{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-266-18","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 266, § 18","heading":"Dwelling house; entry at night; breaking and entering in day time; firearms; punishment","body":"Section 18. Whoever, in the night time, enters a dwelling house without breaking, or breaks and enters in the day time a building, ship or motor vehicle or vessel, with intent to commit a felony, no person lawfully therein being put in fear, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than ten years or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars and imprisonment in jail for not more than two years. Whoever commits any offense described in this section while armed with a firearm, as defined in section 121 of chapter 140, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 7 years or by imprisonment in the house of correction for not less than 2 years nor more than 21/2 years.","path":["Part IV","Title I","Chapter 266"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter266/Section18","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:25:11Z","sha256":"b55bc01e586dc078547405ca255cbbc1fe0ce967520282240911fa9217145129","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-266-17","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-266-18a"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}