Mass. Gen. Laws » Part IV Title I Chapter 267
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 267, § 12 (2026)

Possession of false, forged or counterfeit bills, notes or traveller's checks

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 12. Whoever brings into this commonwealth or has in his possession a false, forged or counterfeit bill or note, in the similitude of the bills or notes, payable to the bearer thereof or to the order of any person, issued by or for any bank or banking company, or an instrument described as a United States Dollar Traveller's Check or Cheque, purchased from a bank or other financially responsible institution, the purpose of which is a source of ready money on cashing the instrument without identification other than the signature of the purchaser, with intent to utter or pass the same or to render the same current as true, knowing the same to be false, forged or counterfeit, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars and imprisonment in jail for not more than one year.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 2006–2015 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Labadie, 3 N.E.3d 1093 (Mass. 2014).
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Commonwealth v. Labadie, 3 N.E.3d 1093 (Mass. 2014). “The defendants also were charged with attempted possession of counterfeit notes, in violation of G. L. c. 267, § 12; and possession of counterfeiting tools, in violation of G.”
Commonwealth v. Tavares, 87 Mass. App. Ct. 471 (Mass. App. Ct. 2015). “” Likewise, the crime of possession of a counterfeit bill or note under G. L. c. 267, § 12, requires the possessor to “know[ ] the same to be false, forged or counterfeit.”
Commonwealth v. Green, 845 N.E.2d 392 (Mass. App. Ct. 2006). · cites it 2× “274, § 6; (2) possession of a false note with intent to utter, in violation of G. L. c. 267, § 12; and (3) tendering a false note, in violation of G.”
Commonwealth v. Labadie, 972 N.E.2d 66 (Mass. App. Ct. 2012). · cites it 2× “” Possession may be shown by proof that the defendant had knowledge of and the ability and intent to control the counterfeit notes.”
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