Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 122 (2026)

License to sell, rent, lease, purchase or transfer firearms and ammunition; contents

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 122. (a) A licensing authority, in accordance with section 121F, may grant or renew a license to sell, rent, lease, purchase or otherwise transfer firearms and ammunition therefore, or to be in business as a gunsmith, to any person 21 years of age or older who is neither a prohibited person nor deemed unsuitable to be issued said license pursuant to said section 121F and who completes the online dealer training classes mandated under section 125.

(b) Every license shall specify the street and number of the building where the business is to be carried on, and the license shall not protect a licensee who carries on their business in any other place and shall not entitle the owner thereof to possess or carry any firearm or ammunition outside of the licensed business premises.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 12 cases, 1978–2017 · leading case: Rzeznik v. Chief of Police of Southampton, 373 N.E.2d 1128 (Mass. 1978).

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Rzeznik v. Chief of Police of Southampton, 373 N.E.2d 1128 (Mass. 1978). · cites it 12× “Subsequently, pursuant to G. L. c. 140, §§ 122, 122B, and 131, the plaintiff applied to the defendant chief of police of Southampton for licenses to carry and sell firearms and to sell ammunition.”

Ruggiero v. Police Comm'r of Boston, 464 N.E.2d 104 (Mass. App. Ct. 1984). · cites it 3× “140, § 122B); (c) various conditions imposed on licensees granted a license under G. L. c. 140, § 122 (G. L. c.”

Commonwealth v. DeJesus, 9 N.E.3d 789 (Mass. 2014). “127, § 133A (prisoners “shall be eligible for parole” at end of minimum judicially imposed sentence); G. L. c. 140, § 122 (chief of police may “after an investigation into the criminal history of the applicant to determine eligibility for a license [to sell firearms] under this…”

Commonwealth v. Gouse, 965 N.E.2d 774 (Mass. 2012). “See G. L. c. 140, § 122. Rather, that power is dispersed among hundreds of local police departments.”

United States v. Caron, 941 F. Supp. 238 (D. Mass. 1996). · cites it 3× “handguns) and rifles and shotguns in nearly every section of its firearms sale and licensing statute, codified at Mass.Gen.L. ch. 140, §§ 122-131F. See, e.”

Mavilia v. Stoeger Indus., 574 F. Supp. 107 (D. Mass. 1983). “The legislature has on numerous occasions in the past ten years considered banning handguns and has consistently rejected the proposals.”

UNITED STATES of Am., Plaintiff-Appellee, v. John J. OMAN, Defendant-Appellant, 91 F.3d 1320 (9th Cir. 1996). “22 § 6A; correction officer or any position involving the regulation of a correctional facility, Mass.”

Giragosian v. Chief of Police of Arlington, 937 N.E.2d 60 (Mass. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 9× “1 2 ) The five licenses Giragosian held were (1) a license to sell firearms under G. L. c. 140, § 122; (2) a license to sell ammunition under G.”

Sullivan v. Reilly, 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 184 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2000). · cites it 4× “On October 29, 1999, defendant Attorney General Thomas Reilly (Reilly) sent a letter to the various chiefs of police in Massachusetts requesting that they review the outstanding gun dealer licenses issued by their respective departments pursuant to G.L.c. 140, §122 (“§122…”

Commonwealth v. Suriel (Mass. App. Ct. 2017). · cites it 2× “G. L. c. 140, § 122, as amended by St. 1957, c.”

Sullivan v. Dep't of the State Police, 13 Mass. L. Rptr. 179 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2001). · cites it 3× “In addition, the police chiefs, after notice and a hearing, may forfeit or suspend a dealer’s license for a felony conviction or any other violation of the conditions of the license.”

Sullivan v. Dep't of State Police, 780 N.E.2d 964 (Mass. App. Ct. 2003). “The plaintiff sought and obtained a hearing pursuant to G. L. c. 140, § 122, but the hearing officer determined that there were reasonable grounds for the police chief to refuse to issue a renewal of the plaintiff’s license because his place of business did not comply with…”

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