Secure Storage in Connecticut
Gun owners in Connecticut are required to store guns securely in their homes and vehicles to prevent unauthorized access and theft.
To comply with state law, gun owners in Connecticut must securely store all firearms.
Secure storage means doing one of the following whenever a firearm is not being carried (or close enough to be accessed as if it were being carried) and is being stored upon any premises the gun owner controls:
- Storing the firearm in a securely locked box or other container, or
- Storing the firearm in another manner that is reasonably understood to be secure.
In addition, a gun owner may not leave a handgun in an unattended vehicle* unless the handgun is stored in the locked trunk (that cannot be accessed through the passenger compartment), a locked safe or locked glove box, or a locked toolbox or utility box attached to the bed of a pickup truck.
Gun owners may be subject to criminal penalties if they fail to follow these requirements.
* There are limited exceptions to this requirement for handguns possessed by certain members of law enforcement, military, and government officials.
Keeping Your Homes and Vehicles Safe with Secure Storage
If you’ve made the decision to bring a gun into your home, it’s important to know how responsible gun owners work to keep their families safe by mitigating the inherent risks associated with firearm ownership. Every responsible gun owner securely stores their guns so that they are inaccessible to children and other people who are at risk of harming themselves or others. Here’s why:
- More than 700 children die by gun suicide each year, most often using guns belonging to a family member.
- Nearly 360 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else each year.
- At least one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths could be prevented with increased secure storage.
- More than 200,000 guns are stolen from individuals every year—a significant portion of those are stolen from cars.
Safety is always an adult responsibility. Kids will be kids, so it’s always an adult’s responsibility to keep children safe. Always assume that curious or impulsive kids may find and touch an unsecured gun, even if they’ve been told not to. If a child handles a gun, a bad decision can quickly become a fatal one. Be SMART adults protect kids by making sure all guns are stored securely, which means they are inaccessible to kids, and by making sure children are never in the presence of unsecured guns.
The information provided here is not legal advice and should not be understood as such. Consult with an attorney if you have questions about how this law applies to your specific circumstances.