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Legal Information: Massachusetts

State Gun Laws

Laws current as of December 14, 2023

If the abuser has been convicted of a crime, can s/he keep or buy a gun?

Massachusetts state law says that you can only get a license to have or buy a gun if:

  • you have not been convicted of a felony;
  • you have not been convicted of a misdemeanor punishable by more than two years of imprisonment;
  • you have not been convicted of a violent crime; and
  • you have not been convicted of any weapons or drug-related offenses;
  • you are not a fugitive from justice; and
  • you are not subject to an outstanding arrest warrant.1

The conviction preventing a person from getting a firearm license could have happened in Massachusetts state court, in any other state’s court, or in federal court.2

Federal laws, which apply to all states, also restrict a person’s right to have a gun if s/he has been convicted of certain crimes. Go to Federal Gun Laws to get more information.

1 Mass. Gen. Laws 140 § 131(d)(i)
2 Mass. Gen. Laws 140 § 131(d)(ii)

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