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Legal Information: Massachusetts

State Gun Laws

Laws current as of December 14, 2023

What is the penalty for violating the firearm laws?

Under Massachusetts state law, anyone who violates the firearm provision of an abuse prevention order can be punished by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to two and a half years, or both.1

Generally, any person who possesses a firearm outside of his/her home or place of business without a firearm license can be punished by prison time of up to five years or jail time of up to two and a half years.2

Also, anyone who violates Massachusetts’ firearm licensing laws can be punished by a fine of between $1,000 and $10,000.3

1 Mass. Gen. Laws 209A § 3B
2 Mass. Gen. Laws 269 § 10(a)
3 Mass. Gen. Laws 140 § 131(a)

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