Mass. Gen. Laws c. 121B § 32F
Restraining orders and injunctions; form; service; enforcement; violations; effect; modification and vacation
Operative Text
Section 32F. Whenever a court, pursuant to section thirty-two C, issues a temporary restraining order or a preliminary or permanent injunction ordering a defendant to refrain from entering or remaining in a public or subsidized housing development or from harming a witness under this section, the order issued shall specify the person and the addresses covered and contain the following statement: VIOLATION OF THIS ORDER IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. The clerk shall transmit two certified copies of each such order to the appropriate law enforcement agency, and such law enforcement agency shall serve one copy of the order upon such defendant. Unless otherwise directed by the court, for good cause shown, service shall be by delivering a copy in hand to the defendant. Law enforcement agencies shall establish procedures adequate to ensure that all officers responsible for the enforcement of the order are informed of the existence and terms of such orders. Whenever any law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a defendant has violated the terms of an order issued pursuant to this section, such officer shall have the authority to arrest said defendant. After any such order has been served upon the defendant, any violation of such order during its effective term shall be punishable by a fine of not more than three thousand five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two years in a house of correction, or both. Any such violation may be enforced in the court that issued the order which is alleged to have been violated. All temporary restraining orders granted under section thirty-two C shall remain in effect for no more than ten days from issuance. All other interlocutory orders granted under section thirty-two C shall be for a fixed period of time not to exceed one year, at the expiration of which time the court may extend any order upon a showing of good cause. All orders granted under section thirty-two C which expire after a limited term shall so state on the order. No permanent order shall be granted except as a final judgment after a trial on the merits. A person subject to an order under sections thirty-two C may request that such order be modified or vacated at any time. Grounds for modification shall include, but not be limited to, hardship that would result from the person's inability to visit a tenant or a member of a tenant household, the person's need to carry out legitimate business on or near the public or subsidized housing development, or new evidence or evidence of a change in circumstances showing that it is unlikely that the person's presence in the public or subsidized housing development shall continue to pose a serious threat to the health and safety of the development. All orders granted shall be crafted in such a manner as to minimize interference with the rights of tenant households to reasonable visitation in accordance with any orders issued in any other court proceeding. The court shall notify the appropriate law enforcement agency in writing whenever an order issued pursuant to this section is stayed, modified, or vacated, and shall direct the agency to destroy all record of any order which is vacated, and not to act on any order which is stayed. Such law enforcement agency shall comply with court directives on stayed or vacated orders, and shall only enforce orders with a limited term during the term of such orders.
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 121B § 32F establishes the rules governing court orders that bar individuals from entering or remaining in public or subsidized housing developments, or from harming witnesses in related proceedings. Such orders must identify the covered person and addresses, carry a criminal-offense warning, and be served on the defendant by law enforcement. Violations of a properly served order can result in a fine of up to $3,500, imprisonment of up to two years, or both. The provision also sets time limits on different types of orders, outlines a process for modification or vacation, and requires courts to notify law enforcement whenever an order is changed or lifted.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Housing authority operators and property managers overseeing public or subsidized housing developments should be aware that Mass. Gen. Laws c. 121B § 32F creates a court-driven mechanism—not a landlord-driven one—for excluding individuals who pose a serious threat to the health and safety of a development. Compliant operators typically cooperate with law enforcement agencies that are responsible for serving and enforcing these orders, and they ensure that any court directives about stayed, modified, or vacated orders are communicated promptly to relevant staff. Because orders must balance exclusion with tenants' rights to reasonable visitation, operators generally review any existing court orders in other proceedings that may affect household visitation rights before taking action based on an exclusion order.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Mass. Gen. Laws c. 121B § 32F, tenants in public or subsidized housing have a recognized right to reasonable visitation, and courts are required to craft exclusion orders in a way that minimizes interference with that right. If a person subject to an order believes it causes undue hardship—such as preventing visits to a household member or interfering with legitimate business near the development—that person may ask the issuing court to modify or vacate the order at any time. Tenants who have concerns about how an order affects their household, or who believe an order is being improperly enforced, may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with housing court proceedings under this section.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 30, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.