Quincy, MA Single-Use Items: Plastic Bag Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned item
- Disposable plastic checkout bags
- First offense
- Written warning, 14 days to fix
- Second offense
- $50 fine
- Repeat offense
- $100 per violation
- Adopted
- Order No. 2019-125
Summary
Quincy retailers cannot hand out disposable plastic shopping bags at checkout; a first violation draws a written warning, then a $50 fine and $100 for each repeat offense.
No retail establishment shall provide a disposable plastic shopping bag to any customer for the purpose of enabling the customer to carry away goods from the point of sale. No provision of this article shall be read to preclude any establishment from offering reusable bags to customers for sale to customers or utilizing recyclable bags at checkout.
§ 293-13. Violations and penalties; enforcement. The penalty for violation of the provisions of this article by an establishment, following the issuance of a written warning notice to the establishment, shall be $50, and $100 for each subsequent violation. A warning notice for an initial violation shall provide at least 14 days for correction of such violation. No fine for a second or continuing violation shall be issued until at least 14 days after a warning is issued. This article may be enforced by any police officer or any agent of the City's Health Department, or by the Board of Licensing Commissioners.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4608810; v7 updated 2025-10-06; through 10-06-2025).
Full Breakdown
City of Quincy (Norfolk County), Massachusetts Municipal Code § 293-12 bars any retail establishment from providing a disposable plastic shopping bag to a customer for carrying goods from the point of sale. Stores may still sell reusable bags or offer recyclable paper bags meeting the code's 40%-recycled-content standard. The Health Department, police, or the Board of Licensing Commissioners enforce it, and a first violation gets a 14-day written warning before any fine issues.
Violations & Fines
A first offense draws a written warning with 14 days to correct it; a second or later violation is $50, rising to $100 per subsequent violation under § 293-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are plastic bags banned in Quincy, Massachusetts?
What happens the first time a Quincy store violates the bag ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Quincy
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