MGL Chapter 140, Section 128A:
Private Firearm Transfer Provisions

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140, Section 128A^[1] governs firearm purchases, sales, and transfers by LTC and FID holders and by the exempt organizations and individuals identified in the section.

Key Provisions

• Dealer and public-collection transfers: LTC holders may transfer firearms and ammunition without an annual limit to a Massachusetts dealer licensed under Section 122, a federally licensed firearms dealer, or a qualifying federal, state, or local historical society, museum, or institutional collection open to the public
• Private transfers: No more than four private transfer transactions may occur per calendar year
• Eligible private recipients: Under the four-transfer annual limit, an LTC holder may transfer to another LTC holder, to an exempted person when Section 129C permits the transfer, or to an FID holder; a permit to purchase may also be required for the particular firearm
• Other transferors: For the private-recipient transfers described in subsection (b), FID holders may transfer non-large-capacity, nonsemiautomatic rifles and shotguns and ammunition under the same four-transfer annual cap. Transfers to the dealers and qualifying public collections listed in subsection (a) have no annual limit. Subsection (c) separately governs transfers by heirs and devisees, military personnel, police and other peace officers, veterans' organizations, and qualifying public collections
• Curios and relics: A bona fide collector may purchase a qualifying curio or relic from a licensed dealer only when the firearm was not previously owned or registered in Massachusetts

Mandatory Electronic Processing

Every firearm purchase, sale, or transfer permitted under Section 128A must be conducted through the Section 121B electronic firearms registration system before or at the point of sale.^[3] The system receives the required identifying information, automatically reviews whether the transaction may proceed, and records the transaction. Section 121B requires reportable transactions to be submitted through the system within seven days, but no transaction report is required for a firearm loan of less than seven days to a duly licensed or exempted person.

Related Provisions

Section 121B establishes the electronic registration system through which all transfers must be processed. Section 129B governs FID cards. Section 129C establishes exemptions. Section 131 governs the LTC. Section 131A covers permits to purchase. Section 131M restricts transfers of assault-style firearms.

Referendum Status

The Secretary of the Commonwealth lists Firearms Regulation as Question 9 for the November 3, 2026 state election. The current General Laws page publishes Section 128A. Any post-election change should be confirmed from the certified result and official implementation guidance rather than assumed to restore prior wording automatically.

See also: MGL Chapter 140, Section 121B: Electronic Firearms Registration