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June 25, 2025Current through the 2024 2nd Annual Session. Please check to make sure there have been no changes since this time. You can find Massachusetts laws on the Massachusetts Legislature website.
Selected Statutes: Massachusetts
- Part I. Administration of the Government
- Title XVII. Public Welfare
- Title XX. Public Safety and Good Order
- Chapter 140. Licenses
- § 121. Firearms sales; definitions; antique firearms; application of law; exceptions
- § 129D. Surrender of firearms and ammunition to licensing authority upon denial of application for, or revocation of, identification card or license; right to transfer; sale by colonel of state police; auction of firearm or ammunition stored and maintained by licensed dealer; trade or disposal of surplus, donated, abandoned or junk firearms or ammunition; delivery or surrender or seizure of firear
- § 131. Licenses to carry firearms; conditions and restrictions; rules and regulations
- § 131R. Extreme risk protection orders; petitions
- § 131S. Extreme risk protection orders; hearing; issuance of order; surrender of license, identification card and firearms; expiration of order; return of license to carry firearms or firearm identification card and all firearms or ammunition; disposal of firearms or ammunition
- § 131T. Extreme risk protection orders; failure to surrender any firearms or ammunition within 24 hours
- § 121F. Process for obtaining permit, card or license; false information; form of application; prohibited persons; denial; renewals; appeals; fees; expiration; reinstatement
- Chapter 140. Licenses
- Title XXI. Labor and Industries
- Part II. Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations
- Title I. Title to Real Property
- Chapter 186. Estates for Years and at Will
- § 23. Definitions applicable to Secs. 23 to 29
- § 24. Termination of rental agreement or tenancy by victim of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault or stalking
- § 25. Refusal of rental agreement or assistance based on termination of rental agreement under Sec. 24 or request for change of lock under Sec. 26 prohibited
- § 26. Change of locks upon request of tenant, co-tenant or household member believed to be under imminent threat of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault or stalking
- § 27. Jurisdiction of courts to restrain violation of Secs. 23 to 26; applicability of other laws to requests to change locks
- § 28. Waivers of Secs. 23 to 27 void and unenforceable
- § 29. Owner immunity from liability
- Chapter 186. Estates for Years and at Will
- Title III. Domestic Relations
- Chapter 208. Divorce
- § 1. Causes for divorce; general provisions
- § 2. Causes for divorce; confinement for crime
- § 4. Causes for divorce; domicile of parties
- § 5. Causes for divorce; exceptions to Sec. 4
- § 17. Pendency of action; allowance; alimony
- § 18. Pendency of action for divorce; protection of personal liberty of spouse; restraint orders authorized
- § 19. Pendency of action for divorce; custody of children
- § 20. Continuance of action; temporary separation
- § 22. Libels for divorce; desertion; proof
- § 28. Children; care, custody and maintenance; child support obligations; provisions for education and health insurance; parents convicted of first degree murder
- § 28A. Temporary care; custody and maintenance of minor children
- § 29. Minor children; foreign divorces, care and custody
- § 30. Minor children; removal from commonwealth; prohibition
- § 31. Custody of children; shared custody plans
- § 31A. Visitation and custody orders; consideration of abuse toward parent or child; best interest of child
- § 32. Child; bringing before court; writ of habeas corpus
- § 33. Jurisdiction; procedure
- § 34. Alimony or assignment of estate; determination of amount; health insurance
- § 34B. Order to vacate marital home
- § 49. Termination, suspension or modification of general term alimony
- § 50. Termination, extension or modification of rehabilitative alimony
- § 52. Termination of transitional alimony; modification or extension
- § 53. Determination of form, amount and duration of alimony; maximum amount; income calculation; deviations; concurrent child support orders
- Chapter 209. Husband and Wife
- Chapter 209A. Abuse Prevention
- § 1. Definitions
- § 2. Abuse prevention proceedings; venue
- § 3. Remedies; period of relief
- § 3A. Nature of proceedings and availability of other criminal proceedings; information required to be given to complainant upon filing
- § 3B. Order for suspension and surrender of firearms license; surrender of firearms; petition for review; hearing
- § 3C. Continuation or modification of order for surrender or suspension
- § 4. Temporary orders; notice; hearing
- § 5. Granting of relief when court closed; relief granted by telephone; certification.
- § 5A. Protection order issued by another jurisdiction; enforcement; filing; presumption of validity
- § 6. Powers of police.
- § 7. Abuse prevention orders; domestic violence record search; service of order; enforcement; violations
- § 8. Address of plaintiff; exclusion from court documents; confidentiality of records.
- § 9. Form of complaint; promulgation.
- § 10. Assessments against persons referred to certified batterers' treatment program as condition of probation.
- § 11. Possession, care and control of domesticated animal owned by persons involved in certain protective orders; notice to law enforcement upon finding of imminent threat to household member or animal
- Chapter 209B. Massachusetts Child Custody Jurisdiction Act
- Chapter 209C. Children Born Out of Wedlock
- § 1. Declaration of purpose; definition; responsibility for support
- § 2. Paternity; acknowledgment or adjudication; statistical information of parties; transmission to registrar
- § 6. Presumption of paternity; mandatory joinder
- § 9. Judgment or order for support; health insurance; financial statement; determination of amount; notice
- § 10. Award of custody; criteria
- § 11. Acknowledgment of parentage; approval; parental agreements regarding custody, support and visitation
- § 17. Genetic marker tests; affidavit; refusal to submit to test; costs
- Chapter 208. Divorce
- Title I. Title to Real Property
- Part III. Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases
- Title I. Courts and Judicial Officers (Ch. 211-222)
- Title IV. Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases (Ch. 246-258E)
- Chapter 258E. Harassment Prevention Orders
- § 1. Definitions
- § 3. Filing of complaint; impounding of case record information; filing fee; expiration of order; modification of order; time for filing; nonexclusivity of remedy
- § 4. Notice of nature of proceedings and availability of other criminal proceedings
- § 5. Temporary orders
- § 6. Granting of relief without the filing of a complaint
- § 9. Review and filing of records within court activity record information system and statewide domestic violence recordkeeping system; execution of outstanding warrants; service upon defendant; order for payment of damages
- § 10. Confidentiality of records
- Chapter 258E. Harassment Prevention Orders
- Title VI. Costs and Fees
- Part IV. Crimes, Punishments and Proceedings in Criminal Cases
- Title I. Crimes and Punishments
- Chapter 265. Crimes Against the Person
- § 13B. Indecent assault and battery on child under age of 14
- § 13F. Indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability; assault and battery
- § 13H. Indecent assault and battery on person fourteen or older; penalties
- § 13K. Assault and battery upon an elderly person or a person with a disability; definitions; penalties
- § 13M. Assault or assault and battery on a family or household member; second or subsequent offense; penalty
- § 15D. Strangulation or suffocation; penalty; aggravating factors; batterer’s intervention program
- § 22. Rape, generally; weapons; punishment; eligibility for furlough, education, training or employment programs; offenses committed by law enforcement officer against person in his or her custody
- § 22A. Rape of child; punishment
- § 23. Rape and abuse of child
- § 24. Assault with intent to commit rape; weapons; punishment; eligibility for furloughs, education, training or employment programs
- § 24B. Assault of child; intent to commit rape; weapons; punishment
- § 25. Attempted extortion; punishment
- § 26A. Kidnapping of minor or incompetent by relative; punishment
- § 26C. Definition of “entice”; enticement of child under age 16; punishment
- § 43. Stalking; punishment
- § 43A. Criminal harassment; punishment
- Chapter 266. Crimes Against Property
- Chapter 269. Crimes Against Public Peace
- Chapter 272. Crimes Against Chastity, Morality, Decency and Good Order
- § 3. Drugging persons for sexual intercourse
- § 29. Dissemination or possession of obscene matter; punishment; defense
- § 30. Injunctive relief against dissemination of obscene matter; jurisdiction; procedures; appeal
- § 105. Photographing, videotaping or electronically surveilling partially nude or nude person or the sexual or other intimate parts of a person around the person’s clothing; exceptions; punishment
- Chapter 274. Felonies, Accessories and Attempts to Commit Crimes
- Chapter 265. Crimes Against the Person
- Title I. Crimes and Punishments
- Guidelines for Judicial Practice Abuse Prevention Proceedings
