Massachusetts technically permits open carry with a valid License to Carry, but the practice is rare and discouraged, with municipalities and businesses commonly prohibiting visible firearms.
Open carry is not specifically prohibited by Massachusetts statute when the carrier holds a valid LTC under MGL Chapter 140 Section 131. However, openly displayed firearms can trigger disorderly conduct charges or breach-of-peace concerns, and chiefs may consider repeated incidents in suitability reviews. Most public spaces, businesses, and government buildings prohibit open display, and the cultural norm in Massachusetts is concealed carry only. Long guns generally must be unloaded and cased when transported in public.
Open carry without a valid LTC subjects holders to felony unlicensed-possession charges; alarming display can also lead to disturbing-the-peace prosecution.
Norfolk County, MA
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Norfolk County, MA
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Norfolk County, MA
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Bellingham, MA
Bellingham follows the Massachusetts state framework for residential fire pits: cooking-only fire pits and grills are exempt from open-burning rules, but any...
Bellingham, MA
Bellingham allows residential open burning only during the Massachusetts state burn season — January 15 through May 1 — with a daily permit from the Bellingh...
Norfolk County, MA
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See how Bellingham's open carry rules stack up against other locations.
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