Reading, MA Gun License (LTC): Class, Fee & Where to Apply

Three steps · we do the middle one

How to get your LTC in Reading.

1You · free · 30 seconds

Check you qualify

Massachusetts rules are the same in Reading as everywhere else: 21+, US citizen or permanent resident, no felony, no active restraining order, no MA DUI since 1994. Seven questions, nothing to fill in.

Check now

2Us · 4–5 hours · one visit · about 11 miles from Reading

Take the license class

The state-approved course (LTC035). Classroom and live fire on our indoor range in Everett, same day. Massachusetts only $249, or all six states' courses for $349.

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3You · Reading Police Department

Apply in Reading

Massachusetts licenses are issued by the police department where you live. Bring the certificate of completion from your state-approved class, your ID and the state fee. They set the process, the interview and the timeline.

What that involves

Step 3 · applying in Reading

Where Reading residents apply.

Your application goes to the Reading Police Department — the licensing authority for Reading. Applying is your own step; what we do is the training the state requires first.

State fee: $100 for a new LTC, paid to the department (some towns add a small administrative fee).
Bring: your certificate of completion from the state-approved class (ours is Course LTC035), government ID, proof of residency, and the completed state application form.
Fingerprints and interview are scheduled by the department; most departments book appointments, so call early.
Timeline: Massachusetts gives the licensing authority 40 days to act on a complete application; real waits vary by department and season.
Non-residents who work in or travel through Massachusetts apply through the Firearms Records Bureau instead.

How Reading takes applications

Licensing: Reading Police Department, Firearms Licensing
Address: 15 Union Street, Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-942-6766 (per department LTC/FID sheet; town directory lists 781-942-6769); non-emergency 781-944-1212

First-time applicants email LTC@ci.reading.ma.us with name, date of birth, address, phone and driver's license number; the licensing officer replies to schedule an in-person appointment. Bring driver's license, safety course certificate, DD214 if applicable, check payable to Town of Reading, naturalization certificate if applicable, and one of passport, birth certificate or green card. Renewals are mailed or hand-delivered marked ATTN: LTC; no renewals are processed in person, and they are accepted only within 4 months of expiration.

Do not bring any weapons to the appointment. Two different licensing phone numbers appear on official town sources.

Source: readingma.gov, checked 3 November 2026 (from the department’s own page). Departments change their process; confirm before you go.

Department details change — confirm hours and fees with the department before you go. We don't file applications and we're not part of the department's decision.

Getting to the class from Reading

151 Bow Street, Unit 2, Everett — about 11 miles

Classroom and indoor range under one roof, free parking on site, ten minutes from Boston, accessible by public transport.

Directions from Reading

Step 2 · the class

Same four to five hours. Pick how far it reaches.

Basic Firearm Safety Course

Carry in Massachusetts.

$249per seat · 4–5 hours · one visit

Everything Massachusetts requires before you apply
Live fire, real firearms, ear and eye — all in the price
Runs morning, afternoon and evening

Sign Up Now — $249 Full details

Best value

Map of the United States with the 40 states where the Multi License Course lets you carry shown in green. Rhode Island (amber) only with the optional Rhode Island permit.

40 State Multi License Course · most popular

Carry in up to 40 states. Includes the MA LTC.

$349per seat · 4-5 hours · one visit · $100 more, once

Six state courses in one sitting — MA, ME, NH, CT, PA, FL
Optional: Rhode Island. Not one of the six. We cover how to apply there, but RI requires its own qualification test, which we don't provide, and no certificate is issued for RI.
Same live fire, same instructor, same guarantee

Sign Up Now — $349 Full details

Reading questions

What people from Reading ask us.

Do you have to take the class in Reading?

No. Massachusetts accepts any state-approved basic firearms safety course, wherever it's taught. Ours is in Everett, about 11 miles from Reading, with live fire on our indoor range — something many courses skip.

Where do you apply for an LTC if you live in Reading?

With the Reading Police Department, the licensing authority for Reading residents. You apply after the class, with your certificate of completion. Applying is your own step with the department.

How much does a Massachusetts gun license cost from Reading?

The state application fee is $100. The class is $249 (Massachusetts only) or $349 (all six states' courses). Some departments add a small administrative fee — confirm with Reading Police Department.

How long does it take to get an LTC in Reading?

The class is one four-to-five-hour visit. After you apply, the licensing authority has 40 days by statute to act on a complete application; actual waits vary by department and time of year.

Can you get your license back if you're denied?

Take the course, follow the instructions, have no disqualifications and apply within a reasonable timeframe — if your department still denies you, we refund the cost of the course.

Can you take the class in Spanish, Portuguese or Mandarin?

The class itself is taught in English. Your prep video — the one that arrives the moment you reserve — is recorded in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin, so you can go through the whole course in your own language before you come in.

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