Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-29 (2026)

Information concerning criminal records of applicants for permits

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a) No temporary state permit for carrying any pistol or revolver shall be issued under the provisions of section 29-28 unless the applicant for such permit gives to the local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, upon its request, full information concerning the applicant's criminal record. The local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, shall require the applicant to submit to state and national criminal history records checks. The local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, shall take a full description of such applicant and make an investigation concerning the applicant's suitability to carry any such weapons.

(b) The local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, or the commissioner in the case of an application pursuant to subsection (f) of section 29-28, shall take the fingerprints of such applicant or conduct any other method of positive identification required by the State Police Bureau of Identification or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The local authority, the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, or the commissioner shall record the date the fingerprints were taken in the applicant's file and, within five business days of such date, shall forward such fingerprints and other positive identifying information to the State Police Bureau of Identification which shall conduct criminal history records checks in accordance with section 29-17a.

(c) The local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, may, in its discretion, issue a temporary state permit before a national criminal history records check relative to such applicant's record has been received. Upon receipt of the results of such national criminal history records check, the commissioner shall send a copy of the results of such national criminal history records check to the local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, which shall inform the applicant and render a decision on the application within one week of the receipt of such results. If such results have not been received within eight weeks after a sufficient application for a permit has been made, the local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, shall inform the applicant of such delay, in writing. No temporary state permit shall be issued if the local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, has reason to believe the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony, or that any other condition exists for which the issuance of a permit for possession of a pistol or revolver is prohibited under state or federal law.

(d) The commissioner may investigate any applicant for a state permit and shall investigate each applicant for renewal of a state permit to ensure that such applicant is eligible under state law for such permit or for renewal of such permit.

(e) No state permit may be issued unless either the local authority, the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the state as referenced in subsection (b) of section 29-28, or the commissioner has received the results of the national criminal history records check.

(1949 Rev., S. 4160; P.A. 92-130, S. 6, 10; P.A. 98-129, S. 5; P.A. 01-130, S. 6; P.A. 01-175, S. 22, 32; P.A. 22-102, S. 4; P.A. 23-130, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 92-130 required issuing authority to record date fingerprints were taken, authorized forwarding of fingerprints to FBI for national criminal history records check, authorized issuing authority to issue permit before report from FBI is received, required issuing authority to inform applicant and render a decision on application within one week of receipt of report, and, if report has not been received within eight weeks after application is made, to inform applicant of delay, and prohibited issuance of permit if issuing authority has reason to believe applicant has been convicted of a felony; P.A. 98-129 relieved the issuing authority of the requirement that it take the fingerprints of the applicant if it determines that the fingerprints of the applicant have been previously taken and the applicant's identity established and the applicant presents identification that the issuing authority verifies as valid and made the submission of the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the issuing authority mandatory rather than discretionary; P.A. 01-130 substituted “local” authority for “issuing” authority to reflect change from local permit to state permit, adding new Subsecs., designated as (d) and (e), re commissioner's investigation of applicants and required receipt of results of national criminal history records check before state permit issued, and made technical and conforming changes; P.A. 01-175 made technical changes throughout, designated existing language as Subsecs. (a) to (c), amended Subsec. (a) by adding language re state and national criminal history records checks, and amended Subsec. (b) by adding language re method of positive identification and criminal history records checks pursuant to Sec. 29-17a, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 22-102 amended Subsec. (b) by adding “, or the commissioner in the case of an application pursuant to subsection (f) of section 29-28,” and adding references to the commissioner, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 23-130 amended Subsecs. (a), (b), (c) and (e) by adding provisions re chief of police of law enforcement unit of federally recognized Native American tribe and further amended Subsec. (b) by deleting exception to taking fingerprints or conducting other method of identification and replacing “or” with “and” re forwarding fingerprints and identifying information, effective July 1, 2023.

Cited. 193 C. 7; 200 C. 453; 209 C. 322.

Cited. 7 CA 457; 9 CA 169; judgment reversed, see 205 C. 370.

Cited. 39 CS 202; 42 CS 157.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1984–2023 · leading case: Kuck v. Danaher, 822 F. Supp. 2d 109 (D. Conn. 2011).
Kuck v. Danaher, 822 F. Supp. 2d 109 (D. Conn. 2011). · cites it 2× “” Conn. Gen.Stat. § 29-29(d). The Commissioner may revoke a state permit or temporary state permit “for cause,” and “shall” revoke a permit upon conviction of the holder of such permit of a felony or of any misdemean- or specified in subsection (b) of section 29-28 or upon the…”
State v. Bailey, 551 A.2d 1206 (Conn. 1988). · cites it 2× “General Statutes § 29-29. Persons aggrieved by a decision of the issuing authority may appeal the decision to a board of firearms permit examiners.”
Conn. Citizens Def. League, Inc. v. Lamont, 6 F.4th 439 (2d Cir. 2021). “See Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 29-29 (b), 29-36g(a), 29-37q(a).”
State v. Corchado, 512 A.2d 183 (Conn. 1986). · cites it 2× “General Statutes § 29-29. 3 The state contends that these collateral consequences act to the detriment of persons convicted of serious crimes, even after they have served their sentences and that the state and society have a legitimate interest in seeing that such persons have…”
Ambrogio v. Bd. of Firearms Permit Examiners, 607 A.2d 460 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1992). · cites it 6× “The implications of such a result in light of the time required to get FBI reports would be to virtually negate the prohibition in § 29-29 that no felon receive a permit. Similarly, since the legislature adopted § 29-29, it obviously concluded that disqualification of felons was…”
State v. Timmons, 509 A.2d 64 (Conn. App. Ct. 1986). · cites it 2× “The issue in self-defense is not whether a defendant has a right to carry a weapon, but whether, as in this case, the defendant reasonably believed that the use of deadly physical force was necessary to defend against one using or about to use deadly physical force. General…”
State v. Eastman, 884 A.2d 442 (Conn. App. Ct. 2005). · cites it 2× “2 The defendants further note that gun permit applicants are required to submit to state and national criminal records checks pursuant to General Statutes § 29-29 (a), and they argue that their convictions will prevent them from securing permits.”
Peruta v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n (Conn. App. Ct. 2015). · cites it 4× “General Statutes § 29-29 (a) provides in relevant part: ‘‘No temporary state permit for carrying any pistol or revolver shall be issued under the provisions of section 29-28 unless the applicant for such permit gives to the local authority, upon its request, full information…”
Connecticut Citizens Def. League, Inc. v. Lamont (D. Conn. 2020). · cites it 2× “See Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-29 (b). Fingerprinting may be done by DESPP if an applicant lives in one of the approximately eighty towns without a local police force that provides fingerprinting services.”
Connecticut Citizens Def. League, Inc. v. Thody (D. Conn. 2023). “at § 29-29(b). After receiving a “sufficient application” for the municipal permit, the local authority has a maximum of eight weeks to either approve or to deny the permit, and to forward a copy of the application to DESPP.”
Baker v. Bd. of Firearms Permit Examiners, 474 A.2d 115 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1984). · cites it 2× “In each instance, the board replied to the plaintiff by letter stating: “Section 29-29 of the Connecticut General Statutes provides that no permit shall be issued if the appellant has ever been convicted of a felony.”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-29(b) — 1 case
Connecticut Citizens Def. League, Inc. v. Thody (D. Conn. 2023). “at § 29-29(b). After receiving a “sufficient application” for the municipal permit, the local authority has a maximum of eight weeks to either approve or to deny the permit, and to forward a copy of the application to DESPP.”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-29(d) — 1 case
Kuck v. Danaher, 822 F. Supp. 2d 109 (D. Conn. 2011). “” Conn. Gen.Stat. § 29-29(d). The Commissioner may revoke a state permit or temporary state permit “for cause,” and “shall” revoke a permit upon conviction of the holder of such permit of a felony or of any misdemean- or specified in subsection (b) of section 29-28 or upon the…”
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