SECTION 131H. Ownership or possession of firearms by aliens; penalties; seizure and disposition

No alien shall own or have in his possession or under his control a firearm except as provided in section one hundred and thirty-one F or a rifle or shotgun except as provided in this section or section one hundred and thirty-one F. The colonel of the state police may, after an investigation, issue a permit to an alien to own or have in his possession or under his control a rifle or shotgun; subject to such terms and conditions as said colonel may deem proper. The fee for the permit shall be $100, which shall be payable to the licensing authority and shall not be prorated or refunded in case of revocation or denial. The licensing authority shall retain $25 of the fee; $50 of the fee shall be deposited into the general fund of the commonwealth; and $25 of the fee shall be deposited in the Firearms Fingerprint Identity Verification Trust Fund. Upon issuing such permit said colonel shall so notify, in writing, the chief of police or the board or officer having control of the police in the city or town in which such alien resides. Each such permit card shall expire at twelve midnight on December thirty-first next succeeding the effective date of said permit, and shall be revocable for cause by said colonel. In case of revocation, the fee for such permit shall not be prorated or refunded. Whenever any such permit is revoked, said colonel shall give notification as hereinbefore provided. The permit issued to an alien under this section shall be subject to sections one hundred and twenty-nine B and one hundred and twenty-nine C except as otherwise provided by this section.

Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, and by imprisonment for not more than six months in a jail or house of correction. If, in any prosecution for violation of this section, the defendant alleges that he has been naturalized, or alleges that he is a citizen of the United States, the burden of proving the same shall be upon him. Any firearm, rifle or shotgun owned by an alien or in his possession or under his control in violation of this section shall be forfeited to the commonwealth. Any such firearm, rifle or shotgun may be the subject of a search warrant as provided in chapter two hundred and seventy-six.

The director of law enforcement of the department of fisheries, wildlife and environmental law enforcement, deputy directors of enforcement, chiefs of enforcement, deputy chiefs of enforcement, environmental police officers and deputy environmental police officers, wardens as defined in section one of chapter one hundred and thirty-one and members of the state police in areas over which they have jurisdiction, and all officers qualified to serve criminal process shall arrest, without a warrant, any person found with a firearm, rifle or shotgun in his possession if they have reason to believe that he is an alien and if he does not have in his possession a valid permit as provided in this section.