Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 147, § 25

The colonel of the state police may grant to an applicant complying with the provisions of section twenty-four a license to engage in the private detective business or a license to engage in the business of watch, guard or patrol agency; provided, however, that no such license shall be granted to any person who has been convicted in any state of the United States of a felony. No person convicted of a violation of section ninety-nine or ninety-nine A of chapter two hundred and seventy-two of the general laws shall be granted a license and any license previously granted to such person shall be revoked.

Such license shall be for one year, shall state the name under which the licensed business is to be conducted and the address of its principal office, and shall be posted by the licensee in a conspicuous place in such office. Such name shall be subject to the approval of the colonel of the state police; provided that such name shall not contain the words “police”, “fire”, nor any name which denotes or implies any association with agencies of the governments of the United States, the commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions. Failure to comply with the provisions of this paragraph shall constitute cause for revocation of such license.

The colonel of the state police may annually renew and may at any time for cause, after notice and a hearing, revoke, any such license. An application for a renewal shall be on a form furnished by the colonel.