If you missed the 90-day deadline to appeal your LTC denial, suspension, or revocation in Massachusetts, you have lost the right to ask a district court to overturn that decision. That is a tough spot to be in, but it is not the end of the road. What you can do next depends on whether your application was denied or whether your license was suspended or revoked. The two situations look very different, so let us walk through both.
The 90-Day LTC Appeal Deadline
Massachusetts gives you 90 days from the date you receive notice of a denial, suspension, or revocation to file what the law calls a petition for judicial review. You file it in the district court that covers the police department that made the decision. The statute is M.G.L. c. 140, § 121F.
Ninety days sounds like a lot of time. It isn’t. District courts treat the deadline as absolute. If you file on day 91, the judge has no power to hear your case, no matter how strong your argument is. The chief of police knows this too, which is why waiting is almost never the right move.
People miss the window for understandable reasons. The most common one is waiting for a related criminal case to resolve, hoping that a dismissal or acquittal will quietly restore the license. It will not. The 90-day clock keeps running while the criminal case crawls along, and a win in criminal court six months later does nothing to bring your appeal right back to life.
If Your LTC Was Denied: Reapply and Fix What Went Wrong
A denial is the easier scenario to recover from. The licensing authority never actually issued you a license, so nothing is sitting on your firearms record being held against you. You can submit a fresh application the next day if you want. Nothing in the statute makes you wait.
The trick is that a second application will get denied for the same reason as the first one unless you do something about whatever caused the original problem. If the chief said you were not a suitable person, your job is to build a record that shows why you are now. That might mean documenting your rehabilitation, collecting character references, finishing additional firearms training, or simply letting more time pass since the incident that made the chief uneasy.
If your denial was based on an old misdemeanor conviction, there is another route worth considering: the Firearm Licensing Review Board, which operates under M.G.L. c. 140, § 130B. The FLRB has narrow jurisdiction, so check whether your situation actually qualifies before pinning your hopes on it.
If your new application gets denied, a fresh 90-day window opens. Use it this time.
If Your LTC Was Suspended or Revoked: A Harder Road
This is where things get complicated. An LTC suspension or revocation means you had a license, and the licensing authority took it back. That action goes on your firearms record, and a chief reviewing your next application will see it sitting there. Most will deny on suitability grounds. The good news is that a fresh denial gives you a new 90-day window. The hard part is that the same concern that drove the suspension will follow you into court.
When and how to reapply after a suspension or revocation is not a question with a clean answer. The statute does not require you to wait any particular length of time. In real life, the right timing depends on what caused the suspension, what has changed since then, and how your chief is likely to view your file. Some people are better off reapplying quickly with a strong supporting record. Others should hold off, do the work, and come back with a stronger case later. This is exactly the kind of question to talk through with a Massachusetts firearms attorney before you file anything.
Whenever you do reapply, time alone will not be enough. You need to give the chief a reason to see you differently than they did before. Resolve any pending criminal matters. Document any treatment, training, or counseling that addresses what concerns the chief. Build the file you wish you had the day the suspension letter arrived.
How to Keep From Missing the Window in the First Place
The 90-day clock starts the day you receive notice. Not when your criminal case ends. Not when you finally feel ready to deal with it. Not when you get around to finding a firearms lawyer. If a denial, suspension, or revocation letter shows up in your mailbox, call a firearms attorney that same week. Filing a petition for judicial review on time protects your right to be heard. Once the window closes, no court can pry it back open.
Talk to a Massachusetts LTC Attorney
The Law Office of Matthew W. Peterson handles LTC appeals and firearms licensing matters throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Whether you missed your 90-day window and want to know what is still possible, or you just received a letter and have time to act, give us a call or text at 617-295-7500, or send us a message below. We will help you figure out the best path forward.
