reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131a - Permits to Purchase, Rent or Lease Firearms, or to Purchase Ammunition; Fee; Penalties

Section 131A. A licensing authority under section one hundred and thirty-one, upon the application of a person qualified to be granted a license thereunder by such authority, may grant to such a person, other than a minor, a permit to purchase, rent or lease a firearm if it appears that such purchase, rental or lease is for a proper purpose, and may revoke such permit at will. The colonel of the state police or a person authorized by him, upon the application of a person licensed under section one hundred and thirty-one F, may grant to such licensee, other than a minor, a permit to purchase, rent or lease a firearm, rifle or shotgun, or to purchase ammunition therefor, if it appears that such purchase, rental or lease is for a proper purpose, and may revoke such permit at will. Such permits shall be issued on forms furnished by the commissioner of the department of criminal justice information services shall be valid for not more than ten days after issue, and a copy of every such permit so issued shall within one week thereafter be sent to the said executive director. The licensing authority may impose such restrictions relative to the caliber and capacity of the firearm to be purchased, rented or leased as he deems proper. Whoever knowingly issues a permit in violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars and by imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than two years in a jail or house of correction.
The fee for the permits shall be $100, which shall be payable to the licensing authority and shall not be prorated or refunded in case of revocation or denial. The licensing authority shall retain $25 of the fee; $50 of the fee shall be deposited into the general fund of the commonwealth; and $25 of the fee shall be deposited in the Firearms Fingerprint Identity Verification Trust Fund.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131b - Penalty for Loan of Money Secured by Weapons

Section 131B. Whoever loans money secured by mortgage, deposit or pledge of a firearm, rifle, shotgun or machine gun shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both; provided, however that nothing herein shall prohibit a bank or other institutional lender from loaning money secured by a mortgage, deposit, or pledge of a firearm, rifle, shotgun or machine gun to a manufacturer, wholesaler, or dealer of firearms, rifles, or shotguns. The provisions of section one hundred and twenty-three shall not be applicable to any such mortgage, deposit or pledge unless or until the lender takes possession of the collateral upon default or the collateral is removed from the premises of the debtor.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131c - Carrying of Firearms in a Vehicle

Section 131C. (a) No person carrying a loaded firearm under a license issued pursuant to section 131 or 131F shall carry the loaded firearm in a vehicle unless the loaded firearm while carried in the vehicle is under the direct control of the person. Whoever violates this subsection shall be punished by a fine of $500.
(b) No person possessing a large capacity rifle or shotgun under a license issued pursuant to section 131 or 131F shall possess the large capacity rifle or shotgun in a vehicle unless the large capacity rifle or shotgun is unloaded and contained within the locked trunk of the vehicle or in a locked case or other secure container. Whoever violates this subsection shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000.
(c) This section shall not apply to: (i) an officer, agent or employee of the commonwealth, any state or the United States; (ii) a member of the military or other service of any state or of the United States; (iii) a duly authorized law enforcement officer, agent or employee of a municipality of the commonwealth; provided, however, that a person described in clauses (i) to (iii), inclusive, is authorized by a competent authority to carry or possess the weapon so carried or possessed and is acting within the scope of the person's official duties.
(d) A conviction of a violation of this section shall be reported immediately by the court or magistrate to the licensing authority. The licensing authority shall immediately revoke the firearm identification card or license of the person convicted of a violation of this section. No new firearm identification card or license may be issued to a person convicted of a violation of this section until 1 year after the date of revocation of the firearm identification card or license.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131f1/2 - Theatrical Productions; Carrying Firearms and Blank Ammunition

Section 131F1/2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of section ten of chapter two hundred and sixty-nine of the General Laws or any other law to the contrary, the carrying or possession of a firearm and blank ammunition therefor, during the course of any television, movie, stage or other similar theatrical production, by a person within such production, shall be authorized; provided, however, that such carrying or possession of such firearm shall be under the immediate supervision of a person licensed to carry firearms.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131g - Carrying of Firearms by Non-Residents; Conditions

Section 131G. Any person who is not a resident of the commonwealth may carry a pistol or revolver in or through the commonwealth for the purpose of taking part in a pistol or revolver competition or attending any meeting or exhibition of any organized group of firearm collectors or for the purpose of hunting; provided, that such person is a resident of the United States and has a permit or license to carry firearms issued under the laws of any state, district or territory thereof which has licensing requirements which prohibit the issuance of permits or licenses to persons who have been convicted of a felony or who have been convicted of the unlawful use, possession or sale of narcotic or harmful drugs; provided, further, that in the case of a person traveling in or through the commonwealth for the purpose of hunting, he has on his person a hunting or sporting license issued by the commonwealth or by the state of his destination. Police officers and other peace officers of any state, territory or jurisdiction within the United States duly authorized to possess firearms by the laws thereof shall, for the purposes of this section, be deemed to have a permit or license to carry firearms as described in this section.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131i - Falsifying Firearm License or Identification Card; Penalty

Section 131I. Whoever falsely makes, alters, forges or counterfeits or procures or assists another to falsely make, alter, forge or counterfeit a license to carry a firearm or a firearm identification card, or whoever forges or without authority uses the signature, facsimile of the signature, or validating signature stamp of the licensing authority or its designee, or whoever possesses, utters, publishes as true or in any way makes use of a falsely made, altered, forged or counterfeited license to carry a firearm or a firearm identification card, shall be punished by imprisonment in a state prison for not more than five years or in a jail or house of correction for not more than two years, or by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars, or both such fine and imprisonment.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131j - Stun Guns; Regulations Relating to Use, Access, Training, Etc.

Section 131J. Sections 1313/4, 131K and 131P shall not apply to stun guns. The secretary of public safety and security shall promulgate regulations restricting access or use of stun guns by non-licensed persons and establishing minimum safety and quality standards, safe storage requirements, education and safety training requirements and law enforcement training on the appropriate use of stun guns, which shall require that any stun gun purchased or used by a law enforcement or public safety official include a mechanism for tracking the number of times the stun gun has been fired.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131m - Assault Weapon or Large Capacity Feeding Device Not Lawfully Possessed on September 13, 1994; Sale, Transfer or Possession; Punishment

Section 131M. No person shall sell, offer for sale, transfer or possess an assault weapon or a large capacity feeding device that was not otherwise lawfully possessed on September 13, 1994. Whoever not being licensed under the provisions of section 122 violates the provisions of this section shall be punished, for a first offense, by a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than ten years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and for a second offense, by a fine of not less than $5,000 nor more than $15,000 or by imprisonment for not less than five years nor more than 15 years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to: (i) the possession by a law enforcement officer; or (ii) the possession by an individual who is retired from service with a law enforcement agency and is not otherwise prohibited from receiving such a weapon or feeding device from such agency upon retirement.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131n - Covert Weapons; Sale, Transfer or Possession; Punishment

Section 131N. No person shall sell, offer for sale, transfer or possess any weapon, capable of discharging a bullet or shot, that is: (i) constructed in a shape that does not resemble a handgun, short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun including, but not limited to, covert weapons that resemble key-chains, pens, cigarette-lighters or cigarette-packages; or (ii) not detectable as a weapon or potential weapon by x-ray machines commonly used at airports or walk-through metal detectors. Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall be punished, for a first offense, by a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than ten years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and for a second offense, by a fine of not less than $5,000 nor more than $15,000 or by imprisonment for not less than five years nor more than 15 years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131o - Colonel of State Police; Statewide Firearms Surrender Program

Section 131O. Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the colonel of state police, in conjunction with the secretary of the executive office of public safety, shall promulgate rules and regulations implementing a statewide firearms surrender program. In conjunction with this program only, any citizen of the commonwealth who complies with the policies set forth by the colonel shall not be asked for identification and shall be immune from prosecution for possession of such firearm; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit the prosecution of any person for the unlawful possession of a firearm who is not in compliance with the conditions and procedures established by the colonel; and provided further, that nothing herein shall prohibit the prosecution of any person for any other offense committed within the commonwealth.
Any firearm surrendered in accordance with the provisions of this program that is reported stolen shall be returned to its lawful owner; provided, however, that any firearm suspected to be evidence in a crime shall remain in the custody and control of the department of state police in the same manner as any other such firearm lawfully seized by the department of state police. The department of state police may test-fire and preserve any and all firearms voluntarily surrendered. All weapons that have been voluntarily surrendered that are not suspected to be evidence of criminal activity and have not been reported stolen shall be disposed of in accordance with procedures established by the colonel.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131q - Tracing by Licensing Authority of Firearm, Rifle or Shotgun, Large Capacity Weapon, Machine Gun or Assault Weapon Used to Carry Out Criminal Act; Statistical Data; Annual Report

Section 131Q. A firearm, rifle or shotgun, large capacity weapon, machine gun or assault weapon used to carry out a criminal act shall be traced by the licensing authority for the city or town in which the crime took place. The licensing authority shall report statistical data, when the data is readily available as determined by the chief of police, including, but not limited to: (i) the make, model, serial number and caliber of the weapon used; (ii) the type of crime committed; (iii) whether an arrest or conviction was made; (iv) whether fingerprint evidence was found on the firearm; (v) whether ballistic evidence was retrieved from the crime scene; (vi) whether the criminal use of the firearm was related to known gang activity; (vii) whether the weapon was obtained illegally; (viii) whether the weapon was lost or stolen; and (ix) whether the person using the weapon was otherwise a prohibited person.
The data shall be reported to the commonwealth fusion center or the criminal firearms and trafficking unit within the division of investigation and intelligence in the department of state police established pursuant to section 6 of chapter 22C. The colonel of state police shall produce an annual report by December 31 of each year regarding crimes committed in the commonwealth using firearms, rifles or shotguns, large capacity weapons, machine guns or assault weapons, including all of the categories of data contained in this section, and shall submit a copy of the report to the joint committee on public safety and homeland security, the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and, upon request, to criminology, public policy and public health researchers and other law enforcement agencies.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131t - Extreme Risk Protection Orders; Emergency Orders

Section 131T. (a) Upon the filing of a petition pursuant to section 131R, the court may issue an emergency extreme risk protection order without notice to the respondent and prior to the hearing required pursuant to subsection (a) of section 131S if the court finds reasonable cause to conclude that the respondent poses a risk of causing bodily injury to the respondent's self or others by being in possession of a license to carry firearms or a firearm identification card or having in the respondent's control, ownership or possession a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, weapon or ammunition.
Upon issuance of an emergency extreme risk protection order pursuant to this section, the clerk magistrate of the court shall notify the respondent pursuant to subsection (e) of section 131S. An order issued under this subsection shall expire 10 days after its issuance unless a hearing is scheduled pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) of said section 131S or at the conclusion of a hearing held pursuant to said subsection (a) or (b) of said section 131S unless a permanent order is issued by the court pursuant to subsection (d) of said section 131S.
(b) When the court is closed for business, a justice of the court may grant an emergency extreme risk protection order if the court finds reasonable cause to conclude that the respondent poses a risk of causing bodily injury to the respondent's self or others by being in possession of a license to carry firearms or firearm identification card or by having in the respondent's control, ownership or possession of a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, weapon or ammunition. In the discretion of the justice, such relief may be granted and communicated by telephone to the licensing authority of the municipality where the respondent resides, which shall record such order on a form of order promulgated for such use by the chief justice of the trial court and shall deliver a copy of such order on the next court business day to the clerk-magistrate of the court. If relief has been granted without the filing of a petition pursuant to section 131R, the petitioner shall appear in court on the next available court business day to file a petition. An order issued under this subsection shall expire at the conclusion of the next court business day after the order was issued unless a petitioner has filed a petition with the court pursuant to said section 131R and the court has issued an emergency extreme risk protection order pursuant to subsection (a).
(c) Upon receipt of service of an extreme risk protection order pursuant to this section, the respondent shall immediately surrender the respondent's license to carry firearms or firearm identification card and all firearms, rifles, shotguns, machine guns, weapons or ammunition to the local licensing authority serving the order as provided in subsection (f) of section 131S.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131u - Extreme Risk Protection Orders; Notice of Order to State and Federal Authorities and Systems

Section 131U. (a) On the same day that an extreme risk protection order is issued pursuant to section 131S or section 131T, the clerk magistrate of the court shall forward a copy of the order to: (i) the licensing authority; (ii) the commissioner of probation; (iii) the department of criminal justice information services, which shall transmit the report, pursuant to paragraph (h) of section 167A of chapter 6, to the Attorney General of the United States to be included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and (iv) any other federal or state computer-based systems used by law enforcement or others to identify prohibited purchasers of firearms. Upon the expiration or termination of an extreme risk protection order issued pursuant to said section 131S or said section 131T, the clerk magistrate of the court shall notify: (i) the licensing authority; (ii) the commissioner of probation; (iii) the department of criminal justice information services, which shall transmit the report, pursuant to paragraph (h) of section 167A of chapter 6, to the Attorney General of the United States to be included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and (iv) any other federal or state computer-based systems used by law enforcement or others to identify prohibited purchasers of firearms that the order has been terminated or has expired.
[There is no subsection (b).]
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131v - Extreme Risk Protection Orders; Filing Materially False Information in Petition or Filing Petition With Intent to Harass; Penalty

Section 131V. (a) A person who files a petition for an extreme risk protection order, knowing the information in the petition to be materially false or with an intent to harass the respondent, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $2,500 and not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than 21/2 years in the house of correction or by both such fine and imprisonment.
[There is no subsection (b).]
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131w - Extreme Risk Protection Orders; Forms and Instructions; Regulations for Administration and Enforcement

Section 131W. The chief justice of the trial court, in consultation with the chief justice of the district court and the chief justice of the Boston municipal court, shall promulgate rules, regulations and policies and shall develop and prepare instructions, brochures, petitions, forms and other material required for the administration and enforcement of sections 131R to 131X, inclusive, which shall be in such form and language to permit a petitioner to prepare and file a petition pro se.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131x - Extreme Risk Protection Orders; Effect of Secs. 131r to 131y on Ability of Law Enforcement Officer or Licensing Authority to Act Pursuant to Other Lawful Authority; Jurisdiction of Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court

Section 131X. (a) Sections 131R to 131Y, inclusive, shall not affect the ability of a law enforcement officer to remove firearms, rifles, shotguns, machine guns, weapons or ammunition from any person or conduct any search and seizure for firearms, rifles, shotguns, machine guns, weapons or ammunition pursuant to other lawful authority.
(b) Nothing in sections 131R to 131Y, inclusive, shall supersede or limit a licensing authority's ability to suspend or revoke a license that the licensing authority has issued pursuant to other lawful authority.
(c) Sections 131R to 131Y, inclusive, shall not impose any duty on a family or household member to file a petition and no family or household member shall be held criminally or civilly liable for failure to petition.
(d) The supreme judicial court and the appeals court shall have concurrent jurisdiction to review any proceedings had, determinations made, and orders or judgments entered in the court pursuant to section 131S or section 131T. The supreme judicial court or the appeals court, subject to section 13 of chapter 211A may by rule vary the procedure authorized or required for such review upon a finding that the review by the court will thereby be made more simple, speedy and effective.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 131y - Extreme Risk Protection Orders; Annual Reporting

Section 131Y. The court shall annually, not later than December 31, issue a report on the use of extreme risk protective orders. The report shall be submitted to the executive office of public safety and security, the chairs of the joint committee on public safety and homeland security, the chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary, the chairs of the joint committee on mental health substance use and recovery, and clerks of the senate and the house of representatives. The report shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following information:
(1) the number of extreme risk protective order petitions filed;
(2) the number of extreme risk protective order petitions that lead to a respondent's surrender pursuant to section 131S;
(3) the number of extreme risk protective order petitions that are heard but not granted;
(4) the number of emergency extreme risk protective order petitions filed;
(5) the number of emergency extreme risk protective order petitions that lead to a respondent's surrender pursuant to 131T;
(6) the number of emergency extreme risk protective order petitions that are heard but not granted;
(7) the number of extreme risk protective order or emergency extreme risk protective order petitions filed that are deemed to be fraudulent;
(8) the race and ethnicity of the petitioner and respondent;
(9) the gender and gender identity of the petitioner and respondent;
(10) the data on the duration of extreme risk protection orders;
(11) the number of instances in which an order has been terminated or otherwise modified prior to its original expiration date; and
(12) the number of instances in which a fine has been assessed for a filed petition that was deemed to be fraudulent.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 137 - Registration and Licensing of Dogs

Section 137. (a) The owner or keeper of a dog over the age of 6 months shall obtain a license for the dog. The registering, numbering, describing and licensing of a dog shall be conducted in the office of the licensing authority in the city or town in which the dog is kept.
(b) A licensing authority shall not grant a license for a dog unless the owner of the dog provides the licensing authority with a veterinarian's certification that the dog has been vaccinated in accordance with section 145B, certification that such dog is exempt from the vaccination requirement under said section 145B or a notarized letter from a veterinarian that either of these certifications was issued relative to such dog.
(c) The license shall be granted upon condition that the dog shall be controlled and restrained from killing, chasing or harassing livestock or fowl. The owner of a dog may add descriptive words, not over 10 in number, upon the license form to indicate the color, breed, weight or special markings of the licensed dog. The owner or keeper of a licensed dog shall keep affixed around the dog's neck or body, a collar or harness of leather or other suitable material, to which a tag shall be securely attached. The tag shall have inscribed upon it the dog's license number, the name of the city or town issuing the license and the year of issue. If the tag becomes lost, the owner or keeper of the dog shall immediately secure a substitute tag from the licensing authority at a cost to be determined by the city or town and the fee for the substitute shall, if received by a city or town clerk, be retained by the clerk unless otherwise provided by law. This section shall not apply to a person to whom a valid kennel license has been issued.
(d) This section shall not apply to a dog or cat housed in a research institution.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 137a - Kennel Licenses

Section 137A. (a) A person maintaining a kennel shall obtain a kennel license. An owner or keeper of less than 4 dogs, 3 months old or older, who does not maintain a kennel may elect to secure a kennel license in lieu of licensing the dogs under section 137 and shall be subject to this section, sections 137B and 137C and so much of section 141 as it relates to violations of this section to the same extent as though the owner or keeper were maintaining a kennel. In the case of an applicant for initial licensure and in the case of an applicant for license renewal, a licensing authority shall not issue a kennel license until a kennel has passed inspection by an animal control officer.
(b) A kennel license shall be in lieu of any other license for a dog kept at a kennel during any portion of the period for which the kennel license is valid. A kennel licensee shall cause each dog kept in its kennel to wear, while it is at large, a collar or harness of leather or other suitable material, to which a tag shall be securely attached. The tag shall have inscribed upon it the number of the kennel license, the name of the city or town issuing the license and the year of issue. Tags shall be furnished to the owner or keeper by the licensing authority in quantities not less than the number of dogs kept in the kennel. The issuing city or town shall determine the period of time for which a kennel license shall be valid, including the date of issuance of the license through the date on which the license expires, inclusive, and shall further determine the fee for the issuance and renewal of the license. To determine the amount of the license fee for a kennel, a dog under the age of 6 months shall not be counted in the number of dogs kept in a kennel. The name and address of the owner of each dog kept in a kennel, if other than the person maintaining the kennel, shall be kept at the kennel and available for inspection by an animal control officer, natural resource officer, deputy natural resource officer, fish and game warden or police officer.
(c) The licensing authority shall issue a kennel license without charge to a domestic charitable corporation incorporated exclusively for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty, neglect or abuse or for the relief of suffering.
(d) A person who violates this section shall be assessed a fine of $500 for a first offense and a fine of not more than $1,000 for a second or subsequent offense.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 137b - Sale or Other Delivery of Unlicensed Dog by Kennel Licensee

Section 137B. Every holder of a kennel license, on delivering an unlicensed dog to a purchaser or to any other person, shall attach to such dog a collar or harness which shall carry a tag marked with the name and address of such kennel licensee, and a number, which number shall be properly recorded on the records of such licensee, and shall also furnish to the person to whom the dog is delivered a certificate bearing the same number and a description of the dog. Such certificate shall bear the date of purchase, exchange or gift and, with the tag, shall, for a period of two weeks following such date, be a legal substitute for a license. The purchaser or other recipient of a dog shall, within two weeks of the purchase or receipt of such dog, either return the same to the licensee from whom it was received, together with the collar or harness, tag and certificate, or return to such licensee said tag, and a certificate signed by the clerk of the town or city where the dog is to be kept and certifying that the dog has been licensed in the name of such purchaser or recipient or of some other person. If any such purchaser or recipient fails to comply with the preceding sentence, such licensee shall notify the clerk of the town or city in which he is licensed of the purchase, exchange or gift of such dog and shall furnish to such clerk the date thereof, and the name and address of the purchaser or recipient.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 137c - Inspection of Kennels; Revocation, Suspension and Reinstatement of License; Nuisance

Section 137C. The mayor of a city, the selectmen of a town, the police commissioner in the city of Boston, a chief of police or an animal control officer may at any time inspect a kennel or cause the inspection of a kennel. If, in the judgment of such person or body, the kennel is not being maintained in a sanitary and humane manner or if records are not properly kept as required by law, such person or body shall, by order, revoke or suspend the license for the kennel. Upon the petition of 25 citizens, filed with the mayor of a city, the selectmen of a town or the police commissioner in the city of Boston setting forth a statement that such citizens are aggrieved or annoyed to an unreasonable extent by a dog maintained in such city or town due to excessive barking or other conditions connected with a kennel constituting a nuisance, the mayor, selectmen or police commissioner, as the case may be, shall, within 7 days after the filing of the petition, give notice to all parties in interest of a public hearing to be held within 14 days after the date of such notice. The mayor, selectmen or police commissioner shall, within 7 days after the public hearing, investigate or cause to be investigated the subject matter of the petition and shall, by order, either suspend or revoke the kennel license, otherwise regulate the kennel or dismiss the petition. Written notice of an order revoking or suspending the license, regulating the kennel or dismissing the petition shall be mailed immediately to the officer issuing the license and to the holder of the license. Within 10 days after the order, the holder of the license may bring a petition in the district court within the judicial district in which the kennel is maintained, addressed to the justice of the court, praying that the order be reviewed by the court. After notice to all parties as the court may consider necessary, the court shall review the action, hear the witnesses and affirm the order unless it shall appear that it was made without proper cause or in bad faith, in which case the order shall be reversed. The decision of the court shall be final and conclusive upon the parties. A person maintaining a kennel after the license to maintain a kennel has been so revoked, or while such a license is suspended, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 for a first offense and a fine of not more than $1,000 for a second or subsequent offense.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 137d - Surrender of License or Tag for Offenses Against Animals

Section 137D. Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, every license and tag issued under the provisions of sections one hundred and thirty-seven and one hundred and thirty-seven A, or under any ordinance or by-law relative to the licensing of dogs made under the authority of this chapter, held by any person found guilty of, or penalized in any manner for, a violation of any provision of sections seventy-seven, 801/2, eighty A, ninety-four or ninety-five of chapter two hundred and seventy-two, shall be void, and shall immediately be surrendered to the authority issuing such license and tag.
The clerk of the court in whose jurisdiction such finding has been made shall notify the licensing authority in the city or town where the guilty person resides.
No person shall be given a license and tag under authority of section one hundred and thirty-seven and one hundred and thirty-seven A during a period of 5 years from the date of his being found guilty or penalized as aforesaid, and any such license and tag so issued shall be void and shall be surrendered on demand of any authority granting such license and tag. No fee received for a license and tag made void under this section shall be refunded to the holder thereof.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 138 - Change of Owner or Keeper of Licensed Dog; Dog Brought Into Commonwealth

Section 138. A person who during any license period becomes the owner or keeper of a dog which is duly licensed in the town or city where it is to be kept shall forthwith give notice in writing to the clerk of such town or city, or if kept in Boston to the police commissioner, that he has become such owner or keeper and said clerk or police commissioner, as the case may be, shall change the record of such license to show the name and address of the new owner or keeper. Any person bringing or causing to be brought from another state or country any dog licensed under the laws thereof which is 6 months old or over or will be 6 months old before the expiration of thirty days therefrom shall, on or before the expiration of thirty days following the arrival of such dog within the commonwealth, cause such dog to be registered, numbered, described and licensed for the remainder of the then current license period.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 139 - Fees; Certificate or Statement That Dog Has Been Spayed; Service Dogs Defined by Americans With Disabilities Act; Dogs Owned by Persons Aged 70 or Over; Refunds

Section 139. (a) The fee for a license shall, except as otherwise provided, be determined by a city or town; provided, however, that no fee shall be increased without a majority vote of the city or town council or the voters present at a town meeting.
(b) The license fee for a spayed or neutered dog shall be less than the license fee for an intact dog. Upon application for a license, a city or town clerk shall require a certificate from the veterinarian who spayed or neutered the dog as proof that the dog is spayed or neutered; provided, however, that if the city or town clerk is satisfied that the certificate of the veterinarian who spayed or neutered the dog cannot be obtained, the clerk may instead accept a receipt of a bill from the veterinarian who performed such procedure or a statement signed under the penalties of perjury by a veterinarian registered and practicing in the commonwealth describing the dog and stating that the veterinarian has examined the dog, which appears to have been spayed or neutered and incapable of propagation.
(c) No fee shall be charged for a license issued under this section for a service animal as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act or regulations promulgated thereunder. No fee shall be charged for a license for a dog owned by a person aged 70 years or over in a city or town that accepts this provision. No license fee or portion thereof shall be refunded because of the subsequent death, loss, spaying or removal from the commonwealth or other disposal of the dog, nor shall a license fee or portion thereof paid by mistake be paid or recovered after it has been paid over to a city or town under section 147.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 139a - Shelters; Sale or Gift of Dog or Cat Not Spayed or Neutered

Section 139A. No shelter shall sell or give away any dog or cat that has not been spayed or neutered, unless a written agreement is entered into and a deposit of not less than $40 for spaying or neutering such dog or cat has been tendered to the shelter. The shelter may make appropriate arrangements for the spaying or neutering of such dog or cat by a licensed veterinarian, or may return the deposit to the person purchasing or receiving the dog or cat upon presentation of a written statement or receipt from a veterinarian or clinic that the dog or cat has been spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian.
Any dog or cat six months of age or older at the time it is sold or given away by the shelter shall be so spayed or neutered within sixty days, or the deposit shall be deemed unclaimed. Any dog or cat under six months of age at the time it is sold or given away by the shelter shall be so spayed or neutered within sixty days after reaching six months of age, or the deposit shall be deemed unclaimed.
Any deposit not claimed under this section shall be used only for the following purposes:
(1) a public education program to prevent overpopulation of dogs or cats;
(2) a program to spay or neuter dogs or cats;
(3) a follow up program to assure that animals sold or given away by the shelter are spayed or neutered; or
(4) costs incurred under this section.
A shelter may enter into a cooperative agreement with another shelter and with a veterinarian in carrying out the provisions of this section.
The commissioner may set fines for violations of this section and may further establish regulations to ensure compliance with this section. Additionally, an animal control officer, an officer licensed under section 57 of chapter 22C, a police officer or the owner, director or a duly authorized agent of an animal shelter from which an animal was obtained may bring a petition in the district court within the judicial district in which the dog or cat is owned or kept for an action of forfeiture and relinquishment of ownership. Legal fees or court costs incurred in the enforcement of this section shall be the responsibility of the owner of the animal.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 141b - Application of Law; Licensed Pet Shops Exempted

Section 141B. Sections one hundred and thirty-seven to one hundred and forty-one, inclusive, shall not apply to any pet shop the owner of which is licensed under the provisions of section thirty-nine A of chapter one hundred and twenty-nine.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 145a - Anti-Rabic Vaccine and Treatment; Rates of Compensation

Section 145A. The board of health of a city or town shall, upon application, furnish free of charge to any uninsured resident thereof who has been exposed to rabies, or may have been so exposed, anti-rabic vaccine and anti-rabic treatment, in accordance with rules and regulations which the department of public health is hereby authorized to make. Except in Boston, such person shall have the right to select his own physician, who shall be paid by the city or town at a rate established as hereinafter provided, and the fact that a physician is a member of a board of health shall not disqualify him from being so selected and from being paid by the city or town for his services. Boards of health shall establish rates of compensation for such treatment.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 145b - Vaccination Against Rabies; Certificate; Tag; Proof of Vaccination; Exemption; Penalty

Section 145B. (a) Each owner or keeper of a dog, cat or ferret that is 6 months of age or older shall cause such dog, cat or ferret to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian using a licensed vaccine according to the manufacturer's directions and shall cause such dog, cat or ferret to be revaccinated at intervals recommended by the manufacturer. Unvaccinated dogs, cats or ferrets acquired or moved into the commonwealth shall be vaccinated within 30 days after the acquisition or arrival of such animal into the commonwealth or upon reaching the age of 6 months, whichever last occurs. It shall be the duty of each veterinarian, at the time of vaccinating a dog, cat or ferret, to complete a certificate of rabies vaccination which shall include, but not be limited to, the following information: the owner's name and address; a description of the animal, including breed, sex, age, name and distinctive markings; the date of vaccination; the rabies vaccination tag number; the type of rabies vaccine used; the route of vaccination; the expiration date of the vaccine; and the vaccine lot number.
(b) The veterinarian shall issue a tag with each certificate of vaccination. The tag shall be secured by the owner or keeper of the dog, cat or ferret to a collar or harness made of suitable material to be worn by the dog, cat or ferret; provided, however, that the owner of a cat or ferret may choose not to affix the tag, but shall have the tag available for inspection by authorized persons. In the event that a tag is lost, the owner or keeper of the animal shall, upon presentation of the original vaccination certificate, be issued a new tag.
(c) In order for a dog, cat or ferret to be accepted at an animal hospital, veterinarian's office or boarding facility, an owner or keeper of such animal shall show proof of current vaccination against rabies; provided, however, that if an animal has not been so vaccinated or such owner or keeper fails to show proof of vaccination, the animal shall be vaccinated against rabies prior to being discharged if the animal's medical condition permits.
(d) A licensing authority may grant an exemption from this section for a dog, cat or ferret that:
(i) the local board of health has declared exempt from the rabies vaccination requirement upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that because of an infirmity, other physical condition or regimen of therapy, such inoculation is considered inadvisable for a specified period of time for such reasons; (ii) is in transit; or (iii) was brought into the commonwealth temporarily for the sole purpose of display in a show or for exhibition.
(e) This section shall not apply to a dog, cat or ferret housed in a research institution.
(f) Whoever violates this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 146 - License Valid Throughout State; Removal of Dog Into Another Town or City

Section 146. A license duly recorded shall be valid throughout the commonwealth, except that, in the case of the permanent removal of a dog into another town within the commonwealth, the owner or keeper thereof shall, within thirty days after such removal, present the original license and tag of such dog to the clerk of the town or city to which such dog has been removed and the clerk shall take up the same and issue to such owner or keeper a transfer license and a tag for such dog upon payment of an amount to be determined by the city or town which shall be retained by the clerk unless otherwise provided by law. The provisions of section one hundred and thirty-seven relative to the form and furnishing of licenses and tags shall apply to licenses and tags issued under this section.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order › Chapter 140 - Licenses › Section 147 - Issuance of Licenses; Disposition of Fees; Action on Official Bond

Section 147. The police commissioner of the city of Boston and the clerks of other cities and towns shall issue dog licenses and tags, receive the money therefor and pay such funds into the treasuries of their respective cities and towns on the first Monday of each month or more often, at their discretion. The clerks of cities and towns, except the city of Boston, may retain for their own use $.75 cents for each license issued, unless otherwise provided by law, and shall certify under penalties of perjury the amounts of money thus received and paid over to them. The police commissioner of the city of Boston and each city or town clerk shall make a record of the name of the owner or keeper of each dog licensed and the name, registered number and description of each dog licensed. Such records shall be open to public inspection during the usual office hours of the city or town clerk. All blanks for the licenses and tags and the record books shall be paid for out of the city or town treasury. The police commissioner of the city of Boston and any city or town clerk or city or town treasurer violating this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $500 or by imprisonment for not less than 1 month nor more than 1 year in a jail or house of correction, or both such fine and imprisonment. If a city or town clerk neglects or fails to pay the money into the city or town treasury as required by this section, the city or town may recover the amount thereof for the benefit of the city or town, with all damages sustained through such neglect or failure, and interest thereon, in an action on the official bond required, in the case of a city clerk, by section 13A of chapter 41 and, in the case of a town clerk, by section 13 of said chapter 41. All payments required under this section shall be subject to section 52 of said chapter 41.