carry is legal in the state with a Connecticut Pistol Permit (CTPP) or a Certificate of Eligibility for Pistol and Revolvers or Long Guns or Ammunition.
Paul Melanson, Avon’s police chief and president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association said on the new law, “as far as open carry versus concealed, it makes our job easier in that, when we are called for a person open carrying, we can now identify them and confirm they actually have a pistol permit, where in the past they could refuse to identify themselves and refuse to produce their permit.”
The law also provides other important provisions. First, it limits the sale of handguns to three in any one month, increases training requirements for gun permit holders and raises the minimum age to purchase a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21. Second, it increases requirements for safe storage of guns. Third, it closes loopholes in the state’s ban on assault weapons by including other firearms with banned features.
Gov. Ned Lamont signed this bill back on June 6, 2023, which has recently come into effect in October.
“This bill that I just signed takes smart and strategic steps to strengthen the laws in Connecticut to prevent tragedy from happening,” Lamont said. “As more and more shootings have occurred over the last decade – including mass shootings – federal and state laws have not kept up with the innovative ways firearm companies are manufacturing guns, especially those that are being designed with the sole intention of killing the largest number of people possible in the shortest amount of time.”
Police will now be required to submit reports on anyone they stop for violating the concealed carry law. Their reports will be sent to the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at the University of Connecticut, which will then report the findings to state leaders each year.
For first-time violations of the new law, it is a class B misdemeanor, a maximum prison term of six months and a fine of $1,000. For multiple violations, it is a class A misdemeanor, a maximum term of one year in prison and a $2,000 fine. An outline of a gun under clothing and while engaged in self-defense are not violations.
Throughout the United States, laws on open carry versus concealed carry vary from state to state. Florida prohibits open carrying of firearms, whereas Pennsylvania allows open carrying and New York does not address open carry in state law.
Lamont said regarding the U.S. federal gun laws, “Our country still needs strong federal laws on firearm safety and gun violence prevention with the breadth to impact every state. The inaction of Congress on critical legislation to keep Americans safe requires each state to act individually. Over the years, Connecticut has shown time and again that we can improve public safety by implementing reasonable gun violence prevention laws while also respecting the rights of Americans to own guns for their own protection and sportsmanship.”