How to Sell a Gun in Connecticut

Identification Requirements

In Connecticut, handgun buyers in private transactions must be state residents with a valid permit or eligibility certificate. Sellers are required to obtain an authorization number from the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit. The process involves two forms: DPS-67-C, to be kept by the seller for 20 years, and DPS-3-C, to be handed to the buyer.

Waiting Periods

Connecticut does not impose a waiting period on firearm purchases or transfers. However, a purchaser or transferee must obtain a permit or certificate prior to receiving a firearm.

Age requirements

A person must be at least age 21 to obtain an eligibility certificate for a handgun. A handgun may be transferred temporarily to a person under age 21 for target shooting or use on a shooting range if under the immediate supervision of a person eligible to possess a handgun. There is no minimum age to possess a long gun in Connecticut. Connecticut law generally prohibits the sale of firearm ammunition or an ammunition magazine to anyone under age 18.

Background Checks in Private Sales

As of October 1, 2023, Connecticut mandates that all firearm transfers can only occur if the recipient possesses a valid handgun carry permit, a retail firearm sales permit, or a handgun eligibility certificate. Additionally, anyone purchasing or receiving a long gun, such as a rifle or shotgun, must have one of these permits or licenses, or a long gun eligibility certificate.

Additional information :

• Criminal Background Checks on Gun Purchasers at Gun Shows
• SB 506

Ineligible Persons

The Guide to Firearms and Permits in Connecticut outlines Ineligible persons as :

• No person convicted for a Felony or a Misdemeanor crime of domestic violence involving the use or threatened use of physical force or a deadly weapon
• No person may obtain a Pistol Permit, Eligibility Cer-tificate, or possess any handguns if they are less than 21 years of age
• Any person convicted of a felony, or convicted in Connecticut for :
  • Illegal possession of narcotics or other controlled substances - 21a-279
  • Criminally negligent homicide - 53a-58
  • Assault in the third degree - 53a-61
  • Reckless endangerment in the first degree - 53a-63