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Massachusetts State law
State law — Massachusetts
Offences by family
Against the person
Assault (aggravated) Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Assault / assault and battery causing serious bodily injury, on a pregnant person, or in violation of a protective order (§ 13A(b)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–5 years state prison, or 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $0–$5,000
'Serious bodily injury' means permanent disfigurement, loss/impairment of a bodily function, limb or organ, or substantial risk of death.
Assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon (§ 15A(b)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–10 years state prison, or 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $0–$5,000
Assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon on a victim 60 or older (§ 15A(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–10 years state prison, or 0–2.5 years jail
- Fine
- $0–$1,000
Second or subsequent offence: 2-year minimum, no probation/parole/work release until served.
Assault with intent to murder (§ 15, up to 20 years) and strangulation/suffocation (§ 15D) are separate offences whose penalty text was not verified in session and are not tiered here.
Assault (simple) Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Assault or assault and battery (§ 13A(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $0–$1,000
Massachusetts has no offence literally called 'simple assault'; § 13A(a) is the baseline assault/assault-and-battery offence.
Domestic violence Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Assault / assault and battery on a family or household member (§ 13M(a)) — first offence Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $0–$5,000
Court must order a certified batterer's intervention programme unless good cause is shown in writing.
Assault / assault and battery on a family or household member (§ 13M(b)) — second or subsequent offence (felony) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2.5 years house of correction, or 0–5 years state prison
- Fine
- No fine specified in § 13M(b)
Violation of an abuse prevention order (c. 209A, § 7) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $0–$5,000 (plus a $25 assessment)
Retaliation for a child-support/paternity report: fine $1,000–$10,000 and a non-suspendable 60-day minimum.
§ 13M's 'family or household member' is narrower than the c. 209A definition (spouse, child in common, or substantive dating/engagement relationship — blood relatives, in-laws and roommates may qualify for a 209A order but fall outside § 13M). Strangulation/suffocation (§ 15D) penalty text was not verified in session and is not tiered here.
Homicide — manslaughter Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Manslaughter (§ 13) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–20 years state prison (alternative disposition: 0–2.5 years jail/house of correction with the fine)
- Fine
- $0–$1,000 (with up to 2.5 years' jail/house of correction)
The statute gives alternative dispositions (state prison OR fine + jail/house of correction).
Manslaughter while violating c. 266, §§ 102–102C (arson-related) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 years–life state prison
- Fine
- No fine specified
The voluntary/involuntary distinction survives in case law and sentencing practice (secondary summaries report typical voluntary-manslaughter sentences of 3–20 years), but § 13 itself sets one range. Manslaughter while violating c. 266, §§ 102–102C (arson-related) carries life or any term of years. Business organisations face a fine up to $250,000.
Homicide — murder Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Murder in the first degree — defendant 21 or older Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- Life without possibility of parole
- Fine
- No fine specified
Murder in the first degree — defendant under 21 Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- Life, with parole eligibility after 20–30 years
- Fine
- No fine specified
Per Diatchenko; the judge sets the parole-eligibility point within 20–30 years.
Murder in the second degree Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- Life, with parole eligibility after 15–25 years
- Fine
- No fine specified
The judge sets the parole-eligibility point within 15–25 years.
Massachusetts has no death penalty. First-degree murder sentences for defendants under 21 were reshaped by Diatchenko v. District Attorney (2013): life with parole eligibility after 20–30 years. No fine is provided for murder.
Sexual offences
Sexual assault / rape Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Aggravated rape (§ 22(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 years–life state prison
- Fine
- No fine specified
Force/threat plus serious bodily injury, joint enterprise, or commission during another enumerated offence.
Rape (§ 22(b)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–20 years state prison (second or subsequent: 0 years–life)
- Fine
- No fine specified
Compelled by force or threat of bodily injury.
Any § 22 offence committed while armed with a firearm Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 10 years minimum where armed with a firearm
- Fine
- No fine specified
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in state prison.
Rape of a child under 16 by force (§ 22A) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 years–life state prison
- Fine
- No fine specified
Prosecution may neither be continued without a finding nor placed on file.
Rape of a child by force by a previously convicted offender (§ 22C) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 20 years–life state prison
- Fine
- No fine specified
20-year minimum, no probation/parole/work release/furlough/good-conduct deduction until 20 years served.
§ 23 (rape and abuse of a child) and § 24 (indecent assault and battery) penalty text was not verified in session and is not tiered here. No fine is specified in § 22.
Property
Burglary Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Armed burglary (§ 14) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 10 years–life state prison
- Fine
- No fine specified in the sources quoted
Breaking and entering a dwelling at night, armed with intent to commit a felony, while occupants are lawfully present; repeat offenders cannot receive a suspended sentence or probation.
Unarmed burglary (§ 15) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–20 years state prison (5-year minimum if previously convicted under § 14 or § 15)
- Fine
- No fine specified in the sources quoted
Breaking and entering a dwelling at night with intent to commit a felony, unarmed and without assaulting an occupant.
Breaking and entering at night (§ 16) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–20 years state prison, or 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- No fine specified in the sources quoted
Building, ship, vessel or vehicle, with intent to commit a felony; includes safe/vault attempts.
Entering without breaking at night / breaking and entering in daytime, putting an occupant in fear (§ 17) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–10 years state prison (7-year minimum if a firearm was involved)
- Fine
- No fine specified in the sources quoted
Breaking and entering with intent to commit a misdemeanour (§ 16A) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–6 months
- Fine
- $0–$200
§ 14 was amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 111 (effective 2 Oct 2024); the 10-years-to-life range below is per pre-amendment summaries — re-check the current § 14 text on malegislature.gov before use.
Robbery Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Armed robbery (§ 17) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 years–life state prison
- Fine
- No fine specified
Robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon. Secondary summaries report a 5-year mandatory minimum where armed with a firearm — not confirmed in session.
Unarmed robbery (§ 19(b)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 years–life state prison
- Fine
- No fine specified
Force/violence or assault and putting in fear, without a dangerous weapon.
Unarmed robbery of a victim 60 or older (§ 19(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 years–life state prison (2-year minimum on a second or subsequent offence against a victim 60+)
- Fine
- No fine specified
Repeat-offender minimum is non-reducible until 2 years are served.
§ 17's firearm-variant minimum (reported as 5 years in secondary summaries) was not confirmed from the official text in session — re-check § 17 on malegislature.gov. Both robbery statutes set no fine.
Theft Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Larceny — firearm of any value, or property valued over $1,200 Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–5 years state prison (alternative disposition: 0–2 years' jail with the fine)
- Fine
- $0–$25,000 (with up to 2 years' jail)
Stealing a firearm triggers the felony tier regardless of value.
Larceny — property (other than a firearm) valued $1,200 or less Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–1 year jail
- Fine
- $0–$1,500
Larceny from the person (§ 25) and larceny from an elderly/disabled victim carry different ranges and are not tiered here. The statute gives alternative dispositions (state prison OR fine + jail); the ranges are shown as written.
Vandalism / criminal damage Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Wilful and malicious destruction/injury — damage alleged to exceed $1,200 Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–10 years state prison
- Fine
- Greater of $3,000 or 3x damage value (plus up to 2.5 years' jail)
Wanton destruction/injury — damage alleged to exceed $1,200 Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2.5 years
- Fine
- Greater of $1,000 or 3x damage value
Wilful/malicious/wanton destruction/injury — damage alleged $1,200 or less Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2.5 years
- Fine
- 3x damage value
The fine is set as the greater of a fixed floor or 3x the damage value, with an evidentiary hearing on damage value after conviction. 'Personal property' includes electronically processed or stored data.
Fraud & financial
Fraud Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Larceny by false pretence — value over $1,200 (or firearm) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–5 years state prison (alternative disposition: 0–2 years' jail with the fine)
- Fine
- $0–$25,000 (with up to 2 years' jail)
§ 30(1) expressly covers obtaining property 'with intent to defraud' by false pretence.
Larceny by false pretence — value $1,200 or less Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–1 year jail
- Fine
- $0–$1,500
Subject-specific fraud offences (bad checks, identity fraud, credit-card misuse, mortgage fraud) carry their own penalties, which were not verified in session and are not tiered here. The tier below is the general larceny/false-pretence route.
Drugs
Drug possession Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Possession of a controlled substance (general) — first offence Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–1 year
- Fine
- $0–$1,000
House of correction up to 1 year. First offenders are ordinarily placed on probation unless the court records reasons not to.
Possession of heroin — first offence Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2 years
- Fine
- $0–$2,000
House of correction.
Possession of heroin — second or subsequent offence Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 2.5–5 years (state prison); or 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $0–$5,000
State-prison term carries a 2.5-year mandatory minimum.
Possession of more than 1 oz of marijuana or a Class E substance Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–6 months
- Fine
- $0–$500
House of correction.
Possession after a prior § 34 or Chapter 94C felony conviction (except Class E) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2 years
- Fine
- $0–$2,000
House of correction.
Massachusetts sets penalties per statute rather than by felony/misdemeanour class. Under § 32L, possession of up to 1 oz of marijuana (or 5 g concentrate) by an adult is a civil matter, not a crime, and is excluded here. Weight-based trafficking offences (§ 32E) carry mandatory minimums and are not tiered here.
Drug trafficking / sale Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Class A substance — distribution / possession with intent, first offence (§ 32(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–10 years state prison, or 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $1,000–$10,000
Class A substance — second or subsequent offence (§ 32(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 3.5–15 years state prison
- Fine
- $2,500–$25,000
3.5-year mandatory minimum.
Class B substance — first offence (§ 32A(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–10 years state prison, or 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $1,000–$10,000
Class B substance — second or subsequent offence (§ 32A(b)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–10 years state prison
- Fine
- $2,500–$25,000
No mandatory minimum stated in the sources quoted — re-check.
Class C substance — first offence (§ 32B(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–5 years state prison, or 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $500–$5,000
Class C substance — second or subsequent offence (§ 32B(b)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–10 years state prison, or 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $1,000–$10,000
Class D substance — first offence (§ 32C) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2 years house of correction
- Fine
- $500–$5,000
Class D subsequent-offence range and the Class E sale tier were not verified in session — see penaltyNote.
Class A–E refer to the drug schedules in § 31, not to penalty classes. Weight-based trafficking under § 32E (e.g. 18 g+ cocaine, 36 g+ heroin, 10 g+ fentanyl, 50 lb+ marijuana) carries its own mandatory minimums (up to 12–20 years depending on weight) and is not tiered here — re-check § 32E against official text.
Weapons
Weapons offences Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Carrying a firearm without a licence (§ 10(a)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 2.5–5 years state prison, or 18 months–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- No fine specified in the sources quoted
18-month mandatory minimum; no suspended sentence, probation, parole, work release, furlough or good-conduct deduction until 18 months served; cannot be resolved by continuance without a finding.
Possession of a firearm/rifle/shotgun without a licence or FID card (§ 10(h)(1)) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2 years house of correction
- Fine
- $0–$500
Applies to possession in the home or place of business; misdemeanour, no mandatory minimum.
The 2024 Act Modernizing Firearm Laws (St. 2024, c. 135) added registration and serialisation duties; the penalty tiers below are pre-2024 § 10 text as quoted in session sources — re-check § 10 on malegislature.gov. § 10(a) is commonly quoted without a fine; no fine figure is given here because none appeared in the quoted text.
Traffic & transport
DUI / drink driving Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
First offence Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $500–$5,000
First offenders may receive a continuance without a finding (CWOF) with probation and an alcohol-education programme.
Second offence Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 60 days–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $600–$10,000
30-day mandatory minimum where a committed sentence is imposed.
Third offence (felony) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 180 days–2.5 years house of correction, or 2.5–5 years state prison
- Fine
- $1,000–$15,000
150-day mandatory minimum.
Fourth offence (felony) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 2–2.5 years house of correction, or 2.5–5 years state prison
- Fine
- $1,500–$25,000
1-year mandatory minimum.
Fifth or subsequent offence (felony) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 2.5–5 years house of correction or state prison
- Fine
- $2,000–$50,000
2-year mandatory minimum.
Massachusetts uses a LIFETIME lookback for OUI priors (no 10-year window). The figures below are the criminal penalties; licence consequences (1 year / 2 years / 8 years / 10 years / lifetime) and statutory fees are separate.
Cyber & digital
Cybercrime / hacking Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Obtaining computer services by fraud or misrepresentation (§ 33A) Possibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0–2.5 years house of correction
- Fine
- $0–$3,000
Covers obtaining commercial computer service by false representation, false statement, unauthorised charging, or tampering with facilities/equipment.
§ 120F (unauthorised access to a computer system) and § 37E (identity fraud) penalty text was not verified in session and is not tiered here — do not use figures for those sections from this file.