Mass. Gen. Laws » Part IV Title I Chapter 266
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 266, § 30A (2026)

Shoplifting; penalty; arrest without warrant

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 30A. Any person who intentionally takes possession of, carries away, transfers or causes to be carried away or transferred, any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale by any store or other retail mercantile establishment with the intention of depriving the merchant of the possession, use of benefit of such merchandise or converting the same to the use of such person without paying to the merchant the value thereof; or

any person who intentionally conceals upon his person or otherwise any merchandise offered for sale by any store or other retail mercantile establishment with the intention of depriving the merchant of proceeds, use or benefit of such merchandise or converting the same to the use of such person without paying to the merchant the value thereof; or

any person who intentionally alters, transfers or removes any label, price tag or marking indicia of value or any other markings which aid in determining value affixed to any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale by any store or other retail mercantile establishment and to attempt to purchase such merchandise personally or in consort with another at less than the full retail value with the intention of depriving the merchant of all or some part of the retail value thereof; or

any person who intentionally transfers any merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale by any store or other retail mercantile establishment from the container in or on which the same shall be displayed to any other container with intent to deprive the merchant of all or some part of the retail value thereof; or

any person who intentionally records a value for the merchandise which is less than the actual retail value with the intention of depriving the merchant of the full retail value thereof; or

any person who intentionally removes a shopping cart from the premises of a store or other retail mercantile establishment, without the consent of the merchant given at the time of such removal, with the intention of permanently depriving the merchant of the possession, use or benefit of such cart; and where the retail value of the goods obtained is less than $250, shall be punished for a first offense by a fine not to exceed two hundred and fifty dollars, for a second offense by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars and for a third or subsequent offense by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment in a jail for not more than two years, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Where the retail value of the goods obtained equals or exceeds $250, any violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than two and one-half years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

If the retail value of the goods obtained is less than $250, this section shall apply to the exclusion of section thirty.

Law enforcement officers may arrest without warrant any person he has probable cause for believing has committed the offense of shoplifting as defined in this section. The statement of a merchant or his employee or agent that a person has violated a provision of this section shall constitute probable cause for arrest by any law enforcement officer authorized to make an arrest in such jurisdiction.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 22 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1989–2024 · leading case: Rickey I. Kanter v. William P. Barr, 919 F.3d 437 (7th Cir. 2019).
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Rickey I. Kanter v. William P. Barr, 919 F.3d 437 (7th Cir. 2019). · cites it 2× “§ 1621 (committing perjury); Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 266, § 30A (shoplifting goods valued at $100).”
Commonwealth v. Oliveira, 474 Mass. 10 (Mass. 2016). · cites it 2× “Oliveira, were charged with shoplifting by concealing merchandise, in violation of G. L. c. 266, § 30A, and unlawfully carrying a firearm, in violation of G.”
Commonwealth v. Hudson, 535 N.E.2d 208 (Mass. 1989). · cites it 4× “266, § 30 (1), because the shoplifting statute, G. L. c. 266, § 30A, did not repeal the larceny statute as it relates to the theft of merchandise offered for sale.”
Mejia v. Holder, 756 F.3d 64 (1st Cir. 2014). · cites it 3× “On April 9, 1999, he admitted to a single count of shoplifting in violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 266, § 30A, and the trial judge continued his case without making a finding of guilt while Mejia served a term of probation.”
Commonwealth v. Faherty, 99 N.E.3d 821 (Mass. App. Ct. 2018). “The presumption of regularity would lose much of its force if courts were required to go beyond the presumption and determine whether the regularity in each case resulted in a conviction that counted in the future.”
Commonwealth v. Sollivan, 663 N.E.2d 580 (Mass. App. Ct. 1996). · cites it 4× “266, § 30(1) (the general larceny statute), or G. L. c. 266, § 30A (the shoplifting statute), but asserted that the larceny in a building statute did not apply to their conduct.”
Commonwealth v. Rogers, 945 N.E.2d 295 (Mass. 2011). “By contrast, the shoplifting statute, G. L. c. 266, § 30A, penalizes “[a]ny person who intentionally takes possession of.”
Wallace W. v. Commonwealth, 128 N.E.3d 581 (Mass. 2019). “266, § 30A (shoplifters punished "for a first offense by a fine not to exceed [$250], for a second offense by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than [$500] and for a third or subsequent offense by a fine of not more than [$500] or imprisonment ... or by both…”
Commonwealth v. Jackson, 953 N.E.2d 1285 (Mass. App. Ct. 2011). “265, § 15A(c) (count 1); shoplifting merchandise, in violation of G. L. c. 266, § 30A (count 2); assault and battery of a pregnant person, in violation of G.”
Commonwealth v. Cruz, 714 N.E.2d 813 (Mass. 1999). “266, § 30 (1), and more recently under G. L. c. 266, § 30A, be prosecuted under G.”
Commonwealth v. Balboni, 532 N.E.2d 706 (Mass. App. Ct. 1989). · cites it 2× “A jury in a District Court found the defendant guilty of shoplifting by concealment pursuant to the second paragraph of G. L. c. 266, § 30A, inserted by St. 1981, c.”
State v. Lewis, 447 S.E.2d 570 (W. Va. 1994). “5 (1985); Mass.Gen.Laws Ann. ch. 266, § 30A (West 1990); Miss.”
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