If you enjoy airsoft sports and live in or plan to play in Massachusetts, there are a few points of law you should know. Massachusetts law establishes restrictions on who can possess or use an airsoft gun, governs procedures for selling airsoft guns and establishes boundaries on where airsoft sports may be played. Failure to comply with these laws can result in fines or even incarceration.
Minors
Under Massachusetts law, airsoft guns are regulated in the same way as air rifles and BB guns. As such, all laws that pertain to these weapons are applicable to airsoft guns. Under these provisions of Massachusetts law, no person may legally sell an airsoft gun to a minor (17 years and younger). Additionally, no person who is not a minor's parent, guardian or teacher or instructor, may give or otherwise furnish a minor with an airsoft gun. A person who violates these laws regarding minors and airsoft weapons can face up to six months in jail and/or a fine of $50 to $200.
Additionally, no minor may possess an airsoft gun in a public place unless he or she is accompanied by an adult or unless the minor has a sporting or hunting license and has in their possession a permit from the chief of police of their town granting him the right to possess the gun in public.
Public Use
Under Massachusetts law, no person may fire an airsoft gun on any public street, public alley, public right of way, railroad track or railroad right of way. A violation of this law can result in a fine of up to $100 and confiscation of the airsoft gun used in the violation.
Airsoft Slingshots
Although slingshots used to fire airsoft ammunition may be desirable for use in some airsoft games or sporting events, Massachusetts law prohibits the manufacture and sale of slingshots, except under certain circumstances. Under the state's law, the only time slingshots may be manufactured and/or sold is if they are going to an association or club (such as an airsoft club) that conducts sporting events in which slingshots are used. Otherwise, slingshots are barred from individual use or possession. A violation of this law can result in a fine from $50 to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to six months.
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