Massachusetts has no statewide plastic bag ban or preemption, allowing over 160 cities and towns to enact their own single-use plastic bag prohibitions under home-rule authority.
Unlike many states, Massachusetts has not preempted local plastic bag regulation, and the legislature has not enacted a statewide ban. As a result, more than 160 municipalities including Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, and Somerville have adopted local ordinances banning thin-film plastic checkout bags or imposing fees on paper alternatives. These local rules vary in coverage, exemptions, and penalty structures. Statewide bills have been introduced repeatedly under MGL Chapter 21H but have not passed. Retailers operating across multiple municipalities must track local requirements carefully.
Local ordinances typically impose fines from $50 to $300 per violation, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders set by individual city or town bylaws.
Quincy, MA
Quincy Code Article III (Animal Control) prohibits owners or keepers from allowing animals to disturb the quiet of any person by barking, howling, biting, or...
Quincy, MA
Under Quincy Code Chapter 215, permitted construction may begin no earlier than 7:00 AM and must finish by 6:00 PM. Contractors must prepare a written noise-...
Quincy, MA
Quincy regulates noise under Chapter 215 of the City Code, adopted June 7, 2010 (Order No. 2010-114). Residential zones may not exceed 75 dBA from 7 AM–5 PM ...
Quincy, MA
Quincy regulates on-street parking under its traffic ordinances and a resident permit system. Time limits are enforced daily; a vehicle that moves to an adja...
Quincy, MA
Quincy's ordinance broadly prohibits commercial vehicles from parking on public streets. Commercial vehicles are defined as any vehicle over one ton, with 5+...
Quincy, MA
Quincy's zoning and traffic codes regulate driveway use. Blocking a private road or driveway on public streets is prohibited. Resident parking permits are on...
See how Quincy's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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