Question 9 and the 2024 firearms law
Election 2026 · Question 9 explainer
Question 9 and the 2024 firearms law
Read the summary text
Question 9 is about the twenty twenty four firearms law. This is a veto referendum, so the wording works differently. A Yes vote keeps the law. A No vote repeals it, but only if No wins a majority and equals thirty percent of all ballots cast. Supporters say the law covers ghost guns and expands tools to prevent firearm suicide. Opponents call it bureaucratic overreach and raise privacy objections to its data dashboard. As of October twenty sixth, the Yes side has reported about seven hundred ninety one thousand dollars, and the No side about five hundred ninety three thousand. Read the full explainer, with every source and the data, at capeanncurrent.com slash elections. The Cape Ann Current takes no position.
Question 9 is not a new law. The Legislature passed it in 2024. Now voters decide whether it stays. A Yes vote keeps the law. A No vote cancels (repeals) it.
This explainer takes no position on Question 9. It lays out the law, the arguments on both sides, and the public numbers. Figures were checked against the cited sources on Oct. 26, 2026.
Previous: Question 8This is the last question on the ballot. See all nine questions
The short version
What voters are deciding, and what each answer means.
- The question. Question 9 is a veto referendum. That means voters decide whether to keep a law the Legislature already passed. The law is Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024, “An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws.” It began as House bill H.4885. The House and Senate passed it on July 18, 2024. Governor Maura Healey signed it on July 25, 2024.
- What Yes means. A Yes vote keeps the law. The state’s official 2026 Information for Voters booklet says: “A YES VOTE would keep in place the law.” The booklet adds a short description of what the law does.
- What No means. A No vote cancels the law, if the two tests below are met. The booklet says: “A NO VOTE would repeal this law.”
- An important rule. The state constitution sets two tests for a repeal. No must win a majority of the votes on Question 9. The No votes must also equal at least 30 percent of all ballots cast in the election. If No wins a majority but falls short of 30 percent, the law stays.
- What the law covers. It sets rules for untraceable firearms (often called “ghost guns”), serial numbers and a state firearm registry. It changes licensing and training. It sets a state definition of “assault-style firearms.” It widens who can ask a court for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), a court order that takes guns from a person who may harm self or others. It limits carrying guns in government buildings and at polling places. It creates a public data dashboard.
- Where it stands now. Most of the law has been in effect since Oct. 2, 2024. Courts have heard several challenges. In the three rulings we found that concern this law (Recchia, Thomson and Escher), the courts left the challenged parts in place. Other rulings we list involve different laws. We did not find a court order that blocks any part of the law. One case, Hanlon v. Campbell, is still pending.
If you vote Yes
- The law stays in force as written.
- The state keeps running the systems it is building for the law.
- The lawsuits against the law go on.
If you vote No
- The law is repealed if No wins a majority and also reaches 30 percent of all ballots.
- Older state firearm laws that predate Chapter 135 apply again.
- The Legislature could pass new firearm laws later.
Sources: Secretary of the Commonwealth, 2026 Information for Voters, Question 9; Massachusetts Constitution, Article 48; bill history for H.4885 on malegislature.gov. Full list at the end.
What is on the ballot
A veto referendum on one existing law.
What this word means. A referendum is a vote by the people on a law. In a veto referendum, the Legislature has already passed the law. Voters can keep it or cancel it. The Massachusetts Constitution allows this under Article 48.
The official ballot question asks: “Do you approve of a law summarized below.” It then gives the dates and vote counts in the House and Senate. A summary and the Yes and No statements follow. The state prints the full text of the law in the voter booklet.
| Question 9 in detail | |
|---|---|
| Type | Veto referendum on an existing law (Article 48 of the Amendments to the state constitution). |
| The law | Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024, “An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws,” filed as House bill H.4885. It has 159 numbered sections. The Legislature’s website lists it as signed on July 25, 2024. |
| Legislative votes | On July 18, 2024, the House accepted the final bill 124 to 33 and the Senate accepted it 35 to 5. The bill had been reported out of a conference committee (a small House and Senate group that settles differences between two versions) on July 17, 2024. |
| Start date | The law was set to start Oct. 23, 2024. On Oct. 2, 2024, the Governor added an emergency preamble (a clause that makes a law start right away). Most of the law took effect then, according to Boston.com and a state public safety legal update. Some parts start later. Sections 38 and 75 start 18 months after the effective date. The law sets deadlines for registration and serial numbers. The state’s website lists Oct. 28, 2026 for that. |
| How it got on the ballot | People who want the law repealed gathered signatures in 2024. CommonWealth Beacon reports that state officials certified 78,707 valid signatures in November 2024. They needed 37,287. The question then went on the 2026 ballot. |
| What voters decide | Yes keeps the law. No repeals it. The constitution says a repealed law ends 30 days after the election. A law is not repealed if the No votes are under 30 percent of all ballots cast in the election. |
| If voters repeal it | By our count, 30 days after Nov. 3 is Dec. 3, 2026. CommonWealth Beacon says a repeal takes effect when results are certified. The exact day is uncertain. |
| Later changes | The Legislature can pass new firearm laws at any time, after either result. Courts can also rule that parts of any law break the U.S. Constitution or the state constitution. |
| Related lawsuits | Several federal and state cases. See the court cases section below. |
Sources: Secretary of the Commonwealth booklet; malegislature.gov (Chapter 135 and bill history); Mass.gov public safety legal update and firearm law information page; Massachusetts Constitution, Article 48; Boston.com, Oct. 9, 2026; CommonWealth Beacon Question 9 page.
How we got here
Three tracks: the law itself, the court cases, and the vote.
The U.S. Supreme Court decides New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. It says a gun law must fit the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.
A House and Senate conference committee reports out the final bill.
The House accepts it 124 to 33. The Senate accepts it 35 to 5. Both chambers enact it.
Governor Healey signs it as Chapter 135.
The Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL) files a first federal lawsuit, according to CommonWealth Beacon.
The Governor signs an emergency preamble. Most of the law takes effect.
Officials certify 78,707 valid signatures. The question is set for the 2026 ballot, according to CommonWealth Beacon.
GOAL drops its first lawsuit, according to CommonWealth Beacon.
The First Circuit Court of Appeals, in Capen v. Campbell, affirms a ruling that refused to pause the state’s earlier assault weapons law while that case goes on.
The National Rifle Association, GOAL and others file Hanlon v. Campbell in federal court against the assault-style firearm provisions.
The law gives the state one year from its start to build the public data dashboard and the registration system (Chapter 135, sections 153 to 159).
The U.S. Supreme Court decides Wolford v. Lopez, a Hawaii gun carry case.
The First Circuit decides Recchia v. Campbell and upholds the assault-style firearm provisions of Chapter 135 against the challenge brought.
A federal judge in Boston upholds the age 21 minimum for a license to carry in Escher v. Noble, according to Bloomberg Law.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) upholds the same age 21 minimum in Commonwealth v. Thomson.
Deadline the state lists for firearms to be serialized and registered.
Election Day. Voters decide Question 9.
If voters repeal the law, this is about when it ends (30 days after the election, by our count).
Sources: malegislature.gov bill history; Mass.gov; CommonWealth Beacon; Boston.com; NRA Institute for Legislative Action; First Circuit opinion in Recchia v. Campbell; SJC opinion in Commonwealth v. Thomson; Bloomberg Law. Full list at the end.
What the law does, section by section
Chapter 135 has 159 numbered sections. This table groups them by topic, using the text on malegislature.gov.
Each row says what the text does. It does not say whether that is good or bad. Where a rule has a penalty, the penalty comes from the text of the law.
| Sections | What the text does |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | Orders reports and sets up funds. Section 2 asks for a study of guns later used in a crime or suicide. It looks at whether the buyer’s license was tied to other gun purchases in the prior 12 months. Section 4 changes which fees go to the fingerprint fund. Section 5 creates a fund for federal violence prevention money. |
| 6 to 7 and 10 to 12 | Lets courts and police share records of mental health holds and commitments with the state criminal records agency (DCJIS). The records are for licensing background checks. The text limits any other use. |
| 8 to 9 | Snow and recreation vehicles: a person may carry a firearm on one only with the license or card, following chapter 131C. |
| 13 to 14 | Hunting while impaired: a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or drugs. Penalty: a fine up to $5,000, up to 2.5 years in jail, or both. |
| 15 to 31 | Definitions. An antique firearm is one made in or before 1899. An “assault-style firearm” is a semiautomatic rifle, pistol or shotgun with at least two listed features. Examples are a folding or telescopic stock, a pistol grip, a forward grip, a threaded barrel or a shroud. Guns on a state roster and named models such as the AK, UZI and Colt AR-15, and copies, also count. Bolt, pump, lever and slide action guns and antiques are left out. A “firearm” now includes unfinished frames and receivers. A large capacity feeding device holds more than 10 rounds, or more than 5 shotgun shells. Machine gun parts now include bump stocks, trigger cranks and rapid fire trigger activators. Other definitions cover covert, undetectable and privately made firearms, serial numbers, self-defense spray and locked containers. Section 25 lists who may ask for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO). |
| 32 (new law 121B) | Registration. All firearms must be registered through a state system, in real time and online. Owners register when they get a gun. New residents and heirs have 60 days. Dealers have 7 days. Sales, loss and theft are reported within 7 days. Penalties: a first offense, a fine up to $1,000. A second, a fine up to $7,500 or up to 6 months. A third or later, a fine up to $10,000 or 1 to 5 years. |
| 32 (121C) | Serial numbers. All firearms must carry one. Guns made before Oct. 22, 1968 and some others are exempt. A privately made gun needs a state serial number first and must be registered within 7 days. |
| 32 (121D) | 3D printers and milling machines. Making a firearm with a 3D printer or a computer controlled milling machine requires a license to carry. Selling machines marketed for making guns is not allowed. Penalty: up to 1 year, a fine up to $5,000 per firearm, or both. |
| 32 (121E) | Data dashboard. A public dashboard with data that does not identify people. It covers license applicants and denials by age, gender, race, ethnicity and municipality, and firearm violence data. It must update at least every quarter. |
| 32 (121F) | License process. The licensing authority has 40 days to decide an application. The State Police check within 30 days. The law sets a list of prohibited persons and an “unsuitable” standard based on “reliable, articulable and credible information.” An applicant can appeal to district court. The fee is $100, and $25 stays with the licensing authority. Holders get a renewal notice 90 days before a license expires. |
| 33 to 41 | Dealers must be 21 and finish online training. A dealer needs a business premises, not a residence. Rules for clubs. Self-defense spray permits: ages 15 to 17 may be issued one, and ages 12 to 14 with a parent certificate. Private sales are limited to 4 per year and go through the state system. |
| 42 to 48 | Guns acquired out of state must be registered. A Firearm Identification (FID) card is for ages 18 and over, or 15 to 17 with a parent. It covers rifles and shotguns that are not large capacity or semiautomatic. New residents have 60 days. Guns must be surrendered when a license is revoked. A state legal update says a rule to show a license or card on demand was removed. |
| 49 to 51 | A license to carry (LTC) requires age 21 and a personal interview on a first application. It is valid up to 6 years. An address change is reported within 30 days. Machine gun licenses go only to certain instructors and collectors. A 7 member Firearm Control Advisory Board is created. The assault-style roster is published at least 3 times a year. |
| 52 to 70 | Edits to carry and storage rules. A gun left in a vehicle must be in a locked container. Temporary licenses for nonresidents who are U.S. citizens, nationals or lawful permanent residents. Repeals two older sections (131G and 131H). |
| 71 (131M) | Assault-style firearms and large capacity feeding devices. Having or selling them is not allowed. Guns lawfully owned on Aug. 1, 2024 by a license to carry (LTC) holder are allowed if registered and serialized. Magazines owned on Sept. 13, 1994 are allowed only in listed places. Penalties: a first offense, a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 and/or 1 to 10 years. A second, $5,000 to $15,000 and/or 5 to 15 years. Law enforcement is exempt. |
| 72 | Covert and undetectable firearms are covered. |
| 74 (131P) | Safety training. A basic firearms safety certificate, including live fire training, for FID and LTC applicants. Hunter education counts for an FID. People who held a license on Aug. 1, 2024 are exempt on renewal. Section 152 orders a report on live fire training cost and access, with 2 public hearings. |
| 75 (131Q) | Tracing. Guns used in crimes or suicides are traced. Data goes to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the state. The State Police issue a yearly report by Dec. 31. Casings go to a federal ballistics database (NIBIN). |
| 76 to 85 | Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO). A court order that takes guns from a person who may harm self or others. Who can ask: family or household members; the licensing authority; police who dealt with the person in the past 30 days; a health care provider who treated the person in the past 6 months (a listed set of professions); and a school principal or assistant principal, or a college administrator. A hearing happens within 10 days (2 days if the gun is needed for work). The standard is a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not). An emergency order without notice lasts up to 10 days. A full order lasts up to 1 year and can be renewed. The person must surrender guns within 24 hours, or a warrant can issue. Health care providers may share limited health information. The state reports yearly, including on false petitions. |
| 86 to 92 | Harassment prevention orders (new sections 4A to 4C of chapter 258E): courts shall order a license and guns surrendered when there is a substantial likelihood of immediate danger of harassment. Matching edits to chapter 209A (abuse prevention orders). |
| 93 to 113 and 145 to 147 | Conforming edits. Replace the phrase “rifle, shotgun, machine gun or assault weapon” with “firearm” in many places. |
| 114 to 127 (chapter 269, section 10) | Where guns are not allowed. Conversion devices are added. A new subsection (k) lists places: government buildings, grounds and parking; courts; corrections facilities; polling places (within 150 feet while open); and ballot storage. A municipality may vote to exclude its administrative buildings. Penalty: a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to 2.5 years. Defense: a licensed person kept the gun securely stored in a vehicle. Qualified law enforcement and security guards are exempt. Transport used for students is added to the school rule. |
| 128 to 131 | Silencer parts are covered. |
| 132 to 139 | Carrying a loaded gun with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 is not allowed (10H). Trafficking (10I): 5 to 10 years for bringing a gun into Massachusetts to commit a crime, 10 to 20 years for bringing it to a prohibited person, and at least 20 years if the gun is used to kill. Untraceable firearms (11A to 11C): making or selling one carries 12 months to 2.5 years, and a felony with one carries at least 2.5 years. |
| 140 to 144 | Firing within 500 feet of a home carries a fine of $50 to $100 or up to 3 months. New section 12G: firing a gun that strikes an occupied building carries up to 2.5 years in a house of correction, or up to 5 years in state prison, or a fine up to $10,000. |
| 148 to 152 | Creates a 13 member commission on emerging firearm technology (personalized guns and microstamping), a 19 member violence prevention funding commission (report due Mar. 1, 2025), a firearm data commission, a federal funding task force, and the live fire training report. |
| 153 to 159 | Timing. Existing licenses stay valid. Holders get notice within 6 months. Regulations are due within 6 months. The dashboard and the registration system are due within 1 year, and all firearms must be registered within 1 year after the system is public. Sections 38 and 75 start 18 months after the effective date. |
In plain words: the law is long and covers many topics. The biggest pieces are the registry and serial numbers, the limits on assault-style firearms (with an exception for guns owned in 2024), the wider list of who can ask for an ERPO, the new training rule, the limits in government buildings and at polling places, and the public data dashboard. Source: Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024, malegislature.gov, read Oct. 26, 2026.
What a Yes vote and a No vote would bring
Concrete effects, with the uncertain ones labeled.
A Yes vote: the law stays
- Rules continue. Registration, serial numbers, the age 21 rule, the training rule, the new definitions and the penalties stay in force.
- Agencies continue. The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the State Police keep building and running the registry, dashboard and training systems. The voter booklet says the state has already made investments in staff training, new licensing processes and information technology.
- Gun owners. Owners of assault-style firearms they lawfully had on Aug. 1, 2024 keep them if registered. New sales of assault-style firearms stay off limits.
- Local police. Licensing authorities keep the 40 day decision limit, the interview rule and the power to file ERPO petitions.
- Courts. The lawsuits against the law go on. WBUR notes that a Yes vote does not guarantee the rules survive if courts rule otherwise.
- Uncertain: total cost to the state. We did not find a single official cost estimate.
A No vote: the law is repealed
- Rules end. If No wins a majority and reaches 30 percent of all ballots, the new registry, serial number, training and data rules end. The booklet says repeal would require the state to spend money to stop or redirect work already underway.
- Older rules apply. What stays, according to WBUR and CommonWealth Beacon: the earlier assault weapons law, licensing, safety training, ERPO requests by family and police, and point of sale tracking.
- Untraceable firearms. Beacon reports that the earlier definitions did not cover them. The new rules for these guns and for 3D printed guns would end.
- Local police. The 40 day decision limit and other new duties would end. Older licensing practice would return.
- Legislature. It could pass new firearm laws, including parts of this one, at any time.
- Uncertain: the exact repeal date (30 days after the election by the constitution; at certification by Beacon’s account), and how the state would handle guns already registered.
Key point: both votes keep some older rules in place. A Yes vote keeps all of Chapter 135 on top of them. A No vote removes Chapter 135 and leaves the older rules. Sources: Secretary of the Commonwealth booklet; WBUR, Oct. 6, 2026; CommonWealth Beacon.
Court cases
Courts, not voters, decide whether a gun law fits the U.S. Constitution.
What this word means. The Second Amendment protects a right to keep and bear arms. In New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), the U.S. Supreme Court said a gun rule must be “consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.” This quote comes from the First Circuit’s opinion in Recchia, which repeats the Bruen test.
A ruling in these cases could change the law whether voters keep it or repeal it.
| Case | Court and date | What it decided or asks |
|---|---|---|
| Capen v. Campbell, 134 F.4th 660 | First Circuit Court of Appeals, April 17, 2025 (panel of Judges Katzmann, Gelpi and Rikelman, per Courthouse News) | Agreed with a lower court that refused to pause the earlier assault weapons law while that case goes on. (A pause like that is called a preliminary injunction.) |
| Recchia v. Campbell, No. 25-1817 | First Circuit, July 21, 2026 (Judge Aframe wrote it, with Judges Lynch and Dunlap) | The plaintiffs were Gino Recchia III and Mass Armament LLC, a Bellingham gun store. They challenged sections 121 and 131M(a) of Chapter 135. The court affirmed the dismissal. It held that Capen binds the panel, rejected the commerce clause and equal protection claims, and said the magazine argument was not preserved. It said Wolford and Hemani do not change the Capen framework. |
| Wolford v. Lopez, No. 24-1046 | U.S. Supreme Court, June 25, 2026 | A Hawaii case, not a Massachusetts case. According to Reason’s Volokh Conspiracy, the Court ruled 6 to 3 (Justice Alito writing) against Hawaii’s default rule barring licensed carriers from private property open to the public without the owner’s express permission. |
| Commonwealth v. Thomson, SJC-13856 | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, argued Mar. 2, 2026, decided Oct. 20, 2026 (Justice Wolohojian wrote it) | Upheld the minimum age of 21 for a license to carry (G.L. c.140, section 131(d), as rewritten by Chapter 135, section 49). The defendant was 20 in Dec. 2021, under the earlier law, which also had age 21. Justices Kafker and Wendlandt joined in part and dissented in part, saying the case should return for expert historical evidence. |
| Escher v. Noble, No. 1:25-cv-10389 | U.S. District Court in Boston (Judge George O’Toole), Aug. 21, 2026, per Bloomberg Law | Upheld the age 21 license minimum. The plaintiffs lacked standing (the legal right to bring a claim) on three of four provisions. |
| Hanlon v. Campbell | U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, filed Aug. 21, 2025 by the NRA, GOAL, Pioneer Valley Arms and individuals, per NRA Institute for Legislative Action | Challenges the assault-style definition and roster on Second Amendment and vagueness grounds. We found no ruling. |
| Bondi v. VanDerStok | U.S. Supreme Court, March 26, 2025 (7 to 2, Justice Gorsuch) | Upheld a federal rule covering ghost gun kits, according to Bloomberg Law. This is a federal rule, not Chapter 135. |
CommonWealth Beacon also lists other suits: one by GOAL in Aug. 2024 (dropped Dec. 2024), one in Oct. 2024 on assault-style provisions, and one in Nov. 2024 on carry limits, suppressors and ERPO. We did not match those to court dockets. Key point: three rulings in the table concern Chapter 135 or the age 21 rule it rewrote. They are Recchia v. Campbell (sections 121 and 131M(a)), Commonwealth v. Thomson and Escher v. Noble. In Escher, the court found the plaintiffs lacked standing on three of four provisions, so it did not decide those on the merits. In each of the three, the court left the challenged provision in place. Capen v. Campbell concerns the earlier assault weapons law, and Wolford v. Lopez and Bondi v. VanDerStok are about a Hawaii law and a federal rule, so we do not count them. No court has blocked Chapter 135, as far as we found on Oct. 26, 2026.
The arguments
What each campaign says, in its own words and in public statements.
The official statements in the state voter booklet
The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s 2026 Information for Voters prints one statement for each side. Each is written by the campaign named, not by the state.
For a Yes vote
Written by Ned Notis-McConarty for Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts. It begins: “A YES vote will keep in place Massachusetts’ lifesaving 2024 gun safety law.”
- It says the law covers ghost guns and machine gun conversion devices.
- It says the law expands tools to prevent firearm suicide and mass shootings.
- It says the law creates a data dashboard to track trafficking.
- It says the state’s gun death rate is 70 percent lower than the national average.
- It says key parts are already being put in place.
- It says repeal would make everyone less safe.
For a No vote
Written by Toby Leary for The Civil Rights Coalition. It begins: “A No vote on Question 9 repeals an unnecessary reinvention of state firearms law.”
- It says Massachusetts already had some of the strictest gun laws.
- It calls the law a “deeply flawed, 116-page piece of bureaucratic overreach” that wastes tax dollars.
- It says the law requires a real time electronic tracking system that is not funded.
- It says local police must enforce vague rules and are pulled from violent crime to paperwork. It says agencies issued dozens of clarifications.
- It says historical re-enactors and antique hobbyists are treated like criminals.
- It urges “transparent, common-sense legislation focused on violent criminals.”
Source: Secretary of the Commonwealth, 2026 Information for Voters, Question 9. Statements are summarized except where quoted.
What each side says in public
Yes campaign
- Ruth Zakarin, who chairs the Yes campaign and leads the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, says ghost guns are regulated “for the first time.”
- She says Boston police have recovered 153 ghost guns used in crimes since 2024. The Boston Globe editorial board repeated this figure.
- She says the number of licenses to carry rose from 2024 to 2025.
- She says Everytown for Gun Safety moved Massachusetts from fifth to second in its state ranking of gun laws, as WBUR reported.
- She says repeal would set a precedent that other states could copy.
- CommonWealth Beacon points to a 2026 study in JAMA Health Forum that supporters cite.
No campaign
- John Briare, a co-founder of the campaign, says a license to carry is “nearly impossible” to get in cities such as Boston.
- He calls the data dashboard “the heart of the civil rights violation.” This is a privacy objection.
- He says the wider ERPO list could be abused and could keep veterans from seeking help.
- WBUR reports that the campaign points to training costs, confusion over antiques and heirlooms, and the burden on local police.
- Wayne Adams is the campaign’s spokesperson. Toby Leary is its chair.
- The campaign says the Legislature should write narrower laws aimed at violent offenders.
Checking some of the claims
We looked for public numbers behind three claims from each side. Some could be checked. Some could not. Each row says which.
| Claim and who made it | What public records show |
|---|---|
| Yes: the gun death rate is 70 percent lower than the national average (booklet statement) | Pew Research Center, using CDC data for 2024, reports 12.8 gun deaths per 100,000 people nationally and 3.8 in Massachusetts, which is about 70 percent lower. Pew adjusts for age. Our CDC table below shows 4.1 for Massachusetts, which is not adjusted for age. The two measures differ. |
| Yes: Boston police recovered 153 ghost guns used in crimes since 2024 (Zakarin, Globe editorial) | We did not find this figure in public data. It is not verified. |
| Yes: licenses to carry rose from 2024 to 2025 (Yes campaign) | We found the July 1, 2025 count of 561,127 active licenses to carry. We did not find a matching 2024 count. It is not verified. |
| No: the law is a 116-page bill (booklet statement) | The booklet statement says 116 pages. The Boston Globe editorial board described it as 40 pages in the voter guide. We did not count pages. Chapter 135 has 159 numbered sections. |
| No: a license to carry is nearly impossible to get in cities such as Boston (Briare) | Executive Office of Public Safety data for 2024 show Boston started 5,053 applications for a license to carry, issued 4,059, denied 378, suspended 142 and revoked 13. Applications and decisions in a year do not always match one to one, so these counts do not settle the claim. |
| No: the dashboard threatens privacy (Briare) | The text of the new law (section 121E) says the dashboard shows data that does not identify people, by age, gender, race, ethnicity and municipality. Whether that protects privacy enough is a judgment the text does not settle. |
Who is campaigning
Yes: Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts
- Chair: Ruth Zakarin.
- Endorsers named by WBUR: Governor Maura Healey, U.S. Representatives Katherine Clark, Ayanna Pressley and Jake Auchincloss, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and branches of SEIU.
- Editorial: the Boston Globe editorial board urged a Yes vote on Oct. 14, 2026.
- Note: WBUR and Boston.com name more endorsers on the Yes side than on the No side. We found no editorial board urging a No vote in the sources we reviewed.
No: The Civil Rights Coalition
- Chair: Toby Leary. Spokesperson: Wayne Adams. Co-founder: John Briare.
- Endorsers named by Boston.com and WBUR: state Representative John Gaskey (R, Plymouth), the Gun Owners’ Action League, and gun stores, ranges and clubs.
- Not yet taking a side: GBH reported on Oct. 6, 2026 that the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association had not taken a position on Question 9. New Bedford Chief Jason Thody said he supports parts of the law. A 2024 Senate fact sheet had said the association supported the bill.
Campaign money
Figures come from the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF, the state campaign finance office) public database, as of Oct. 26, 2026. They add up each committee’s 2025 and 2026 reports (and 2024 for the No committee). Totals will change as new reports are filed.
Money raised and spent (OCPF, as of Oct. 26, 2026)
Key point: according to OCPF, as of Oct. 26, 2026, the Yes committee reported $790,974 raised, and the No committee reported $593,468 raised. The No total is 75 percent of the Yes total. Bars start at zero; the scale ends at $800,000.
Source: OCPF ballot question committee reports, retrieved Oct. 26, 2026. In kind help (goods or services given instead of cash) is shown separately and is not counted as raised: Yes committee $109,181; No committee $0. Cash on hand: Yes $243,396; No $135,924. A small committee, Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts, is listed under several questions and reports $50; it is not in the bars.
Named donors (donor level amounts reported by WBUR as of Oct. 6, 2026, not OCPF committee totals). Yes side: Massachusetts Teachers Association, $500,000; Alliance for Gun Responsibility, $50,000; Everytown for Gun Safety, more than $44,000. No side: Smith & Wesson, $50,000 in 2024; Gun Owners’ Action League, more than $22,000; Mike Minogue, $5,000 (the UMass Amherst/WCVB poll release of Oct. 19, 2026 calls Michael Minogue the Republican nominee for governor).
What polls show
Poll results: keep the law (Yes) or repeal it (No)
Key point: in every poll we found, more respondents said they would keep the law than repeal it, and the size of the gap varied. Polls are snapshots, and a poll is not a result.
Sources: each pollster’s own published results (see the source list): Suffolk marginals (Question 38), the UMass Amherst/WCVB release of Oct. 19, 2026, CommonWealth Beacon for MassINC, and the UNH Survey Center. Rows may differ from 100 by rounding. Wording differs by poll.
The data
What public records show about votes, deaths, crime and licenses.
How the Legislature voted in July 2024
Key point: the House accepted the final bill 124 to 33 (about 79 percent) and the Senate 35 to 5 (87.5 percent), both on July 18, 2024.
Source: malegislature.gov, bill history for H.4885 (House Yea and Nay No. 135; Senate Roll Call 208).
Firearm deaths among Massachusetts residents, by year
Key point: Massachusetts recorded 247 firearm deaths in 2019 and 287 in 2024. In 2024, 184 were suicides and 96 were homicides. The provisional count for the 12 months from June 2025 to May 2026 is 247. The scale ends at 300 deaths and starts at zero.
Source: CDC, Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence (state) dataset on data.cdc.gov, retrieved Oct. 26, 2026. Rates are crude, per 100,000 people. The "other" column is total minus suicide minus homicide, which we calculated. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports 270 firearm deaths and a rate of 3.8 for 2023 (147 suicides, 121 homicides, 2 other); the CDC dataset lists 3.9, so the agencies differ by 0.1.
Firearm death rates in 2024, states chosen by the Current
Key point: in the CDC data for 2024, Massachusetts had the second lowest firearm death rate of the 51 jurisdictions at 4.1 per 100,000, after Hawaii at 3.9. Mississippi was highest at 27.6. The scale ends at 30 and starts at zero. We chose Massachusetts, its neighbors, and the lowest and highest states. These numbers describe outcomes. They do not show whether any state’s laws caused its rate.
Source: CDC, Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence (state) dataset, 2024 crude rates per 100,000 people, retrieved Oct. 26, 2026. The data has no national row. Pew Research Center (Apr. 28, 2026), using CDC WONDER, reports 44,447 U.S. gun deaths in 2024, a rate of 12.8 per 100,000 (27,593 suicides and 15,364 homicides), and age adjusted rates of 3.8 for Massachusetts and 3.7 for Hawaii. Pew’s rates are age adjusted, so they are not directly comparable to the crude CDC rates above.
Crime in Massachusetts
| Measure (counts) | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Murder | 149 | 132 |
| Criminal homicide with a firearm | 110 | 86 |
| Robbery with a firearm | 595 | 501 |
| Aggravated assault with a firearm | 2,508 | 2,241 |
| Weapon law violations | 3,648 | 3,214 |
| Crime rate per 100,000 people | 3,532.6 | 3,301.9 |
Key point: every measure in the table was lower in 2024 than in 2023. These are preliminary 2024 numbers from 394 reporting agencies, and the state counted 400 fatal and nonfatal shootings in 2024. The data do not say what caused the changes, and Chapter 135 took effect in the fall of 2024. Source: Executive Office of Public Safety and Security press release, July 1, 2025 (preliminary NIBRS data); crime rate via State House News.
Licenses in Massachusetts
| Statewide, 2024 | Started | Issued | Denied | Revoked | Suspended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| License to carry (LTC) | 126,431 | 112,099 | 2,307 | 151 | 2,918 |
| Firearm Identification (FID) card | 4,017 | 3,452 | 89 | not listed here | not listed here |
Key point: on July 1, 2025 there were 561,127 active licenses to carry and 20,698 active FID cards in Massachusetts. Source: Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Firearms Records Bureau, aggregate applications 2006 to 2024 and active licenses on July 1, 2025.
How other states handle it
Documented facts about neighbors and the country, and what researchers say about evidence.
| Topic | What documented sources say |
|---|---|
| Extreme risk (ERPO) laws | Everytown (page updated Jan. 14, 2026) counts 22 states with extreme risk laws. The lists of who can ask for an order differ. States whose lists include health care or education staff include Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan and California. Neighbors: Connecticut (police, family, medical), Maine (police and family), Rhode Island (police only), Vermont (state’s attorneys, attorney general and family), New York (police, district attorneys, family, school administrators, medical). New Hampshire is not on the list. |
| Untraceable (“ghost”) guns | Everytown lists 17 states that regulate ghost guns: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal ghost gun kit rule in Bondi v. VanDerStok (Mar. 26, 2025). |
| Assault-style weapon and large capacity magazine laws | A University of Vermont legislative research report (Dec. 8, 2025) counts laws that restrict both in 11 states plus the District of Columbia: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington. The report is inconsistent between 11 and 12 states. Colorado, Oregon and Vermont restrict large capacity magazines only. Rhode Island bars sale, making, purchase and transfer but not possession, starting July 1, 2026, according to NBC Boston. |
| Carry without a permit | The U.S. Concealed Carry Association (Feb. 19, 2025) counts 29 states that allow carry without a permit, including Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Massachusetts requires a license to carry. |
What the research says
The RAND Corporation reviews studies of gun policies and rates how strong the evidence is. Its page was updated Jan. 29, 2026. RAND’s labels are about studies, not about whether a policy is wise.
| Policy | RAND’s evidence rating |
|---|---|
| Extreme risk protection orders | Limited evidence for effects on suicide. Inconclusive for violent crime. |
| Assault weapon and high capacity magazine laws | Limited evidence for effects on mass shootings. Inconclusive for other outcomes. |
| Licensing and permitting | Limited evidence for effects on violent crime and mass shootings. Inconclusive for suicide. |
| Registration and recordkeeping | Inconclusive. |
| Limits on guns in set places (RAND: gun free zones) | Almost no qualifying studies. |
| Minimum age | Supportive evidence for effects on suicide. Inconclusive for other outcomes. |
Key point: for most of the policies in Chapter 135, RAND finds the research evidence limited or inconclusive. That is true whether a policy is kept or dropped. Source: RAND Gun Policy in America, rand.org, accessed Oct. 26, 2026.
Where people agree, and what no one knows yet
Common ground
- Both official statements describe Massachusetts as a state with strong gun laws. The Yes statement says the death rate is 70 percent below the national figure. The No statement says the state already had some of the strictest gun laws.
- Both statements talk about violence. The Yes statement mentions suicide, mass shootings and trafficking. The No statement urges laws “focused on violent criminals.”
- Both statements bring up the state’s systems and their cost. The Yes statement says the state has already put key parts in place. The No statement says the tracking system is not funded.
- Both campaigns spoke about how clear the rules are for owners and police. They disagree on whether Chapter 135 is clear enough.
- The public data show Massachusetts with one of the lowest firearm death rates in the country in 2024.
Open questions
- How many people will be affected by the registry once the Oct. 28, 2026 deadline passes? We found no public count.
- How much will the law cost the state and towns? We found no single official estimate.
- Will courts change any part of the law? Hanlon v. Campbell is pending, and further appeals are possible.
- What effect, if any, will the law have on deaths? It started in late 2024, so full year data after that is still thin.
- If voters repeal the law, how will the state treat guns already registered?
- If voters keep it, will the Legislature change it later?
On Cape Ann
The local licensing authority is the police chief
Under state law (G.L. c.140, section 121), the licensing authority is the chief of police, or the board or officer in charge of the police. In Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, that is the police department. Chapter 135 gives that authority a 40 day limit to decide an application, lets it file ERPO petitions, and requires its staff to attend training (section 125, which starts 18 months after the effective date).
Local officials may vote to exclude their administrative buildings from the new rule on carrying in government buildings. We could not find a Cape Ann vote on that. Candidate positions for the Fifth Essex House seat are not in this article because we could not verify any statement on Question 9.
Active licenses on July 1, 2025
| Licensing department | License to carry | FID card |
|---|---|---|
| Gloucester Police | 2,764 | 114 |
| Rockport Police | 622 | 19 (plus 1 chemical spray only) |
| Essex Police | 457 | 38 |
| Manchester Police | 382 | 32 |
| Cape Ann total | 4,225 | 203 |
| Massachusetts total | 561,127 | 20,698 |
Key point: the four Cape Ann departments hold 4,225 active licenses to carry, about 0.75 percent of the state total. None of the four shows a license to sell. We did not calculate per person figures because we could not get population counts from a source we could open. Source: Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Firearms Records Bureau, Active Firearms Licenses on July 1, 2025.
Applications in 2024
| Department and type | Started | Issued | Denied | Revoked | Suspended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester, license to carry | 627 | 573 | 9 | 0 | 16 |
| Rockport, license to carry | 124 | 117 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Essex, license to carry | 70 | 66 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Manchester, license to carry | 91 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gloucester, FID card | 28 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rockport, FID card | 3 | 2 | not listed | not listed | not listed |
| Essex, FID card | 1 | 1 | not listed | not listed | not listed |
| Manchester, FID card | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Key point: in 2024 Gloucester started 627 license to carry applications and issued 573. Counts for a year may include applications started in earlier years, so issued can differ from started. Source: Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, firearms license applications by type and status, 2006 to 2024.
A past local vote on a firearms question
In 1976, Massachusetts voters decided Question 5. The state results site lists it as a handgun prohibition. It is a different question from Question 9, and it was 50 years ago. It is the only past firearms ballot question we found on the state election results site.
1976 Question 5 (handgun prohibition): share voting Yes
Key point: in 1976, about 31 percent of statewide voters on Question 5 voted Yes, and the four Cape Ann towns together voted about 32 percent Yes. Percentages are shares of Yes plus No votes; blank ballots are not counted in them.
Source: Massachusetts election statistics site (electionstats.state.ma.us), 1976 Question 5 results by town, accessed Oct. 26, 2026. Statewide there were also 181,303 blank ballots out of 2,594,262 total.
Plain words
- Veto referendum
- A vote on whether to keep a law the Legislature already passed.
- Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO)
- A court order that temporarily takes guns from a person a court finds may be dangerous to self or others.
- Ghost gun
- A common name, used by supporters of the law and others, for a gun without a serial number. It is often made from a kit or with a 3D printer. The law calls these privately made or untraceable firearms.
- License to carry (LTC)
- A state license, issued by a local police chief, to own and carry handguns and other firearms.
- Firearm Identification (FID) card
- A lower level card that covers some rifles and shotguns.
- Licensing authority
- The local official who decides license applications. In Massachusetts it is the police chief.
- Assault-style firearm
- The law’s term for certain semiautomatic guns, defined by their features and a list of models.
- Preponderance of the evidence
- A court standard meaning something is more likely true than not.
- Preliminary injunction
- A court order that pauses a law or action while a case goes on.