The
2024 Gun Safety Law
On July 25th, 2024, Governor Maura Healey signed the most comprehensive gun safety law Massachusetts has seen in a decade. Backed by evidence-based research and proven to save lives, the lifesaving policies contained in this landmark legislation put community safety first.
The Coalition advocated tirelessly for this legislation, ensuring that key policies were ultimately included in the final version - including ghost gun regulation, firearm data collection and accessibility, and the prohibition of guns in polling places. Because of these critical updates, the Giffords Law Center Scorecard finally upgraded Massachusetts to an A for the first time this year!
Currently, Massachusetts leads the nation in gun violence prevention with the lowest gun death rate in the United States. That's no accident. By combining strong gun laws, community violence intervention services and evidence-based research, Massachusetts is saving lives and building safer communities. This 2024 law strengthens our foundation - combining all of these elements -and delivers an updated toolkit with proven policies that we know work. Learn more about what's in this lifesaving law below:
Closes the ghost gun loophole by updating the definition of a firearm to include the key parts used to build one. It also requires all guns have serial numbers and creates a clear process for registering them.
Improves data collection and accesibility so we can find out where the guns in our most impacted communities are coming from.
Updates licensing requirements to include raising the age when a person can own a semiautomatic rifle to 21 years old - because the human brain isn’t fully developed until its mid-20's.
key policies - at a glance
Bans guns in polling places and government building, and requires they stay at 150 feet away from these locations.
Expands who can file for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) to include licensed healthcare providers, including mental health clinicians, and school adminstrators.
Updates training requirements to include a live-fire test, similar to a driver’s license, proving you can safely operate a firearm.
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