Massachusetts Stand Your Ground Law
Not Listed by NCSL
NCSL does not list Massachusetts among no-duty-to-retreat states, and does not state a rule for it here. Verify with a primary source before relying on it.
What “Not Listed by NCSL” means
NCSL does not name this state in either group on that page. These are generally the duty-to-retreat jurisdictions, but the source does not say so, so neither do we. Check a primary source.
12 of 50 states are in the same category
Alongside Massachusetts: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures · as of September 2026 · last verified September 24, 2026
See every state in our stand-your-ground tracker, or everything we track for Massachusetts.
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