Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Domestic Violence & Firearms in Massachusetts.’ Who Can Have a Gun. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 22 December

Relevant contents

Domestic Violence and Firearms in Massachusetts

Massachusetts law does not prohibit individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from purchasing or possessing firearms or ammunition, or require courts to notify these domestic abusers that they are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

Massachusetts law does, however, prohibit any person from possessing a firearm or ammunition unless he or she has been issued a firearm identification card,1 and prevents the licensing authority from issuing a firearm identification card to an applicant who is currently subject to a permanent or temporary protection order protecting an adult or minor family or household member of the applicant from abuse. The term "family or household members" includes persons who:

- Are or were married to one another;
- Are or were residing together in the same household;
- Are or were related by blood or marriage;
- Have a child in common regardless of whether they have ever married or lived together; or
- Are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship, which shall be adjudged by consideration of the following factors:

- The length of time of the relationship;
- The type of relationship;
- The frequency of interaction between the parties; and
- If the relationship has been terminated by either person, the length of time elapsed since the termination of the relationship.((Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 209A, § 1.))

Massachusetts law requires a court that is issuing a temporary or emergency protection order (an order that a court can issue immediately upon the filing of a complaint by a family or household member who seeks protection from abuse) to order the immediate suspension and surrender of any license to carry firearms or firearms identification card which the defendant may hold and order the defendant to surrender all firearms and ammunition which he or she possesses to the appropriate law enforcement official. However, this requirement only applies if the plaintiff demonstrates a substantial likelihood of immediate danger of abuse. Law enforcement officials who are serving such orders must immediately take possession of all such firearms, ammunition, licenses, and identification cards.

Massachusetts law requires any law enforcement officer who has reason to believe that a family or household member has been abused or is in danger of being abused to use all reasonable means to prevent further abuse. Massachusetts law does not, however, specifically authorize or require the law enforcement officer to remove firearms or ammunition in this situation…

[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]

Last accessed at:
https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/domestic-violence-and-firearms-in-massachusetts/

ID: Q7027