Is it possible for gonorrhea to lay dormant in the body? if so, for how long?

Not too long: Gonorrhea grows in warm moist places of the body such as the mucous membranes, especially the reproductive tract and the urethra and less commonly the eyes and throat. Typically symptoms start 2 to 5 days after infection but sometimes symptoms take longer to appear. In some cases after infection, symptoms only appear after 30 days.

It depends...: ...on sex and on the body site infected. It is rare for men to have gonorrhea of the genital tract (urethra, i.e. penis) more than 2-5 days before symptoms appear (pus dripping, painful urination), and long term carriage is rare. However, gonorrhea can be carried for weeks or months, without symptoms, in a woman's cervix, in the rectum in women and men having sex with men, and in the throat.