Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 201 (2026)

Right of officers to enter premises; obstruction of entrance

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 201. A sheriff, marshal or their deputies, a constable or police officer may at any time enter a billiard, pool or sippio room, bowling alley, skating rink, the licensed premises of a common victualler or room connected therewith, or a grove required to be licensed under section one hundred and eighty-eight, or any building therein, for the purpose of enforcing any law; and whoever obstructs or hinders the entrance of such officer shall be punished by a fine of not less than five nor more than twenty dollars.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases, 1983–2005 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Cadoret, 447 N.E.2d 685 (Mass. App. Ct. 1983).

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Commonwealth v. Cadoret, 447 N.E.2d 685 (Mass. App. Ct. 1983). · cites it 10× “The Commonwealth contends that the evidence ordered suppressed by the judge was obtained in the course of three warrantless administrative inspections authorized by G.L.c. 140, § 201. [3] The Commonwealth does not argue that the inspections on March 8 or 15 were permissible in…”

Newton Police Ass'n v. Police Chief, 828 N.E.2d 952 (Mass. App. Ct. 2005). “” [emphasis added]); G. L. c. 140, § 201 (“may at any time enter [certain premises]” [emphasis added]).”

Commonwealth v. Baez, 678 N.E.2d 1335 (Mass. App. Ct. 1997). “alcoholic beverages or alcohol and seize said beverages”); G. L. c. 140, § 201 (1994 ed.) (sheriff may enter certain licensed premises at any time “for the purpose of enforcing any law”); G.”

Corcoran, Mullins & Jennison, Inc. v. Flanagan, 10 Mass. L. Rptr. 309 (Mass. Super. Ct. 1999). · cites it 2× “138, §63 and G.L.c. 140, §201, cited by Bayside as support for the Boston Police Department’s ability to require paid details, do no more than allow certain persons to be present during shows taking place on a premise licensed to serve alcoholic beverages.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.