Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 100, § 10

No person shall conduct an auction without a special or annual permit issued by the city or town in which the auction is to be conducted. Application for such a permit shall be filed with the local auction permit agent and shall contain the name of the applicant; the name, address and license number of the auctioneer; the hours between which the auction is to be conducted; the location of the auction; and a general description of the goods to be auctioned. As to a special permit, the estimated value of the goods and the date or dates, not to exceed ten, on which the auction shall be held shall also be included.

Within six business days of the filing of an application for a special permit, the local auction permit agent shall either approve the permit subject to stated reasonable terms and conditions relating to public safety as he may establish, or deny the application on stated grounds, which must be reasonable grounds relating to public safety. Failure of an agent to act within the six business day period shall constitute approval of the application. Upon approval, express or implied, the applicant shall tender to the city or town treasurer the permit fee established by said agent, which fee shall be reasonable.

No person shall be eligible for an annual permit unless he maintains a regular place of business for the conduct of auctioneering in the city or town. Said permit shall be issued or denied on the same terms applicable to a special permit, except that an application which is not acted upon within fourteen days of the date of filing with the local auction permit agent shall be deemed approved. Each annual permit issued shall be valid for a term of one year commencing on the date of the express or implied approval of the application therefor. Any applicant for a special or annual permit who is aggrieved by the action of the local auction permit agent on his application shall be entitled to a public hearing by the appointing authority of the agent in accordance with the provisions of chapter thirty A.