Plymouth County, MA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Massachusetts counties cannot impose snow duties; the authority runs to cities and towns under MGL c.85 §5. That statute lets Brockton by ordinance, and Plymouth, Marshfield, Scituate, Duxbury, and Wareham by bylaw, require the owner or occupant of land abutting a sidewalk to remove snow and ice, and to set the time and manner. The same section caps fines at fifty dollars per violation in a city and ten dollars in a town. Brockton's ordinance requires clearing after a storm; the surrounding towns vary, with some requiring removal and others leaving it voluntary. Check your specific community's bylaw for the deadline.