Articles Posted in weapons

The Stop, the search, and your next move

In Connecticut, you need a Connecticut pistol permit to carry a handgun—other states’ permits don’t count here. Since October 1, 2023, open carry in public is banned (with narrow exceptions), while concealed carry is allowed if you have a valid CT permit. Guns in cars come with strict transport and storage rules, and many first-time arrests come down to whether the stop and search were lawful. This page breaks down what is actually charged, what the state must prove, and the defenses that work in the real world.

What actually gets charged

A lot of people are shocked to find themselves arrested in Connecticut just for carrying a pocketknife. You might think, “It’s just a tool, I use it for work, camping, or opening boxes — how could this be a crime?” I hear this all the time from clients.

The truth is, Connecticut’s weapons laws are strict, confusing, and enforced aggressively. What seems like a harmless item to you can turn into a serious criminal case overnight.

The Law on Knives in Connecticut

I have had a lot of clients lately who have been arrested after getting involved in various disputes while they were legally carrying handguns. I do represent a lot of clients in weapons crimes cases but these were not weapons cases.  These were normal run of the mill breach of the peace or disorderly conduct cases that got escalated into much more serious charges due to the fact that the victim became aware that my client was carrying a weapon. No, they did not pull the handguns out and point them or brandish them at anyone.  However the fact that the alleged victim(s) were able to ascertain that they were in possession of a handgun was enough for the Police to add additional charges for reckless endangerment based upon the unfounded allegations that my clients were carrying a handgun and brandishing it in the middle of a altercation.

The law on open carry in Connecticut 

All pistol permit holders are entitled in Connecticut to either carry a handgun concealed or open carry.  In addition, you do not have to produce your pistol permit to a Police officer unless you want to if you are open carrying unless the officer has probable cause that a crime has been committed – such as the complaint of a citizen that you are openly carrying a handgun and that is resulting in disorderly conduct.   In 2017 The State Legislature debated a house measure which would have required that gun permit holders carrying a visible pistol or revolver to produce their carry permit at the request of a law enforcement officer.  That bill did not pass.