Massachusetts Firearms Law - Resources

Official Massachusetts Sources

Statutes and Session Laws

• Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.) - the codified state statutes at malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws. The two operative chapters for firearms law are M.G.L. c. 140 (licensing) and M.G.L. c. 269 (criminal penalties).
• Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024 ("An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws") - the 2024 comprehensive reform act. Published at malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2024/Chapter135.
• Bill text and tracking - malegislature.gov/Bills for pending and historical firearm legislation.

Massachusetts Code of Regulations (CMR)

• 515 CMR 3.00 - Firearms Course and Instructor Certifications and Firearms Surrender Programs. Sets the regulatory framework for Basic Firearms Safety Course curriculum and instructor certification.
• 501 CMR - Executive Office of Public Safety and Security regulations, covering various firearm administrative matters.

The Code of Massachusetts Regulations is published at mass.gov/cmr.

State Police Firearms Records Bureau

The State Police FRB (Firearms Records Bureau) is the central administrative authority for firearm licensing in Massachusetts. Resources:

• Main FRB page - mass.gov/orgs/firearms-records-bureau
• Non-Resident LTC application - mass.gov/info-details/license-to-carry-ltc
• FID application - mass.gov/info-details/firearm-identification-fid-card
• Approved instructor list - mass.gov/info-details/firearms-safety-training
• Types of firearms licenses - mass.gov/info-details/types-of-firearms-licenses

Sensitive Place and Prohibited Place Resources

• Places where firearms are prohibited - mass.gov/info-details/places-where-firearms-are-prohibited - the State Police FRB compilation of sensitive-place locations under c. 140 and Chapter 135 of 2024.

Storage and Transport Resources

• Storing and transporting firearms - mass.gov/info-details/storing-and-transporting-firearms - the State Police compilation of the c. 140, Section 131L and c. 140, Section 131C requirements.

Extreme Risk Protection Order (Red Flag) Resources

• ERPO Information - mass.gov/info-details/extreme-risk-protection-order-erpo-information - the State Police compilation of c. 140, Section 131R procedures.

Federal Resources

Statutes and Regulations

• 18 U.S.C. 922 - Gun Control Act prohibitions (NICS, prohibited persons, sensitive places).
• 18 U.S.C. 926A - FOPA interstate transport.
• 18 U.S.C. 926B and Section 926C - LEOSA for active and retired law enforcement.
• 18 U.S.C. 930 - Federal buildings.
• 26 U.S.C. 5841 et seq. - National Firearms Act.
• 27 C.F.R. 478 - GCA implementing regulations.
• 27 C.F.R. 479 - NFA implementing regulations.

Cornell Law's Legal Information Institute is a free, current source for federal statute text: law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18 and law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26.

ATF Resources

• ATF main page - atf.gov
• ATF Brady Permit Chart - lists state-issued permits that satisfy the federal NICS check at firearm purchase.
• ATF NFA Branch - administers Form 1, Form 4, and other NFA paperwork.
• ATF Form 4473 - the federal firearm transaction record completed at every dealer transfer.

TSA Air Travel Resources

• TSA Firearm Air Travel Page - tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition - the current TSA rule on checked firearms (locked hard case, ammunition packaging, declaration at check-in).

Massachusetts Court Resources

• Massachusetts Trial Court (District Court) - the court of jurisdiction for de novo LTC appeals under M.G.L. c. 140, Section 131(f). District Court locations at mass.gov/orgs/district-court.
• Mass. Appeals Court and Supreme Judicial Court - mass.gov/courts for appellate firearm-law decisions. Commonwealth v. Runyan (2010) and other foundational decisions are available through the court's opinion database.
• Criminal Model Jury Instructions - the Massachusetts District Court Department maintains model jury instructions for criminal firearm offenses. Revised periodically; July 2023 revisions covered M.G.L. c. 269, Section 10(a), Section 10(h), Section 10(n) offenses.

Massachusetts Attorney General Resources

• Office of the Attorney General - mass.gov/orgs/office-of-the-attorney-general
• Gun Violence Prevention Unit - the AG's Office's specialized unit on firearm enforcement and policy. Resource for AG opinions and consumer alerts on firearm-related issues.
• AG Opinions - mass.gov/lists/attorney-general-opinions for issued opinions on firearm law questions.

Mass.gov General Resources

• Mass.gov main page - mass.gov - state government portal with sub-pages for the State Police FRB, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, and related agencies.
• Office of Public Safety and Security - mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-public-safety-and-security - the secretariat that oversees the State Police FRB and 515 CMR rulemaking.

Reciprocity Resources

• USCCA Reciprocity Map - usconcealedcarry.com/resources/ccw_reciprocity_map - third-party reciprocity tracker (verify with official state sources).
• NRA-ILA Gun Laws - nraila.org/gun-laws - third-party state-by-state law summary (similar caveat).
• Massachusetts State Police FRB - publishes the Non-Resident LTC procedure but does not maintain a reciprocity list for outbound Massachusetts permit holders.

Litigation Tracking

• Granata v. Healey - the federal Second Amendment challenge to Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts; track on PACER.
• First Circuit Court of Appeals - decisions on Massachusetts firearm cases at ca1.uscourts.gov.
• Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts - mad.uscourts.gov for case dockets and orders.

Private and Educational Resources

• Comm2A - comm2a.org - the Commonwealth Second Amendment, a Massachusetts-based gun rights organization that tracks litigation and policy developments.
• Gun Owners' Action League (GOAL) - goal.org - Massachusetts gun rights advocacy organization with legislative tracking and member resources.
• Massachusetts firearms attorneys - the Mass. Bar Association lawyer referral service at massbar.org/for-the-public/find-a-lawyer.

Mental Health Resources

A firearm safety topic that the State Police 515 CMR 3.00 program emphasizes:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - dial 988 from any phone for mental health crisis support.
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health Firearm Safety - state-distributed firearm safety and suicide prevention materials, as referenced in M.G.L. c. 140, Section 131P(g).

Firearm Safety Course Providers

• The State Police FRB maintains the list of approved instructors at mass.gov/info-details/firearms-safety-training. The list is updated annually by the Colonel of State Police.
• Many local police departments run their own Basic Firearms Safety Courses for residents; check with your local department.
• National organizations (NRA, USCCA, U.S. Concealed Carry Association) certify instructors who are eligible to be approved under c. 140, Section 131P.

Key Statutory References

Verification Note

Massachusetts firearm law is dynamic. Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024 changed dozens of provisions, and federal Second Amendment litigation continues to reshape what state and local restrictions are enforceable. Always verify a specific provision against the current statutory text at malegislature.gov before relying on it for a legal decision. Consult a licensed Massachusetts firearms attorney for any case-specific question.