This research focuses on the effect of staggered bolted connections on the ultimate tensile capacity and failure modes of the cold-formed steel channel sections connected to the gusset plates. The test program includes two series of 113 channel specimens tested under axial tension with one series containing 52 two-bolted specimens and the other with 61 three-bolted specimens. All the specimens were bolted in the web in a staggered fashion, and the main parameters being investigated are different channel dimensions, staggered and gauge distances, and bolt hole diameter. The test results indicate that the tensile resistance of the two-bolt staggered connection is usually bearing controlled and that of the three-bolt staggered connection is net-section rupture. In addition, the original formula s2/(4g + 2dh) proposed by Cochrane is used to calculate the net section area, instead of simplified s2/4g, which could overestimate the net section area upto 10%. Furthermore, the net-section efficiency factor proposed in codes such as EN-1993-1-3, AS/NZS 4600: 2018, and literature to account for in-plane and out-of-plane shear lag, and bending moment due to the eccentricity in loading is evaluated with the test results from three-bolt configurations obtained from this study. It was observed that the current code provisions (EN-1993-1-3:2004, AS/NZS 4600:2018) for staggered bolt configuration yield non-conservative estimates of the ultimate tensile strength. However, the latest equation proposed by Teh and Gilbert [1] (also adopted in AISI 2016), which accounts for all the sources of capacity reduction factors mentioned above, predicted the net section tension capacity accurately. Through the reliability analysis of the equation by Teh and Gilbert [1] based on the present test results, the resistance factor of 0.75 for LRFD and safety factor of 2.05 for ASD design philosophies are suggested. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd