As of March 15, 2015, firearms licensees and gun owners are required by law to report all private sales, transfers, and surrenders of firearms to the Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau via the Gun Portal. Paper FA-10 forms are no longer accepted for these transaction types.
Questions about the Gun Portal can be directed to the Massachusetts Fire Arms Bureau at (617) 660-4782.
Firearms Licensing
The state legislature made sweeping and extensive changes to the Commonwealth’s gun laws in 1998. The laws are multi-faceted and complex, and this page is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered as any definite legal position, guarantee of issuance or binding legal interpretation by the Lowell Police. If you have a specific legal issue regarding ownership, possession or transportation as well as your eligibility (or lack thereof) for the various types of firearms you are advised to speak to a lawyer for a qualified legal opinion.
ATTENTION ACTIVE LICENSE HOLDERS:
Any restrictions appearing on any license holder’s present License to Carry (“LTC”)—limiting the license holder to carrying a firearm only for such activities as hunting, target shooting, employment, etc.—are no longer enforceable due to a recent Supreme Court decision. You do NOT need to update your existing license in the interim. When you reapply for an LTC in the future, you will be provided with a new LTC without any restrictions listed.
Application Requirements
To apply for a License to Carry/Firearms Identification Card, you must contact the Firearms Licensing at (978) 674-1879 between the hours of 7am-3pm M-F to schedule an interview.
To renew a License to Carry/Firearms Identification Card, applicants must complete an application form (obtainable from mass.gov) and mail the completed form to the Lowell Police Department Firearms and Licensing Bureau as well as a $100 money order. Please make money orders payable to the City of Lowell.
Mailing Address:
Lowell Police Department
Attn: Firearms and Licensing Bureau
50 Arcand Drive Lowell, MA 01852
All Forms of License to Carry (LTC)
The above criteria are intended to provide LTC applicants with a reasonable expectation of the likelihood of obtaining an LTC. Where an LTC is denied, reasons for such decision shall be provided to the applicant. In all instances, the Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, or his or her designee, reserves the right to exercise his or her discretion and deny an application for an LTC, in accordance with Massachusetts law.