Restraint and Seclusion Laws in Massachusetts
What are the restraint and seclusion rules in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has one of the most detailed restraint regulations in the country under 603 CMR 46.00 (Prevention of Physical Restraint and Requirements If Used). Seclusion — defined as involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room from which the student is physically prevented from leaving — is prohibited in all Massachusetts public schools. Physical restraint is permitted only when a student's behavior poses an imminent threat of serious physical harm to themselves or others, and only trained personnel may administer it. The regulation applies to all publicly funded K-12 programs including public schools, charter schools, collaborative programs, and approved special education day schools. Amendments effective August 17, 2026 further tightened rules around time-out room use and narrowly permit emergency seclusion as an absolute last resort under strictly documented conditions.
What Massachusetts Requires
Seclusion is prohibited under 603 CMR 46.03: no student may be involuntarily confined alone in a room from which they are physically prevented from leaving; the sole exception is a narrowly defined emergency seclusion provision added by 2026 amendments requiring continuous adult monitoring and documented preconditions.
Physical restraint may only be used when a student's behavior poses a threat of assault or imminent, serious physical harm to themselves or others, and may not be used as discipline, as a response to property destruction or verbal threats, or when medically contraindicated (603 CMR 46.03).
Mechanical restraint (devices restricting movement), medication restraint (drugs to control behavior), and prone restraint (face-down floor restraint) are prohibited; prone restraint has extremely narrow exceptions requiring: a documented history of the student repeatedly causing serious self-injuries and/or injuries to other students or staff, failure of all other restraint methods, no medical contraindications documented by a licensed physician, documented justification by a licensed mental health professional, written parental consent for its emergency use, and written principal approval (603 CMR 46.03).
All staff must receive annual training within the first month of each school year covering prevention, de-escalation, policy, and medical/psychological limitations; designated staff who may administer restraint must complete competency-based in-depth training that the Department recommends be at least 16 hours annually including simulated practice — this is a recommended minimum, not a regulatory mandate (603 CMR 46.04).
Restraint beyond 20 consecutive minutes requires principal approval based on continued documented agitation; staff must continuously monitor the student's physical and psychological status and terminate restraint immediately if the student shows signs of distress or inability to breathe (603 CMR 46.05).
Schools must conduct weekly individual reviews when a student is restrained multiple times in a week, monthly school-wide data reviews examining patterns and injuries, and submit annual restraint data to DESE in the format specified by the agency (603 CMR 46.06).
Key Timelines
Oral notification to the principal: as soon as possible after a restraint occurs (603 CMR 46.06)
Written report to the principal: no later than the next school working day following any use of restraint (603 CMR 46.06)
Parent oral notification: within 24 hours of the restraint (603 CMR 46.06)
Parent written notification: within three school working days, delivered via email address provided for school communications or by postmarked mail (603 CMR 46.06)
Copy of written report to DESE: postmarked no later than three school working days when a restraint results in injury to a student or staff member (603 CMR 46.06)