Can you carry a gun any place with a permit?

If you live in Massachusetts you'll need a permit issued by the Chief of Police in your town or city of residence or place of business. To get that permit you have to submit an application to your local police authority and, after several months, you'll either be approved (with or without restrictions) or your application will be denied. That's the law.

Getting your permit doesn't require that you buy a firearm; it just allows you to do so when you choose to do so. That gives you the freedom of choice! How often have you thought to yourself: "I should get a gun permit"?

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires all applicants to complete an approved firearms safety course before submitting an application for an LTC (License to Carry). The LTC is more often referred to as a "gun permit." Massachusetts has several categories of firearm permits — an FID, a Class B LTC and a Class A LTC.

Both the Class A and Class B licenses require a prerequisite course, in addition to a very detailed application, a thorough criminal background check and getting fingerprinted. How long before the Commonwealth again increases the cost of applying for a permit to buy or carry a gun? Just a few years ago the application fee was $25; today, the fee is $100.

Given the current economy what do you expect the cost to be next year? How much longer will you wait before applying for your permit? LTC applications in Massachusetts are approved or rejected solely by your local Chief of Police.

In some communities approval is relatively common while in others it's nearly impossible.