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Sec. 2-1e. Interference with the legislative process; firearms; dangerous or deadly weapons; explosives; felony. (a) A person is guilty of interfering with the legislative process when he, alone or in concert with others, either by force, physical interference, fraud, intimidation or by means of any independently unlawful act, prevents or attempts to prevent any member, officer or employee of the General Assembly, either house thereof or any committee of the General Assembly or either house thereof, from performing any of his official functions, powers or duties.
(b) A person is guilty of coercing performance when he, alone or in concert with others, either by force, physical interference, fraud, intimidation or by means of any unlawful act, compels or induces any member, officer or employee of the General Assembly, either house thereof or any committee of the General Assembly or either house thereof to perform any acts as a member, officer or employee against his will.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 29-35 and 53-206, (1) a person, other than a state or local police officer, a member of the Office of State Capitol Police or a police officer of any other state or of the federal government, who is carrying out official duties in this state, or any person summoned by any such officer to assist in making arrests or preserving the peace while he is actually engaged in assisting such officer, while such officer is in the performance of his official duties or any member of the armed forces of the United States, as defined by section 27-103, or of this state, as defined by section 27-2, in the performance of official duties, or any veteran, as defined by section 27-103, performing in uniform as a member of an official ceremonial unit, is guilty of interfering with the legislative process when he, alone or in concert with others, brings into, or possesses within, any building in which the chamber of either house of the General Assembly is located or in which the official office of any member, officer or employee of the General Assembly or the office of any committee of the General Assembly or either house thereof is located or any building in which a committee of the General Assembly is holding a public hearing, any weapon, whether loaded or unloaded, from which a shot may be discharged, or a billy; and (2) any person is guilty of interfering with the legislative process when he, alone or in concert with others, brings into, or possesses within, any such building, a switchblade, gravity knife, blackjack, bludgeon, metal knuckles or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument, or any explosive or incendiary or other dangerous device.
(d) The violation of any provision of this section is a class D felony.
Sec. 4-183. Appeal to Superior Court. (a) A person who has exhausted all administrative remedies available within the agency and who is aggrieved by a final decision may appeal to the Superior Court as provided in this section. The filing of a petition for reconsideration is not a prerequisite to the filing of such an appeal.
(b) A person may appeal a preliminary, procedural or intermediate agency action or ruling to the Superior Court if (1) it appears likely that the person will otherwise qualify under this chapter to appeal from the final agency action or ruling and (2) postponement of the appeal would result in an inadequate remedy.
(c) Within forty-five days after mailing of the final decision under section 4-180 or, if there is no mailing, within forty-five days after personal delivery of the final decision under said section, a person appealing as provided in this section shall serve a copy of the appeal on the agency that rendered the final decision at its office or at the office of the Attorney General in Hartford and file the appeal with the clerk of the superior court for the judicial district of New Britain or for the judicial district wherein the person appealing resides or, if that person is not a resident of this state, with the clerk of the court for the judicial district of New Britain. Within that time, the person appealing shall also serve a copy of the appeal on each party listed in the final decision at the address shown in the decision, provided failure to make such service within forty- five days on parties other than the agency that rendered the final decision shall not deprive the court of jurisdiction over the appeal. Service of the appeal shall be made by (1) United States mail, certified or registered, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, without the use of a state marshal or other officer, or (2) personal service by a proper officer or indifferent person making service in the same manner as complaints are served in ordinary civil actions. If service of the appeal is made by mail, service shall be effective upon deposit of the appeal in the mail.
(d) The person appealing, not later than fifteen days after filing the appeal, shall file or cause to be filed with the clerk of the court an affidavit, or the state marshal's return, stating the date and manner in which a copy of the appeal was served on each party and on the agency that rendered the final decision, and, if service was not made on a party, the reason for failure to make service. If the failure to make service causes prejudice to any party to the appeal or to the agency, the court, after hearing, may dismiss the appeal.
(e) If service has not been made on a party, the court, on motion, shall make such orders of notice of the appeal as are reasonably calculated to notify each party not yet served.
(f) The filing of an appeal shall not, of itself, stay enforcement of an agency decision. An application for a stay may be made to the agency, to the court or to both. Filing of an application with the agency shall not preclude action by the court. A stay, if granted, shall be on appropriate terms.
(g) Within thirty days after the service of the appeal, or within such further time as may be allowed by the court, the agency shall transcribe any portion of the record that has not been transcribed and transmit to the reviewing court the original or a certified copy of the entire record of the proceeding appealed from, which shall include the agency's findings of fact and conclusions of law, separately stated. By stipulation of all parties to such appeal proceedings, the record may be shortened. A party unreasonably refusing to stipulate to limit the record may be taxed by the court for the additional costs. The court may require or permit subsequent corrections or additions to the record.
(h) If, before the date set for hearing on the merits of an appeal, application is made to the court for leave to present additional evidence, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the additional evidence is material and that there were good reasons for failure to present it in the proceeding before the agency, the court may order that the additional evidence be taken before the agency upon conditions determined by the court. The agency may modify its findings and decision by reason of the additional evidence and shall file that evidence and any modifications, new findings, or decisions with the reviewing court.
(i) The appeal shall be conducted by the court without a jury and shall be confined to the record. If alleged irregularities in procedure before the agency are not shown in the record or if facts necessary to establish aggrievement are not shown in the record, proof limited thereto may be taken in the court. The court, upon request, shall hear oral argument and receive written briefs.
(j) The court shall not substitute its judgment for that of the agency as to the weight of the evidence on questions of fact. The court shall affirm the decision of the agency unless the court finds that substantial rights of the person appealing have been prejudiced because the administrative findings, inferences, conclusions, or decisions are: (1) In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions; (2) in excess of the statutory authority of the agency; (3) made upon unlawful procedure; (4) affected by other error of law; (5) clearly erroneous in view of the reliable, probative, and substantial evidence on the whole record; or (6) arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion or clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion. If the court finds such prejudice, it shall sustain the appeal and, if appropriate, may render a judgment under subsection (k) of this section or remand the case for further proceedings. For purposes of this section, a remand is a final judgment.
(k) If a particular agency action is required by law, the court, on sustaining the appeal, may render a judgment that modifies the agency decision, orders the particular agency action, or orders the agency to take such action as may be necessary to effect the particular action.
(l) In all appeals taken under this section, costs may be taxed in favor of the prevailing party in the same manner, and to the same extent, that costs are allowed in judgments rendered by the Superior Court. No costs shall be taxed against the state, except as provided in section 4-184a.
(m) In any case in which a person appealing claims that he cannot pay the costs of an appeal under this section, he shall, within the time permitted for filing the appeal, file with the clerk of the court to which the appeal is to be taken an application for waiver of payment of such fees, costs and necessary expenses, including the requirements of bond, if any. The application shall conform to the requirements prescribed by rule of the judges of the Superior Court. After such hearing as the court determines is necessary, the court shall render its judgment on the application, which judgment shall contain a statement of the facts the court has found, with its conclusions thereon. The filing of the application for the waiver shall toll the time limits for the filing of an appeal until such time as a judgment on such application is rendered.
Sec. 4-184. Appeal from final judgment of Superior Court. An aggrieved party may obtain a review of any final judgment of the Superior Court under this chapter. The appeal shall be taken in accordance with section 51-197b.
Sec. 27-35. Use of rifle ranges on Sunday. The rifle ranges under control of the Military Department of the state and those of rifle or gun clubs or of members of rifle or gun clubs who are affiliated with the National Rifle Association of America, which are conducted under rules prescribed by the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, may be used on Sunday for the purpose of practicing rifle and shot gun shooting, and the members of such clubs and the organized military forces of the state may carry rifles, rifled firearms and shot guns, with ammunition, to and from such ranges on said day.
Sec. 27-36. Use of rifle ranges by civilian organizations. Civilian rifle clubs affiliated with the National Rifle Association of the United States may be permitted to use the outdoor and indoor rifle ranges belonging to, or under the control of, the state for practice with small arms in accordance with such regulations as the Adjutant General may prescribe, provided such use of any rifle range shall at no time interfere with the instruction or practice of members of the armed forces of the state.
Sec. 29-10a. Use of state police rifle ranges by civilian rifle clubs. Civilian rifle clubs affiliated with the National Rifle Association of the United States and members of organized police departments may be permitted to use the outdoor and indoor rifle and pistol ranges belonging to, or under the control of, the Division of State Police within the Department of Public Safety for practice with small arms in accordance with such regulations as the Commissioner of Public Safety may prescribe, provided such use of any rifle or pistol range shall at no time interfere with the instruction or practice of members of the Division of State Police.
Sec. 29-27. "Pistol" and "revolver" defined. The term "pistol" and the term "revolver", as used in sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, mean any firearm having a barrel less than twelve inches in length.
Sec. 29-28. Permit for sale at retail of pistol or revolver. Permit to carry pistol or revolver. Confidentiality of name and address of permit holder. (a) No person who sells ten or more pistols or revolvers in a calendar year or is a federally-licensed firearm dealer shall advertise, sell, deliver, or offer or expose for sale or delivery, or have in such person’s possession with intent to sell or deliver, any pistol or revolver at retail without having a permit therefore issued as provided in this subsection. The chief of police or, where there is no chief of police, the warden of the borough or the first selectman of the town, as the case may be, may, upon the application of any person, issue a permit in such form as may be prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Safety for the sale at retail of pistols and revolvers within the jurisdiction of the authority issuing such permit. No permit for the sale at retail of any pistol or revolver shall be issued unless the applicant holds a valid eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver issued pursuant to section 29-36f or a valid state permit to carry a pistol or revolver issued pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and the applicant submits documentation sufficient to establish that local zoning requirements have been met for the location where the sale is to take place except that any person selling or exchanging a pistol or revolver for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby or who sells all or part of such person’s personal collection of pistols or revolvers shall not be required to submit such documentation for the location where the sale or exchange is to take place.
(b) Upon the application of any person having a bona fide residence or place of business within the jurisdiction of any such authority, such chief of police, warden or selectman may issue a temporary state permit to such person to carry a pistol or revolver within the state, provided such authority shall find that such applicant intends to make no use of any pistol or revolver which such applicant may be permitted to carry under such permit other than a lawful use and that such person is a suitable person to receive such permit. No state or temporary state permit to carry a pistol or revolver shall be issued under this subsection if the applicant (1) has failed to successfully complete a course approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety in the safety and use of pistols and revolvers including, but not limited to, a safety or training course in the use of pistols and revolvers available to the public offered by a law enforcement agency, a private or public educational institution or a firearms training school, utilizing instructors certified by the National Rifle Association or the Department of Environmental Protection and a safety or training course in the use of pistols or revolvers conducted by an instructor certified by the state or the National Rifle Association, (2) has been convicted of a felony or of a violation of subsection (c) of section 21a-279, section 53a-58, 53a- 61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a-63, 53a-96, 53a-175, 53a-176, 53a-178 or 53a-181d, (3) has been convicted as delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense, as defined in section 46b-120, (4) 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 pursuant to section 53a-13, (5) 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, (6) is subject to a restraining or protective order issued by a court in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person, (7) is subject to a firearms seizure order issued pursuant to subsection (d) of section 29-38c after notice and hearing,(8) is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, or (9) is less than twenty-one years of age. Nothing in this section shall require any person who holds a valid permit to carry a pistol or revolver on October 1, 1994, to participate in any additional training in the safety and use of pistols and revolvers. Upon issuance of a temporary state permit to the applicant, the local authority shall forward the original application to the commissioner. Not later than sixty days after receiving a temporary state permit, an applicant shall appear at a location designated by the commissioner to receive the state permit. Said commissioner may then issue, to any holder of any temporary state permit, a state permit to carry a pistol or revolver within the state. Upon issuance of the state permit, the commissioner shall forward a record of such permit to the local authority issuing the temporary state permit. The commissioner shall retain records of all applications, whether approved or denied. The copy of the state permit delivered to the permittee shall be laminated and shall contain a full- face photograph of such permittee. A person holding a state permit issued pursuant to this subsection shall notify the issuing authority within two business days of any change of such person's address. The notification shall include the old address and the new address of such person.
(c) No issuing authority may require any sworn member of the Department of Public Safety or an organized local police department to furnish such sworn member’s residence address in a permit application. The issuing authority shall allow each such sworn member who has a permit to carry a pistol or revolver issued by such authority, to revise such member’s application to include a business or post office address in lieu of the residence address. The issuing authority shall notify each such member of the right to revise such application.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1-210 and 1-211, the name and address of a person issued a permit to sell at retail pistols and revolvers pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or a state or temporary state permit to carry a pistol or revolver pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, or a local permit to carry pistols and revolvers issued by local authorities prior to the effective date of this act, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except (1) such information may be disclosed to law enforcement officials acting in the performance of their duties, (2)the issuing authority may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that such state or temporary state permit is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and the local authority may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that a local permit is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and (3) such information may be disclosed to the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to carry out the provisions of subsection (c) of section 17a-500.
(e) The issuance of permit to carry a pistol or revolver does not thereby authorize the possession or carrying of a pistol or revolver in any premises where the possession or carrying of a pistol or revolver is otherwise prohibited by law or is prohibited by the person who owns or exercises control over such premises.
(f) Any bona fide resident of the United States having no bona fide residence or place of business within the jurisdiction of any local authority in the state, but who has a permit or license to carry a pistol or revolver issued by the authority of another state or subdivision of the United States, may apply directly to the Commissioner of Public Safety for a permit to carry a pistol or revolver in this state. All provisions of subsections (b), (c ) and (e) of this section shall apply to applications for a permit received by the commissioner under this subsection.
Sec. 29-28a. Application for permit. Notice of decision to applicant. (a) Requests for temporary state permits under section 29-28, as amended by this act, shall be submitted to the chief of police, or, where there is no chief of police, to the warden of the borough or the first selectman of the town, as the case may be, on application forms prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Safety. Upon written request by any person for a temporary state permit not on a prescribed application form, or upon request by any person for such application form, the local authority shall supply such forms. When any such request is made in person at the office of the local authority, the local authority shall supply such application form immediately. When any such request is made in any other manner, the local authority shall supply such application form not later than one week after receiving such request. If such application form is not supplied within the time limits required by this section, the request therefor shall constitute a sufficient application. If any local authority fails to supply an application form upon the request of any person, such person may request an application form from the Commissioner of Public Safety or any barracks of the Division of State Police, and the time limits and procedures set forth in this section for handling requests for such forms shall be applicable.
(b) The local authority shall, not later than eight weeks after a sufficient application for a temporary state permit has been made, inform the applicant that such applicant’s request for a temporary state permit has been approved or denied. The local authority shall forward a copy of the application indicating approval or denial of the temporary state permit to the Commissioner of Public Safety. If the local authority has denied the application for a temporary state permit, no state permit may be issued. The commissioner shall, not later than eight weeks after receiving an application indicating approval from the local authority, inform the applicant in writing that the applicant's application for a state permit has been approved or denied, or that the results of the national criminal history records check have not been received. If grounds for denial become known after a temporary state permit has been obtained, the temporary state permit shall be immediately revoked pursuant to section 29-32, as amended by this act.
Sec. 29-29. Information concerning criminal records of applicants for permits. (a) No temporary state permit for carrying any pistol or revolver shall be issued under the provisions of section 29-28, as amended by this act, unless the applicant for the same gives to the local authority, upon its request, full information concerning the applicant's criminal record, and such local authority shall thereupon take a full description of such applicant and make an investigation concerning the applicant's suitability to carry any such weapons. The local authority shall take the fingerprints of such applicant unless the local authority determines that the fingerprints of such applicant have been previously taken and the applicant's identity established, and such applicant presents identification that the local authority verifies as valid. The local authority 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 to the Commissioner of Public Safety, who shall forward them to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history records check. The local authority 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, 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 shall inform the applicant of such delay, in writing. No temporary state permit shall be issued if the local authority 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. (b) 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. (c) No state permit may be issued unless either the local authority or the commissioner has received the results of the national criminal history records check.
Sec. 29-30. Fees for pistol and revolver permits. Expiration and renewal of permits. (a) The fee for each permit originally issued under the provisions of subsection (a) of section 29-28, as amended by this act, for the sale at retail of pistols and revolvers shall be one hundred dollars and for each renewal thereof one hundred dollars. The fee for each state permit originally issued under the provisions of subsection (b) of section 29-28, as amended by this act, for the carrying of pistols and revolvers shall be seventy dollars plus sufficient funds as required to be transmitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to cover the cost of a national criminal history records check. The local authority shall forward sufficient funds for the national criminal history records check to the commissioner no later than five business days after receipt by the local authority of the application for the temporary state permit. Thirty-five dollars shall be retained by the local authority. Upon approval by the local authority of the application for a temporary state permit, thirty-five dollars shall be sent to the commissioner. The fee to renew each state permit originally issued under the provisions of subsection (b) of section 29-28, as amended by this act, shall be thirty-five dollars. Upon deposit of such fees in the General Fund, ten dollars of each fee shall be credited within thirty days to the appropriation for the Department of Public Safety to a separate nonlapsing account for the purposes of the issuance of permits under subsections (a) and (b) of section 29-28, as amended by this act. (b) A local permit originally issued before the effective date of this act, whether for the sale at retail of pistols and revolvers or for the carrying of pistols and revolvers, shall expire five years after the date it becomes effective and each renewal thereof shall expire five years after the expiration date of the permit being renewed. On and after the effective date of this act, no local permit for the carrying of pistols and revolvers shall be renewed.
(c) A state permit originally issued under the provisions of section 29-28, as amended by this act, for the carrying of pistols and revolvers shall expire five years after the date such permit becomes effective and each renewal thereof shall expire five years after the expiration date of the state permit being renewed and such renewal shall not be contingent on the renewal or issuance of a local permit. A temporary state permit issued for the carrying of pistols and revolvers shall expire sixty days after the date it becomes effective, and may not be renewed. (d) The renewal fee required pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall apply for each renewal which is requested not earlier than thirty-one days before, and not later than thirty-one days after, the expiration date of the state permit being renewed. (e) No fee or portion thereof paid under the provisions of this section for issuance or renewal of a state permit shall be refundable except if such permit for which the fee or portion thereof was paid was not issued or renewed. The portion of the fee expended on the national criminal history records check for any such permit that was not issued or renewed shall not be refunded. (f) The issuing authority shall send a notice of the expiration of a state permit to carry a pistol or revolver, issued pursuant to section 29-28, as amended by this act, to the holder of such permit, by first class mail, not less than ninety days before such expiration, and shall enclose with such notice a form for the renewal of said state permit. A state permit to carry a pistol or revolver, issued pursuant to section 29-28, as amended by this act, shall be valid for a period of ninety days after the expiration date, except this provision shall not apply to any state permit to carry a pistol or revolver which has been revoked or for which revocation is pending, pursuant to section 29-32, as amended by this act.
Sec. 29-31. Display of permit to sell. Record of sales. No sale of any pistol or revolver shall be made except in the room, store or place described in the permit for the sale of pistols and revolvers, and such permit or a copy thereof certified by the authority issuing the same shall be exposed to view within the room, store or place where pistols or revolvers are sold or offered or exposed for sale, and no sale or delivery of any pistol or revolver shall be made unless the purchaser or person to whom the same is to be delivered is personally known to the vendor of such pistol or revolver or the person making delivery thereof or unless the person making such purchase or to whom delivery thereof is to be made provides evidence of his identity. The vendor of any pistol or revolver shall keep a record of each pistol or revolver sold in a book kept for that purpose, which record shall be in such form as is prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Safety and shall include the date of the sale, the caliber, make, model and manufacturer's number of such pistol or revolver and the name, address and occupation of the purchaser thereof, and shall be signed by the purchaser and by the person making the sale, each in the presence of the other, and shall be preserved by the vendor of such pistol or revolver for at least six years.
Sec. 29-32. Revocation of permit. Notification. Penalty for failure to surrender permit. (a) For the purposes of this section, "conviction" means the entry of a judgment of conviction by any court of competent jurisdiction. (b) Any state permit or temporary state permit for the carrying of any pistol or revolver may be revoked by the Commissioner of Public Safety for cause and shall be revoked by said commissioner upon conviction of the holder of such permit of a felony or of any misdemeanor specified in subsection (b) of section 29-28, as amended by this act, or upon the occurrence of any event which would have disqualified the holder from being issued the state permit or temporary state permit pursuant to subsection (b) of section 29-28, as amended by this act. Upon the revocation of any state permit or temporary state permit, the person whose state permit or temporary state permit is revoked shall be notified in writing and such state permit or temporary state permit shall be forthwith delivered to the commissioner. Any law enforcement authority shall confiscate and immediately forward to the commissioner any state permit or temporary state permit that is illegally possessed by any person. The commissioner may revoke the state permit or temporary state permit based upon the commissioner's own investigation or upon the request of any law enforcement agency. Any person who fails to surrender any permit within five days of notification in writing of revocation thereof shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor. (c) Any local permit for the carrying of a pistol or revolver issued prior to the effective date of this act may be revoked by the authority issuing the same for cause, and shall be revoked by the authority issuing the same upon conviction of the holder of such permit of a felony or of any misdemeanor specified in subsection (b) of section 29-28, as amended by this act, or upon the occurrence of any event which would have disqualified the holder from being issued such local permit. Upon the revocation of any local permit, the person whose local permit is revoked shall be notified in writing and such permit shall be forthwith delivered to the authority issuing the same. Upon the revocation of any local permit, the authority issuing the same shall forthwith notify the commissioner. Upon the revocation of any permit issued by the commissioner, the commissioner shall forthwith notify any local authority which the records of the commissioner show as having issued a currently valid local permit to the holder of the permit revoked by the commissioner. Any person who fails to surrender such permit within five days of notification in writing or revocation thereof shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.
Sec. 29-32b. Board of Firearms Permit Examiners. Appeals to board. (a) There shall be established a Board of Firearms Permit Examiners, within the Department of Public Safety for administrative purposes only, hereinafter referred to as the board, to be comprised of seven members appointed by the Governor to serve during his term and until their successors are appointed and qualify. With the exception of public members, the members shall be appointed from nominees of the Commissioner of Public Safety, the Connecticut State Association of Chiefs of Police, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, The Connecticut State Rifle and Revolver Association, Inc., and Ye Connecticut Gun Guild, Inc., and each of said organizations shall be entitled to representation on the board. At least one member of the board shall be a lawyer licensed to practice in this state, who shall act as chairman of the board during the hearing of appeals brought under this section.
(b) Any person aggrieved by any refusal to issue or renew a permit or certificate under the provisions of section 29-28 or 29-36f, or by any limitation or revocation of a permit or certificate issued under any of said sections, or by a refusal or failure of any issuing authority to furnish an application as provided in section 29-28a, may, within ninety days after receipt of notice of such refusal, limitation or revocation, or refusal or failure to supply an application as provided in section 29-28a, and without prejudice to any other course of action open to such person in law or in equity, appeal to the board. On such appeal the board shall inquire into and determine the facts, de novo, and unless it finds that such a refusal, limitation or revocation, or such refusal or failure to supply an application, as the case may be, would be for just and proper cause, it shall order such permit or certificate to be issued, renewed or restored, or the limitation removed or modified, as the case may be. If the refusal was for failure to document compliance with local zoning requirements, under subsection (a) of section 29-28, the board shall not issue a permit.
(c) Any person aggrieved by the action of an issuing authority may file with the board a clear and concise statement of the facts on which he relies for relief, and shall state the relief sought by the appellant. The receipt by the board of the appellant's statement shall initiate the appeals process, and no appeal may be rejected for mere lack of formality. The board shall, within ten days next following receipt of the appeal, set a time and place at which the appeal shall be heard. The board, while such appeal is pending, may request such additional information from the appellant and from the issuing authority as it deems reasonably necessary to conduct a fair and impartial hearing, and shall require of the issuing authority from whose decision or action the appeal is being sought a statement in writing setting forth the reasons for such failure, refusal, revocation or limitation. Failure or refusal of the issuing authority to furnish such written statement, or to supply the appellant with an application, at least ten days prior to the hearing shall be cause for the board to grant the relief sought, forthwith and without further hearing.
(d) The board shall hold hearings at such times and places as it in its discretion reasonably determines to be required, but not less than once every ninety days, and shall give reasonable notice of the time and place of the hearing to the appellant and to the issuing authority. The board shall have the power to compel attendance at its sessions.
(e) All appeals hearings shall be conducted in an informal manner, but otherwise according to the rules of evidence, and all witnesses shall be sworn by the chairman. The board shall cause a verbatim transcript of the hearing to be kept in such manner as it may determine, and shall furnish such transcript to any party appealing its decision as hereinafter set forth. The statements of witnesses made under oath shall be privileged. Decisions of the board shall be by majority vote and shall be communicated in writing to the appellant and to the issuing authority within twenty days after the rendering of the decision. If any issuing authority neglects or refuses to comply with a decision of the board within ten days after notice of the board's decision has been given to such issuing authority, the board shall apply to the Superior Court for a writ of mandamus to enforce the board's decision.
(f) Any person aggrieved by the decision of the board may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183.
(g) The board shall serve without compensation, but its members shall be entitled to reasonable subsistence and travel allowances in the performance of their duties.
Sec. 29-33. Sale, delivery or transfer of pistols and revolvers. Documentation requirements. Waiting period. Exempted transactions. Penalty. (a) No person, firm or corporation shall sell, deliver or otherwise transfer any pistol or revolver to any person who is prohibited from possessing a pistol or revolver as provided in section 53a-217c.
(b) On and after October 1, 1995, no person may purchase or receive any pistol or revolver unless such person holds a valid permit to carry a pistol or revolver issued pursuant to subsection (b) of section 29-28, a valid permit to sell at retail a pistol or revolver issued pursuant to subsection (a) of section 29-28 or a valid eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver issued pursuant to section 29-36f or is a federal marshal, parole officer or peace officer.
(c) No person, firm or corporation shall sell, deliver or otherwise transfer any pistol or revolver except upon written application on a form prescribed and furnished by the Commissioner of Public Safety. Such person, firm or corporation shall insure that all questions on the application are answered properly prior to releasing the pistol or revolver and shall retain the application, which shall be attached to the federal sale or transfer document, for at least twenty years or until such vendor goes out of business. Such application shall be available for inspection during normal business hours by law enforcement officials. No sale, delivery or other transfer of any pistol or revolver shall be made unless the person making the purchase or to whom the same is delivered or transferred is personally known to the person selling such pistol or revolver or making delivery or transfer thereof or provides evidence of his identity in the form of a motor vehicle operator's license, identity card issued pursuant to section 1-1h or valid passport. No sale, delivery or other transfer of any pistol or revolver shall be made until the person, firm or corporation making such transfer obtains an authorization number from the Commissioner of Public Safety. Said commissioner shall perform the national instant criminal background check and make a reasonable effort to determine whether there is any reason that would prohibit such applicant from possessing a pistol or revolver as provided in section 53a-217c. If the commissioner determines the existence of such a reason, the commissioner shall deny the sale and no pistol or revolver shall be sold, delivered or otherwise transferred by such person, firm or corporation to such applicant.
(d) No person, firm or corporation shall sell, deliver or otherwise transfer any pistol or revolver, other than at wholesale, unless such pistol or revolver is equipped with a reusable trigger lock, gun lock or gun locking device appropriate for such pistol or revolver, which lock or device shall be constructed of material sufficiently strong to prevent it from being easily disabled and have a locking mechanism accessible by key or by electronic or other mechanical accessory specific to such lock or device to prevent unauthorized removal. No pistol or revolver shall be loaded or contain therein any gunpowder or other explosive or any bullet, ball or shell when such pistol or revolver is sold, delivered or otherwise transferred.
(e) Upon the sale, delivery or other transfer of any pistol or revolver, the person making the purchase or to whom the same is delivered or transferred shall sign a receipt for such pistol or revolver which shall contain the name and address of such person, the date of sale, the caliber, make, model and manufacturer's number and a general description of such pistol or revolver, the identification number of such person's permit to carry pistols or revolvers, issued pursuant to subsection (b) of section 29-28, permit to sell at retail pistols or revolvers, issued pursuant to subsection (a) of said section, or eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver, issued pursuant to section 29-36f, if any, and the authorization number designated for the transfer by the Department of Public Safety. The person, firm or corporation selling such pistol or revolver or making delivery or transfer thereof shall give one copy of the receipt to the person making the purchase of such pistol or revolver or to whom the same is delivered or transferred, shall retain one copy of the receipt for at least five years, and shall send, by first class mail, or electronically transmit, within forty-eight hours of such sale, delivery or other transfer, one copy of the receipt to the Commissioner of Public Safety and one copy of the receipt to the chief of police or, where there is no chief of police, the warden of the borough or the first selectman of the town, as the case may be, of the town in which the transferee resides.
(f) The provisions of this section shall not apply to antique pistols or revolvers. An antique pistol or revolver, for the purposes of this section, means any pistol or revolver which was manufactured in or before 1898 and any replica of such pistol or revolver provided such replica is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition except rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition which is no longer manufactured in the United States and not readily available in the ordinary channel of commercial trade.
(g) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the sale, delivery or transfer of pistols or revolvers between (1) a federally-licensed firearm manufacturer and a federally-licensed firearm dealer, (2) a federally-licensed firearm importer and a federally- licensed firearm dealer, or (3) federally-licensed firearm dealers.
(h) If the court finds that a violation of this section is not of a serious nature and that the person charged with such violation (1) will probably not offend in the future, (2) has not previously been convicted of a violation of this section, and (3) has not previously had a prosecution under this section suspended pursuant to this subsection, it may order suspension of prosecution. The court shall not order suspension of prosecution unless the accused person has acknowledged that he understands the consequences of the suspension of prosecution. Any person for whom prosecution is suspended shall agree to the tolling of any statute of limitations with respect to such violation and to a waiver of his right to a speedy trial. Such person shall appear in court and shall be released to the custody of the Office of Adult Probation for such period, not exceeding two years, and under such conditions as the court shall order. If the person refuses to accept, or, having accepted, violates such conditions, the court shall terminate the suspension of prosecution and the case shall be brought to trial. If such person satisfactorily completes his period of probation, he may apply for dismissal of the charges against him and the court, on finding such satisfactory completion, shall dismiss such charges. If the person does not apply for dismissal of the charges against him after satisfactorily completing his period of probation, the court, upon receipt of a report submitted by the Office of Adult Probation that the person satisfactorily completed his period of probation, may on its own motion make a finding of such satisfactory completion and dismiss such charges. Upon dismissal, all records of such charges shall be erased pursuant to section 54-142a. An order of the court denying a motion to dismiss the charges against a person who has completed his period of probation or terminating the participation of a defendant in such program shall be a final judgment for purposes of appeal.
(i) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class D felony, except that any person who sells, delivers or otherwise transfers a pistol or revolver in violation of the provisions of this section, knowing that such pistol or revolver is stolen or that the manufacturer's number or other mark of identification on such pistol or revolver has been altered, removed or obliterated, shall be guilty of a class B felony, and any pistol or revolver found in the possession of any person in violation of any provision of this section shall be forfeited.
Sec. 29-34. False statement or information in connection with sale or transfer of pistol or revolver prohibited. Sale or transfer to person under twenty-one years of age prohibited. Temporary transfers. Penalties. (a) No person shall make any false statement or give any false information connected with any purchase, sale, delivery or other transfer of any pistol or revolver. Any person violating any provision of this subsection shall be guilty of a class D felony.
(b) No person shall sell, barter, hire, lend, give, deliver or otherwise transfer to any person under the age of twenty-one years any pistol or revolver, except that a pistol or revolver may be temporarily transferred to any person only for the use by such person in target shooting or on a firing or shooting range, provided such use is otherwise permitted by law and is under the immediate supervision of a person eligible to possess a pistol or revolver. Any person violating any provision of this subsection shall be guilty of a class D felony for which one year of the sentence imposed may not be suspended or reduced by the court.
(c) Any pistol or revolver found in the possession of any person in violation of any provision of this section shall be forfeited.
Sec. 29-35. Carrying of pistol or revolver without permit prohibited. Exceptions (a) No person shall carry any pistol or revolver upon one's person, except when such person is within the dwelling house or place of business of such person, without a permit to carry the same issued as provided in section 29-28, as amended by this act. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the carrying of any pistol or revolver by any parole officer or peace officer of this state, or parole officer or peace officer of any other state while engaged in the pursuit of official duties, or federal marshal or federal law enforcement agent, or to any member of the armed forces of the United States, as defined by section 27-103, or of this state, as defined by section 27-2, when on duty or going to or from duty, or to any member of any military organization when on parade or when going to or from any place of assembly, or to the transportation of pistols or revolvers as merchandise, or to any person transporting any pistol or revolver while contained in the package in which it was originally wrapped at the time of sale and while transporting the same from the place of sale to the purchaser's residence or place of business, or to any person removing such person's household goods or effects from one place to another, or to any person while transporting any such pistol or revolver from such person's place of residence or business to a place or individual where or by whom such pistol or revolver is to be repaired or while returning to such person's place of residence or business after the same has been repaired, or to any person transporting a pistol or revolver in or through the state for the purpose of taking part in competitions, taking part in formal pistol or revolver training, repairing such pistol or revolver or attending any meeting or exhibition of an organized collectors' group if such person is a bona fide resident of the United States and is permitted to possess and carry a pistol or revolver in the state or subdivision of the United States in which such person resides, or to any person transporting a pistol or revolver to and from a testing range at the request of the issuing authority, or to any person transporting an antique pistol or revolver, as defined in section 29-33. For the purposes of this subsection, "formal pistol or revolver training" means pistol or revolver training at a locally approved or permitted firing range or training facility, and "transporting a pistol or revolver" means transporting a pistol or revolver that is unloaded and, if such pistol or revolver is being transported in a motor vehicle, is not readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment of the vehicle or, if such pistol or revolver is being transported in a motor vehicle that does not have a compartment separate from the passenger compartment, such pistol or revolver shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the carrying of a pistol or revolver during formal pistol or revolver training or repair. (b) The holder of a permit issued pursuant to section 29-28, as amended by this act, shall carry such permit upon one's person while carrying such pistol or revolver.
Sec. 29-36. Alteration of firearm identification mark, number or name. (a) No person shall remove, deface, alter or obliterate the name of any maker or model or any maker's number or other mark of identification on any firearm as defined in section 53a-3. The possession of any firearm upon which any identifying mark, number or name has been removed, defaced, altered or obliterated shall be prima facie evidence that the person owning or in possession of such firearm has removed, defaced, altered or obliterated the same.
(b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years or both and any firearm found in the possession of any person in violation of said provision shall be forfeited.
Sec. 29-36f. Eligibility certificate for pistol or revolver. (a) Any person who is twenty-one years of age or older may apply to the Commissioner of Public Safety for an eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver.
(b) The Commissioner of Public Safety shall issue an eligibility certificate unless said commissioner finds that the applicant: (1) Has failed to successfully complete a course approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety in the safety and use of pistols and revolvers including, but not limited to, a safety or training course in the use of pistols and revolvers available to the public offered by a law enforcement agency, a private or public educational institution or a firearms training school, utilizing instructors certified by the National Rifle Association or the Department of Environmental Protection and a safety or training course in the use of pistols or revolvers conducted by an instructor certified by the state or the National Rifle Association; (2) has been convicted of a felony or of a violation of subsection (c) of section 21a-279, section 53a-58, 53a-61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a-63, 53a-96, 53a-175, 53a-176, 53a-178 or 53a-181d; (3) has been convicted as delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile offense, as defined in section 46b-120; (4) 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 pursuant to section 53a-13; (5) 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; (6) is subject to a restraining or protective order issued by a court in a case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person; (7) is subject to a firearms seizure order issued pursuant to subsection (d) of section 29-38c after notice and hearing, or (8) is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States.
Sec. 29-36g. Application for eligibility certificate. Criminal history records check. Deadline for approval or denial of application. Form of certificate. Change of address. Confidentiality of name and address of certificate holder. Scope of certificate. (a) Requests for eligibility certificates under section 29-36f shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Public Safety on application forms prescribed by the commissioner. No eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver shall be issued under the provisions of said section unless the applicant for the same gives to the Commissioner of Public Safety, upon his request, full information concerning the applicant's criminal record and relevant information concerning the applicant's mental health history, and the commissioner shall thereupon take a full description and the fingerprints of such applicant. The commissioner shall record the date the fingerprints were taken in the applicant's file and shall forward such fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history records check and to the State Police Bureau of Identification for a state criminal history records check. The commissioner shall, within sixty days of receipt of the national criminal history records check from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, either approve the application and issue the eligibility certificate or deny the application and notify the applicant of the reason for such denial in writing.
(b) With respect to any application for an eligibility certificate filed with the Commissioner of Public Safety on or before July 1, 1995, the commissioner shall, not later than October 1, 1995, (1) approve the application and issue the eligibility certificate, (2) issue a temporary eligibility certificate or (3) deny the application and notify the applicant of the reason for such denial in writing. With respect to any application for an eligibility certificate filed with the Commissioner of Public Safety after July 1, 1995, the commissioner shall, within ninety days, (1) approve the application and issue the eligibility certificate, (2) issue a temporary eligibility certificate or (3) deny the application and notify the applicant of the reason for such denial in writing. A temporary certificate issued under this subsection shall be valid until such time as the commissioner either approves or denies the application.
(c) An eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver shall be of such form and content as the commissioner may prescribe, shall be signed by the certificate holder and shall contain an identification number, the name, address, place and date of birth, height, weight and eye color of the certificate holder and a full-face photograph of the certificate holder.
(d) A person holding an eligibility certificate issued by the commissioner shall notify the commissioner within two business days of any change of his address. The notification shall include his old address and his new address.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1-210 and 1-211, the name and address of a person issued an eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver under the provisions of section 29-36f shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except (1) such information may be disclosed to law enforcement officials acting in the performance of their duties, (2) the Commissioner of Public Safety may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that such certificate is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and (3) such information may be disclosed to the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to carry out the provisions of subsection (c) of section 17a-500.
(f) An eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver shall not authorize the holder thereof to carry a pistol or revolver upon his person in circumstances for which a permit to carry a pistol or revolver issued pursuant to subsection (b) of section 29-28 is required under section 29-35.
Sec. 29-36h. Fee for eligibility certificate. Expiration and renewal of eligibility certificate. (a) The fee for each eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver originally issued under the provisions of section 29-36f shall be thirty-five dollars and for each renewal thereof thirty-five dollars, which fees shall be paid to the Commissioner of Public Safety. Upon deposit of such fees in the General Fund, the fees shall be credited to the appropriation to the Department of Public Safety to a separate nonlapsing account for the purposes of the issuance of eligibility certificates under said section.
(b) An eligibility certificate originally issued under the provisions of section 29- 36f, shall expire five years after the date it becomes effective and each renewal thereof shall expire five years after the expiration date of the certificate being renewed.
(c) The renewal fee shall apply for each renewal which is requested not earlier than thirty-one days before, and not later than thirty-one days after, the expiration date of the certificate being renewed.
(d) No fee or portion thereof paid under the provisions of this section for issuance or renewal of an eligibility certificate shall be refundable except if the eligibility certificate for which the fee or portion thereof was paid was not issued or renewed.
(e) The Commissioner of Public Safety shall send a notice of the expiration of an eligibility certificate issued pursuant to section 29-36f, to the holder of such certificate, by first class mail, at the address of such person as shown by the records of the commissioner, not less than ninety days before such expiration, and shall enclose therein a form for the renewal of said certificate. An eligibility certificate issued pursuant to said section, shall be valid for a period of ninety days from the expiration date, except this provision shall not apply to any certificate which has been revoked or for which revocation is pending, pursuant to section 29-36i.
Sec. 29-36i. Revocation of eligibility certificate. (a) Any eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver shall be revoked by the Commissioner of Public Safety upon the occurrence of any event which would have disqualified the holder from being issued the certificate pursuant to section 29-36f.
(b) Upon the revocation of any eligibility certificate, the person whose eligibility certificate is revoked shall be notified in writing and such certificate shall be forthwith delivered to the Commissioner of Public Safety. Any person who fails to surrender such certificate within five days of notification in writing of revocation thereof shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.
Sec. 29-36j. Purchase or receipt of pistol or revolver without permit or eligibility certificate prohibited. Exceptions. Section 29-36j is repealed, effective October 1, 1999.
Sec. 29-36k. Transfer or surrender of pistols or revolver by person ineligible to possess same. (a) Not later than two business days after the occurrence of any event that makes a person ineligible to possess a pistol or revolver, such person shall (1) transfer in accordance with section 29-33 all pistols and revolvers which he then possesses to any person eligible to possess a pistol or revolver or (2) deliver or surrender such pistols and revolvers to the Commissioner of Public Safety. The commissioner shall exercise due care in the receipt and holding of such pistols and revolvers.
(b) Such person, or his legal representative, may, at any time up to one year after such delivery or surrender, transfer such pistols and revolvers in accordance with the provisions of section 29-33 to any person eligible to possess a pistol or revolver. Upon notification in writing by the transferee and such person, the Commissioner of Public Safety shall within ten days deliver such pistols and revolvers to the transferee. If, at the end of such year, such pistols and revolvers have not been so transferred, the commissioner shall cause them to be destroyed.
(c) Any person who fails to transfer or surrender any such pistols and revolvers as provided in this section shall be subject to the penalty provided for in section 53a-217c.
Sec. 29-36l. State database to supply information concerning validity of permits and eligibility certificate. (a) The Commissioner of Public Safety shall establish a state database within one year of October 1, 1994, that any person, firm or corporation who sells or otherwise transfers pistols or revolvers may access, by telephone or other electronic means in addition to the telephone, for information to be supplied immediately, on whether a permit to carry a pistol or revolver, issued pursuant to subsection (b) of section 29-28, a permit to sell at retail a pistol or revolver, issued pursuant to subsection (a) of section 29-28, or an eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver, issued pursuant to section 29-36f, is valid and has not been revoked or suspended.
(b) Upon establishment of the database, the commissioner shall notify each person, firm or corporation holding a permit to sell at retail pistols or revolvers issued pursuant to subsection (a) of section 29-28 of the existence and purpose of the system and the means to be used to access the database.
(c) The Department of Public Safety shall establish days and hours during which the telephone number or other electronic means shall be operational for purposes of responding to inquiries, taking into consideration the normal business hours of retail firearm businesses.
(d) The Department of Public Safety shall be the point of contact for initiating a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), established under section 103 of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, on individuals purchasing firearms.
(e) Any person, firm or corporation that contacts the Department of Public Safety to access the database established under this section and determine if a person is eligible to receive or possess a firearm shall not be held civilly liable for the sale or transfer of a firearm to a person whose receipt or possession of such firearm is unlawful or for refusing to sell or transfer a firearm to a person who may lawfully receive or possess such firearm if such person, firm or corporation relied, in good faith, on the information provided to such person, firm or corporation by said department, unless the conduct of such person, firm or corporation was unreasonable or reckless.
(f) Any person, firm or corporation that sells, delivers or otherwise transfers any firearm pursuant to section 29-33 or 29-37a, shall contact the Department of Public Safety to access the database established under this section and receive an authorization number for such sale, delivery or transfer. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to: (1) Any sale, delivery or transfer of an antique firearm manufactured in or before 1898, including any firearm with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap or similar type of ignition system manufactured in or before 1898; (2) any sale, delivery or transfer of any replica of any firearm described in subdivision (1) of this subsection if such replica uses rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition which is no longer manufactured in the United States and which is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade; (3) transactions between persons who are licensed as firearms importers or collectors, manufacturers or dealers pursuant to 18 USC 921 et seq.; (4) the transfer of firearms to and from gunsmiths for purposes of repair only; and (5) any sale, delivery or transfer of any firearm to any agency of the United States, the state of Connecticut or any local government.
Sec. 29-36n. Protocol concerning transfer or surrender of pistols and revolvers.(a)The Commissioner of Public Safety, in conjunction with the Chief State's Attorney and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, shall develop a protocol to ensure that persons who become ineligible to possess a pistol or revolver have, in accordance with section 29-36k, transferred such pistol or revolver to a person eligible to possess such pistol or revolver or have delivered or surrendered such pistol or revolver to said commissioner.
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