File an Appeal with the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA)

Learn how to file your appeal with DALA. This process is for all appeals except for Public Employee Retirement Cases.

Division of Administrative Law Appeals

The Details   of File an Appeal with the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA)

The appeals process   for File an Appeal with the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA)

The Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA) is now accepting appeals using an online portal. This method of filing is the most efficient way of submitting your appeal. Click the link in the button above to file your appeal online. For other ways to file your appeal, see below.

For more detailed information about the appeals process, please visit our Administrative Appeals Process webpage.

Fee required for certain appeals

A filing fee is required on appeals of Attorney General/Fair Labor Division citations as of January 1, 2023.

When filing the appeal, you must submit a payment of $200 per citation.

You may file your appeal using our online portal or by mail. If you are sending by mail, please send your check in the correct amount and made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to:

Division of Administrative Law Appeals
14 Summer Street, 4th Floor
Malden, MA 02148

If the Petitioner believes paying the filing fee will impose a severe financial hardship, a written request for fee waiver should be filed. The Chief Administrative Magistrate or his designee will, in their sole discretion, consider all requests for waiver. If you are filing an appeal online, you will have an option to fill out a form requesting a waiver. You can access the Federal Poverty Guidelines here.

If a request for waiver is denied, the fee is due immediately.

Important information you need to know when filing your appeal

When a state agency makes a decision that you want to appeal, it usually explains, in writing, along with the decision, how to appeal.  If the state agency does not explain how to appeal, contact the agency and ask.  Follow the rules (such as sending the appeal to the right place) and meet the deadline for an appeal.  Otherwise, your case could be over before you appeal it.  

Often there are strict time limits within which you must file your notice of appeal or request for a hearing. No matter how you file your appeal, you must file it in a timely matter for DALA to hear it.  Failure to submit the appeal in a timely manner may result in the appeal being dismissed as untimely.  If you owe a fee, your appeal will not be processed until DALA has confirmed payment of the fee.  The fee is for DALA’s processing of the appeal; it is not a guarantee that your appeal is timely.  If your appeal is dismissed, the fee will not be refunded.

You must send a copy of your appeal to the agency that made the decision

In addition to filing your appeal with DALA, you must also send the agency a copy of your appeal. In some cases, it is required by law. In other cases, it protects you--because the agency will pause enforcement of certain orders if there is a pending appeal.

For cases involving the Disabled Persons Protection Commission, you may send a copy of your appeal to: DPPCPetitions@mass.gov.

For cases involving the Fair Labor Division (of the Office of the Attorney General), you must file your appeal within 10 days of receipt with both DALA and the Fair Labor Division. Copies for the Fair Labor Division can be mailed to:

Attorney General,
Fair Labor Division, Civil Citation Unit
1 Ashburton Place, Rm. 1813
Boston, MA 02108

For all other agencies, review the specific order you are appealing as it likely has instructions on where to send a copy of the appeal and how (e-mail, fax, etc.). Alternatively, contact the agency directly.

How to file   File an Appeal with the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA)

Please file your appeal using our online portal:

Online Appeal Filing (mass.gov)

The online option has recently been made available.  You will be asked to fill out forms seeking information about you and your representative, if you have one, and the nature of your appeal.  If possible, please attach a scan of the document you are appealing. 

If a fee is associated with your appeal, which is the case in fair labor appeals and nursing home rate settings appeals, you may pay the fee online or seek a waiver.

An appeal filed online is not considered filed until you have:

A.    Completed all sections of the online appeal form.

B.    Completed the section to pay the filing fee, if applicable, online (through credit card or checking account) and received a payment receipt.

C.    Received a confirmation email from DALA confirming that the appeal has been filed online.

PLEASE NOTE: the online portal is strictly for filing an appeal. You cannot use the portal to file any motions or other pleadings. 

Other ways to file your appeal   for File an Appeal with the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA)

DALA also accepts the following filing methods:

By mail

Please follow the agency's procedure for filing your appeal.  If appropriate, you may mail your request to:

Division of Administrative Law Appeals
14 Summer Street, 4th Floor
Malden, MA 02148

By E-mail

Please follow the agency's procedure for filing your appeal.  If appropriate, you may email your appeal to dalapleadings@mass.gov

By fax

Please follow the agency's procedure for filing your appeal.  If appropriate, you may fax (less than 5 pages) your request to:

(781) 397-4720

In person

Please follow the agency's procedure for filing your appeal.  If appropriate, you may hand deliver your request to:

Division of Administrative Law Appeals
14 Summer Street, 4th Floor
Malden, MA 02148

Contact   for File an Appeal with the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA)

Address
14 Summer Street, 4th floor, Malden, MA 02148
Fax
(781) 397-4720

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