Domestic Violence Arrest Impact on Owning and Using Firearms

A domestic violence arrest has several serious consequences for those facing this charge. One of the most severe of these involves your ability to possess firearms. A domestic violence arrest will prohibit you from having guns. This is the case even if you have a valid permit. You can learn more about the impact of a domestic violence arrest on your ability to possess firearms here.

Protective Orders and Firearms

When you are arrested for a domestic violence crime, the judge will enter a criminal protective order against you. The protective order will require that you immediately surrender all of your guns to the police. The criminal protective order trumps your permit and restricts your firearms rights.

If you don’t obey the protective order and you fail to surrender your weapons, you could be charged with additional crimes under both our state law and under similar federal laws. Significantly, under Connecticut state law, you could be charged with the crime of Criminal Possession of a Firearm. This crime is considered a Class C felony. The penalties for a Class C felony are a mandatory two years of jail (up to 10 years of jail in total) and a minimum $5,000.00 fine. This felony charge will be added to the domestic violence charge you already face, making your total potential fines and jail time significant.

When your case ends, the protective order will terminate. When this happens, you have the right to retrieve your firearms from the police. However, keep in mind that in certain cases, the protective order will continue forward. In those cases, you will not be able to retrieve your firearms until the protective order ends. If you are not sure when your protective order will end, or when you can use your firearms again, you should contact an attorney.

Getting Help

If you are concerned about how a domestic violence arrest will affect your ability to own and use firearms, contact our office. One of our attorneys can answer your questions and guide you through the criminal process that you now face. For more information, you can set up a consultation by phone or come into our office today.