A contact carrier retains a crimp contact inserted therein at a central collar of the crimp contact in a particularly stable manner and at the same time absorb the highest possible plugging forces. The contact carrier has an insulating body and a retaining plate, which can be mounted thereon on the connection side. Furthermore, the contact carrier has at least one detent element, which, in the unassembled state, can assumed both a position locking the plug contact and a position releasing the plug contact. The detent element is part of the insulating body. The retaining plate also has at least one blocking element, which, in the assembled state, fixes the detent element in the position thereof locking the plug contact and thus prevents the transition of the detent element from the locking position into the releasing position.