Special Licensing and Firearms
Bump Stock Ban
Pursuant to Public Act 18-29, effective October 1, 2018, no person other than a licensed firearms manufacturer under 18 USC 923(i) fulfilling a military contract, may sell, offer to sell, otherwise transfer or offer to transfer, purchase, possess, use or manufacture any "rate of fire enhancement." For purposes of this section, a rate of fire enhancement is any device, component, part, combination of parts, attachment or accessory that: (1) Uses energy from the recoil of a firearm to generate a reciprocating action that causes repeated function of the trigger, including, but not limited to, a bump stock; (2) repeatedly pulls the trigger of a firearm through the use of a crank, lever or other part, including, but not limited to, a trigger crank; or (3) causes a semiautomatic firearm to fire more than one round per operation of the trigger, where the trigger pull and reset constitute a single operation of the trigger, including, but not limited to, a binary trigger system. Violation of this prohibition is a class D felony, except that first offenses for individuals with a valid pistol permit, eligibility certificate, or ammunition certificate is a class D Misdemeanor.
Prior to October 1, 2018, anyone in possession of a rate of fire enhancement must render it permanently inoperable, remove it from the state, or surrender it to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) for destruction. Any member of the military returning from deployment, or anyone moving into the state, who is in lawful possession of a rate of fire enhancement, must render it permanently inoperable, remove it from the state, or surrender it to DESPP for destruction within ninety days.
Additionally, 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 full text of P.A. 18-29 can be found on the Connecticut General Assembly website at https://www.cga.ct.gov/2018/ACT/pa/pdf/2018PA-00029-R00HB-05542-PA.pdf