The 2024 Official Edition of the Massachusetts General Laws Is Here!

The Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) are the laws of the Commonwealth that apply generally across the state and to its citizens. The official MGLs are published every two years on the even year. The set is published by Thomson Reuters (West) and is known for its signature blue and maroon covers which alternate with each edition.

Going beyond the basics, the official edition is important for a few reasons. One reason is that the print edition contains the line numbers. The line numbers are referenced in bills, acts, the laws themselves. They are key access points to reading, understanding, and amending legislation. You cannot find the line numbers anywhere else other than in print.

The other significant reason is that Massachusetts is still a print official state; meaning that the print copy of the general laws is the only official copy. While the general laws are accessible on the Legislature website, this is an unofficial version with a disclaimer:

NOTICE: This is NOT the official version of the General Laws of Massachusetts. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the data provided, do not rely on this information without first checking the Official Edition of the General Laws of Massachusetts. If you require legal advice or counsel, please consult a lawyer.

This site is periodically updated to reflect any changes made to the General Laws. This site includes all amendments to the General Laws passed before January 10, 2025, for laws enacted since that time, see the 2025 Session Laws.

The newly published 2024 edition supersedes the 2022 edition which the library keeps. In fact, the library has the superseded sets of the official MGLs back to the first edition printed in 1984. Prior to 1984, there was a gap in printing and no official copy of the general laws existed. If you need to see how a law looked prior to 1984 that is a more complex research question, so please reach out to our Reference Librarians.

Similarly, throughout the state’s history, the general laws have gone through different revisions and compilations. You may come across citations to these compilations when tracing the history of a statute. The library has these compilations in print and also digitized: Massachusetts General Law Compilations. The older compilations begin with the Colonial Laws and end with the 1932 Tercentenary Edition. As mentioned previously between 1933 and 1983 there is a gap in printing an official version, but that picks back up in 1984! Below is a helpful citation key to the older compilations provided by Social Law Library.

Colonial Laws of Massachusetts (Cited C.L.) 1887
Revised Statutes of 1836 (Cited R.S.) 1836

General Statutes of 1860 (Cited G.S.) 1873

Public Statutes of 1882 (Cited P.S.) 1882

Revised Laws of 1902 (Cited R. L.) 1902

General Laws of 1921 (Cited G.L.) 1921

General Laws, Tercentenary Edition (1932) 1932

The arrival of the 2024 edition of the MGLs was much anticipated this year. The library’s reading room, located in room 341 of the State House, has two sets of the official MGLs available to all to consult.

April Pascucci
Legislative Reference Librarian