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June 25, 2025§ 1. Felonies and misdemeanors
A crime punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison is a felony. All other crimes are misdemeanors.
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
