|
One-Gun A Month, Ballistic Imaging and More than 10
Other Gun Bills In CT General Assembly NOW
The
following bills (see below) are on the agenda (as of 11:00 pm last night)
for today’s hearing in the Public Safety Committee.
You and
Your Customers MUST ACT NOW!
CONTACT YOUR CT Reps
IMMEDIATELY
http://www.cga.ct.gov/maps/townlist.asp
Proposed
H.B. No. 6899
REP.
DYSON, 94th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE REPORTING OF THE LOSS OR THEFT OF A
FIREARM', to assist the police in tracking lost or stolen firearms and
solving crimes by requiring the owner of a firearm that has been lost or
stolen to promptly report such loss or theft to a law enforcement agency.
REF. JUDICIARY
Proposed
H.B. No. 6900
REP. GREEN, 1st DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING LOST OR STOLEN FIREARMS', to
require the reporting of the loss or theft of a firearm to a law enforcement
agency, require that when a firearm is not in the actual physical possession
of the owner it be stored or kept in a manner so as to reduce the risk that
it will be stolen or otherwise come into the possession of another person,
and provide that evidence that a pistol or revolver was found not in the
possession of the owner thereof is prima facie evidence that the owner had
transferred such pistol or revolver without proper application and
authorization. REF.
JUDICIARY
Proposed
H.B. No. 6901
REP. TONG, 147th DIST.; REP. FAWCETT, 133rd DIST.; REP. CHRISTIANO, 134th
DIST.; REP. AYALA, 128th DIST.; REP. WALKER, 93rd DIST.; REP. KIRKLEY-BEY,
5th DIST.; REP. LEONE, 148th DIST. 'AN ACT FIGHTING VIOLENT CRIME ARISING
FROM LOST OR STOLEN FIREARMS', to fight violent crime that results from the
illegal trade and distribution of firearms that have been lost by or stolen
from legitimate gun owners, identify individuals furthering and profiting
from such trade and distribution and give law enforcement the tools
necessary to fight violent crime by requiring an owner to report the loss or
theft of a firearm promptly upon discovery to local law enforcement
authorities. REF. JUDICIARY
Proposed
H.B. No. 6924
REP. GREENE, 105th DIST. 'AN ACT PROHIBITING TAMPERING WITH OR ALTERING AN
AIR SOFT WEAPON', to increase public safety by prohibiting the alteration of
a replica firearm that expels a projectile through the force of air
pressure. REF. PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Proposed
H.B. No. 6932
REP. CANDELARIA, 95th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING ANTI-TRAFFICKING OF
FIREARMS', to restrict gun trafficking by limiting the number of handguns a
person can purchase each month. REF. PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Proposed
H.B. No. 6935
REP. CANDELARIA, 95th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING BALLISTIC FINGERPRINTING OF
FIREARMS AND THE REPORTING OF LOST OR STOLEN FIREARMS', to require the
collection of ballistic information from firearms prior to their sale and
require the reporting of lost or stolen firearms. REF. PUBLIC SAFETY AND
SECURITY
Proposed
H.B. No. 6570
REP. ROY, 119th DIST. 'AN ACT BANNING THE SALE OR USE OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE
OR SERVICES TO REMOTELY OPERATE WEAPONS TO HUNT ANIMALS OR BIRDS', to
prevent the use of remotely operated devices to manipulate weapons to hunt
live animals or birds. REF. ENVIRONMENT
Proposed
H.B. No. 6702
REP. DYSON, 94th DIST. 'AN ACT REQUIRING THE REPORTING OF STOLEN FIREARMS',
to reduce the number of crimes involving firearms and to assist police in
solving crimes by requiring the reporting of stolen firearms. REF.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Proposed
S.B. No. 892
SEN. LOONEY, 11th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING BURGLARY', to resolve an anomaly
in the burglary statutes in which burglary in the second degree with a
firearm is a more serious crime than burglary in the first degree but
carries a lesser penalty. REF. JUDICIARY
Proposed
S.B. No. 903
SEN. LOONEY, 11th DIST.; SEN. HARP, 10th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING LOST OR
STOLEN FIREARMS', to reduce the number of illegally obtained guns used in
the commission of crimes. REF. JUDICIARY
Proposed
S.B. No. 904
SEN. LOONEY, 11th DIST.; SEN. HARP, 10th DIST. 'AN ACT REQUIRING FIREARM
DEALERS TO REPORT LOST OR STOLEN FIREARMS', to reduce the number of illegal
guns used in crimes. REF. JUDICIARY
Proposed
S.B. No. 935
SEN. LOONEY, 11th DIST.; SEN. HARP, 10th DIST. 'AN ACT REQUIRING A PERMIT TO
SELL FIREARM AMMUNITION', to regulate the sale of firearm ammunition by
requiring a person to have a state permit to sell ammunition. REF. PUBLIC
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Proposed
S.B. No. 936
SEN. LOONEY, 11th DIST.; SEN. HARP, 10th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE
PURCHASE OF FIREARM AMMUNITION', to limit illegal firearms use by
prohibiting "straw purchases" of ammunition. REF. PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Proposed
S.B. No. 938
SEN. LOONEY, 11th DIST.; SEN. HARP, 10th DIST. 'AN ACT LIMITING THE PURCHASE
OF HANDGUNS TO ONE PER MONTH', to reduce the number of illegal guns used in
crimes by enacting a one-handgun-per-month law. REF. PUBLIC SAFETY AND
SECURITY
Proposed
S.B. No. 939
SEN. LOONEY, 11th DIST.; SEN. HARP, 10th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE SALE
OF HANDGUN AMMUNITION', to reduce illegal handgun use by requiring a person
to hold a valid permit to carry a pistol or revolver or eligibility
certificate in order to purchase handgun ammunition. REF. PUBLIC SAFETY AND
SECURITY
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - PISTOL PERMITS
How do I get a permit to
carry a gun in the State of Connecticut?
In order to get a State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers you must
first obtain a Local Permit. Out of state residents may apply for a non
resident Connecticut State Pistol Permit. Non residents apply directly to
the Connecticut State Police. Call 860-685-8494 to have an application
mailed out.
How do I apply for a Local Permit (Temporary State Pistol Permit)?
You must go to the Police Department or First Selectman of the town and
get the application. The application has all the instructions necessary to
obtain the permit. The cost of the permit is $35.00, and it generally takes
eight weeks to obtain.
Once I have received a Local Permit, how do I apply for a State Permit?
New applicants must provide proof of citizenship, such as a birth
certificate, voters registration card or U.S. Passport. Legal Alien
Residents must provide Alien Registration numbers and 90-day proof of
residency. Naturalized citizens require proof of citizenship.
How do I change my address on my Pistol Permit?
You can either call (860) 685-8494 or E-mail the information to:
DPS.Spec.Licensing@po.state.ct.us.
Or you may mail a letter to:
Department of Public Safety
Special Licensing and Firearms Unit
P.O. Box 2794
Middletown, CT. 06457
Change of address is required within 48 hours, and the letter should include
permit number, name, date of birth, old address, and new address.
May I keep my
Pistol Permit if I move out of state?
Yes, providing you notify the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit of
the change of address, and continue to renew your permit.
How long is a Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers good for?
The permit is valid for 5 years from date of issue unless revoked or
suspended.
FIREARMS
The firearms section of the
SLFU is responsible for overseeing and regulating all retail firearm
transactions and all private handgun transfers taking place within the State
of Connecticut. The SLFU is the point of contact (POC) for obtaining
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) authorization
numbers as required under state and federal law. The unit also maintains
machine gun and assault weapon registries and is the statewide repository
for firearms collected for destruction. The unit is further responsible for
investigating violations of state law relating to the purchase, sale and
transfer of firearms in conjunction with the Statewide Firearms Trafficking
Task Force (SFTTF).
Retail Sale of
Firearms (All Firearms)
Retail sales are made when you purchase a new or used firearm from a
federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL). These transactions are strictly
regulated by the Special License and Firearms (SLFU) and the Bureau of
Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
You will be
required to complete Federal form 4473 (yellow, two-page form) and State
Form DPS- 67-C (Application to Purchase) for every firearm you intend to
buy. The dealer will then contact the SLFU and obtain an authorization
number, allowing the transaction to proceed. The final step will be the
completion of State Form DPS-3-C (Sale or Transfer), which is to be filled
out at the time the firearm is delivered to the buyer.
In the event that
you are denied or temporarily denied an authorization number by the SLFU,
you may contact the office for an explanation. (860) 685- 8494.
Retail Sale Certificate
In October 1999, the Connecticut Legislature passed a law that requires any
retail store which sells firearms as a secondary or other than principal
business focus to provide minimum training to it’s employees. The training
and certification requirements are outlined in Public Act 99-212 (Section
6): C.G.S. 29-37f.
Sec. 6. (NEW) No person, firm or corporation that engages in the retail sale
of goods, where the principal part of such trade or business is the retail
sale of goods other than firearms, shall employ a person to sell firearms in
a retail store unless such person (1) is at least eighteen years of age, (2)
has submitted to state and national criminal history records checks and such
checks indicate that such person has not been convicted of a felony or a
violation specified in subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 29-36f
of the general statutes, and (3) has successfully completed a course or
testing approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety in firearms safety and
statutory procedures relating to the sale of firearms. The sale of firearms
by such person, firm or corporation shall be accomplished only by an
employee qualified pursuant to this section. Any employer who employs a
person to sell firearms in violation of the provisions of this section shall
be liable for a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars per day
for each violation. The Attorney General shall institute a civil action to
recover such penalty.
SLFU has developed a test to be administered to the employees of retail
stores. The employer is responsible for developing a training curriculum or
otherwise securing training for its employees from private instructors. Once
the employees are adequately trained the employer may contact SLFU to
arrange testing. A criminal history record check will be run on each
employee taking the test. A certificate will be issued to those employees
that pass the test. There is no fee for the test administration or criminal
history record check.
Private Sale of Firearms:
Pistols and Revolvers
Federal Law states you may only buy a handgun in the state in which you
reside.
You can only buy a handgun in Connecticut, if in addition to being a
resident, you have a valid Permit to carry Pistols or Revolvers, a valid
Eligibility Certificate, if you are a licensed Firearms Dealer, or if you
are a Sworn Police Officer.
A DPS-67-C and a DPS-3-C (4 copies) must be completed. The seller of the
handgun must contact the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit at (860)
685-8400, or 1-(888) 335-8438 and obtain an authorization number for that
sale. This number is to be added to both forms. The DPS-67-C is to be
retained by the seller for 20 years. The seller should retain the original
copy their records, give one copy to the purchaser as a receipt, submit one
copy to the local police authority where the purchaser resides and submit a
final copy to the Commissioner of Public Safety.
Rifles and Shotguns
Sales of long arms between non-licensed dealers, commonly referred to as
second hand sales, require no paperwork or notification, however, it is
strongly recommended that all firearms be voluntarily registered. In the
event of loss or theft of firearm this will provide easy retrieval of
information for insurance or police information and assure return of
recovered property. (exception: sales conducted at gun shows require NICS
authorization check and transfer paperwork) The only restrictions are the
seller may not sell to anyone under 18 years of age, or to anyone the seller
knows is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assault Weapons
Section 53-202a of the Connecticut General Statutes gives the
definition, and an itemized list of what weapons are considered Assault
Weapons.
Definition. (1) Any selective-fire firearm capable of fully automatic,
semiautomatic or burst fire at the option of the user or any of the
following specified semiautomatic firearms: List of Assault Weapons
Who may possess Assault Weapons in Connecticut?
Law enforcement and military personnel may possess Assault Weapons in
connection with their official duties, and any person who has a Certificate
of Possession issued by the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit may possess
the Assault Weapon listed on their certificate.
Can I get a Certificate of Possession for my Assault Weapon now?
No. The only exceptions to this would be a person who has been out of
state serving in the military prior to October 1994, or a person who
receives an Assault Weapon through bequeath or intestate succession
providing the weapon already had a certificate. In these instances, the
person has 90 days to register the weapon with the Special Licensing and
Firearms Unit
I just moved into Connecticut and I possess an Assault Weapon. May I keep
the weapon or if not what are my options?
Within 90 days of moving to Connecticut, you may sell the weapon to any
licensed gun dealer, or you must do one of the following;
-
Render the
weapon permanently inoperable,
-
Sell it to an
out of state dealer,
-
Relinquish the
weapon to a law enforcement agency.
If you choose to
keep the weapon you risk felony arrest.
I never registered my Assault Weapon, What are my options?
You can only render it permanently inoperable, or relinquish it to a law
enforcement agency.
Can Connecticut gun dealers buy or sell Assault Weapons?
A licensed gun dealer may purchase any Assault Weapon that has a
Certificate of Possession, or any Assault weapon that has been transferred
into Connecticut as part of someone’s personal belongings for less than 90
days. The dealer may then sell them to other dealers, law enforcement
agencies, or out of state.
Can police officers buy Assault Weapons?
No. Police departments can buy them and give them to their officers to
use, although the individual officers cannot buy Assault Weapons.
Gun Show
A “Gun Show” is defined as: any event at which fifty or more firearms
are offered or exhibited for sale, transfer or exchange to the public.
All sales, transfers or exchanges taking place at a gun whow require the
seller to obtain an authorization number from the Special Licensing and
Firearms Unit.
PA 99-212 Sec. 17. (NEW) (a) For the purposes of this section, (1) "gun
show" means any event (A) at which fifty or more firearms are offered or
exhibited for sale, transfer or exchange to the public and (B) at which two
or more persons are exhibiting one or more firearms for sale, transfer or
exchange to the public; and (2) "gun show promoter" means any person who
organizes, plans, promotes or operates a gun show. (b) Not later than thirty
days before commencement of a gun show, the gun show promoter shall notify
the chief of police or, where there is no chief of police, the warden of the
borough or the first selectman of the town in which the gun show is to take
place of the date, time, duration and location of the gun show. (c) No
person, firm or corporation shall sell, deliver or otherwise transfer a
firearm at a gun show until such person, firm or corporation has complied
with the provisions of section 29-36l of the general statutes, as amended by
this act.
Machine Guns
Machine Guns are strictly regulated by the U.S. Department of Treasury,
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) as well as the Connecticut
State Police, Special Licensing and Firearms Unit (SLFU).
Connecticut
residents may purchase Machine Guns if they are capable of a “full automatic
only” rate of fire. Any select fire weapon is considered an “Assault Weapon”
and is prohibited by State Law.
Dealers who are
licensed to sell “machine guns” have all the necessary Federal paperwork
required for that transaction.
Any Connecticut
resident who owns a “Machine Gun” is required to complete form DPS-418-C,
registering that “Machine Gun” with the SLFU immediately upon receiving it
and upon an annual basis thereafter. Form DPS-418-C is not available
on-line, they are available from Federal Firearm License holders.
Registered owners
will be notified yearly with a registration form-letter which must be signed
and returned to the SLFU.
If you currently
own a “machine gun” and do not receive a yearly registration form, you must
contact the SLFU for instructions on registering your firearm.
Firearm
Prohibitors
1. 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 may possess any firearms in Connecticut.
2. No
person may obtain a Pistol Permit, Eligibility Certificate, or possess any
handguns if they are less than 21 years of age, subject to a Protective or
Restraining Order, or if they have been convicted of a felony, or convicted
in Connecticut for any of the following misdemeanors:
-
Illegal
possession of narcotics or other controlled substances - 21a-279(c)
-
Criminally
negligent homicide - 53a-58
-
Assault in the
third degree - 53a-61
-
Assault of a
victim 60 or older in the third degree - 53a-61a
-
Threatening -
53a-62
-
Reckless
endangerment in the first degree - 53a-63
-
Unlawful
restraint in the second degree - 53a-96
-
Riot in the
first degree - 53a-175
-
Riot in the
second degree - 53a-176
-
Inciting to riot
- 53a-178
-
Stalking in the
second degree - 53a-181d, or
3. Other
persons prohibited from possessing a firearm include anyone convicted as
delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense; or 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; or has
been confined in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities (as
defined in section 17a-495) within the preceding twelve months by order of a
probate court; or is subject to a firearms seizure order issued pursuant to
subsection (d) of section 18 of public act 99-129 after notice and an
opportunity to be heard have been provided to such person; or is an alien
illegally or unlawfully in the United States. |
