Laws

California vs Massachusetts: Gun Laws Status

California and Massachusetts both currently fall into the restrictive category on this simplified gun-law scale.

California flag
California
CA · West
Restrictive
Simplified statewide gun-law label based on current Giffords grades: A to B = Restrictive, C to F = Permissive (scorecard modified February 20, 2026).
Massachusetts flag
Massachusetts
MA · Northeast
Restrictive
Simplified statewide gun-law label based on current Giffords grades: A to B = Restrictive, C to F = Permissive (scorecard modified February 20, 2026).

Related context

Laws in Context

Gun policy alongside the broader regulatory environment.

MetricCaliforniaMassachusetts
Marijuana Status Legal Legal Alcohol System License State License State State Color Solid Blue Solid Blue Violent Crime / 100k 499.5 283.3
California
Restrictive
Massachusetts
Restrictive

People also ask

California vs Massachusetts Gun Laws Status — common questions

QWhat is California's gun laws status?

California's gun laws status is Restrictive.

QWhat is Massachusetts's gun laws status?

Massachusetts's gun laws status is Restrictive.

More comparisons: California vs Massachusetts

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Data source and freshness

Primary source
Giffords Law Center — Annual Gun Law Scorecard
Data period
Scorecard reviewed February 20, 2026
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
USA Symbol groups A–B grades as Restrictive and C–F grades as Permissive.