Massachusetts Concealed Carry Permit Laws
Restrictive — Permit Required
A license is required and authorities retain suitability discretion, making it among the most restrictive states.
What “Restrictive — Permit Required” means
A permit is required and these are the most restrictive jurisdictions in the country — extensive review, training and broad sensitive-place bans. NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022) struck down discretionary "may-issue" licensing, so they must now issue to qualified applicants, but obtaining and using a permit remains substantially harder than elsewhere.
7 of 51 states are in the same category
Alongside Massachusetts: California, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, District of Columbia.
Source: public state-law references (Wikipedia, USCCA, Giffords Law Center) · as of July 2026 · last verified August 5, 2026
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