Frequently Asked Questions

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Yes. If you submitted plans along with your permit application, a copy of these plans need to be onsite for all inspections. This copy must be available for the inspector to review for determination that the work is in compliance with the approved plans.

Your permit will be emailed to you once the fee is paid in the portal.

Any person seeking to construct, alter, repair, remove or demolish a building or structure; or to change the use or occupancy of a building or structure; or to install or alter any equipment for which provisions are made or is regulated by the 780 CMR Massachusetts State Building Code must first obtain a building permit from the Building Department. For more specific information, see 780 CMR Section 110.0 Application for Permit.

Paving projects do not require a building permit but will require a permit from the Department of Public Works is work is being done within the public right-of-way. There are also zoning restrictions on the amount and location of paving, so check first with the Department of Public Works.

No. Work cannot proceed until the permit has been issued, paid for, received, and posted on the site.

Any structure over 200 square feet a permit is required. You must comply with the zoning setbacks.

Any shed structure that is over 400 square feet require footings and foundations per the Massachusetts State Building Code (CMR 780).

Any proposal to construct a new building, structure, or accessory structure (shed, swimming pools, fences, etc), or alter the footprint of any existing building or structure requires a certified plot plan be submitted with your Building Permit application.

The purpose of a plot plan is for determination of compliance with dimensional controls of the Zoning By-Law. A mortgage plan is only a rough approximation of where the house is located, and was prepared only for mortgage purposes. Due to the inaccuracy of these plans, they can only be used if the project is far in excess of the required setbacks (generally, at least 15 feet in excess of the required setback). If the plan shows that your project will be close to the required setbacks, a more accurate plan will be required.

No. Plot plans can only be prepared by a Registered Land Surveyor, and must bear his/her stamp.

For all new house and for additions which are close to the required setbacks, a certified "as-built" plot plan must be submitted to the Building Department after completion of the foundation. Framing cannot proceed until the plot plan has been submitted.

You should allow 30 business days for your permit. The more involved the job is, the longer it will take to review. You may not start any work until you have been issued a Building Permit.

The State Building Code states that no structural work shall be done without a construction supervisor's license. A homeowner can do work on his/her own home without a license proved that if the homeowner contracts with a person for hire to do such work that the homeowner shall act as a supervisor.

No. Any work associated with plumbing or gas fitting must be performed by individuals licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

We only take inspections from Plumbers, Gasfitters, Electricians and Contractors. If a homeowner has taken out their own electrical or building permits, we will take their inspections. If a contractor has taken out the building permit, we will only take the inspections from them. Our inspections are done Monday through Friday mornings only. We do not make specific time appointments.

If access to the new work requires the inspector to walk through your existing, furnished house, someone must be present to let the inspector in. The inspector will not enter an unoccupied furnished house. We also will not enter a house in which only a child is home, unaccompanied by an adult.

Any building permit issued shall be deemed abandoned and invalid unless the work authorized by it shall be commenced within six months of the date of issuance. The building official, upon written request, may issue extensions. Work under such a permit, in the opinion of the building official, must proceed in good faith continuously to completion so far as reasonably practicable under the circumstances. For more information see 780 CMR Section 111.8 Expiration of Permit.

The card must be posted in a location visible from the street and accessible to the inspector. Generally, the best location is inside a front storm door. Please protect the permit from weather.

Yes. A swimming pool must be set back a minimum of 10 feet to the structure of the pool.

Requirements are a minimum of 4 feet high fencing with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Openings in the fencing shall not allow passage of a 4-inch diameter sphere. All doors with direct access to the pool from the dwelling, if used as part of the pool enclosure, must be equipped with an audible alarm. (Refer to State Building Code 780CMR Section 421.10.1 (9) Sixth Edition.

A pool permit is required for a "temporary inflatable pool". Per the Massachusetts State Building Code, as well as some local town by-laws address swimming pools with more than two feet of water in depth, or 200 cubic feel in volume. An installation of a fence around the pool and any type of removable for fold-up ladder or stairs is required. The fence should be a minimum of 48 inches in height and the open holes or gaps should not be larger than 4 inches. It should include a self-closing/latching gate with the release mechanism 54 inches from the bottom of the gate. Locking this gate when not in use is a good idea. Regulations require that the circuit that the pool plugs into be a ground fault protected device and should always be used according to the manufacturer's recommendation for proper sizing of the circuit and wire diameter. These requirements may appear to be extreme when installing a portable pool, but hundreds of needless deaths occur each year from swimming pool accidents.

The State Board of Building Regulations and Standards have a table of activities requiring (or not requiring) either a construction supervisor license (CSL) and/or a Home Improvement Contractor Registration (HIC) and building permit.

Source: NIDA Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction

People begin to take drugs for a variety of reasons:

• To feel good. Most abused drugs produce an intense feeling of pleasure. This sensation of euphoria is followed by other effects, which differ with the type of drug used.
• To feel better. Some people begin abusing drugs in an attempt to lessen feelings of distress. Stress can play a major role in beginning drug use, continuing drug use, or relapse in recovering addicts.
• To do better. The increasing pressure that some people feel to chemically improve their athletic or cognitive performance can play a role in initial experimentation and continued drug use.
• Curiosity and "because others are doing it." In this respect, adolescents are particularly vulnerable because of the strong influence of peer pressure.

Source: NIDA Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction

Drug addiction is:

• A chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.
• A brain disease because drugs change the brain structure and the way it works.
• Addictions are similar to other diseases in that they disrupt the normal, healthy functioning of the underlying organ, have serious harmful consequences, are preventable, treatable, and if left untreated, can last a lifetime.

Source: AACAP Facts for Families

• Physical signs include fatigue, repeated health complaints, red and glazed eyes, or a lasting cough.
• Emotional signs include personality change, sudden mood changes, irritability, irresponsible behavior, low self-esteem, poor judgment, depression, or a general lack of interest.
• Family signs include starting arguments, breaking rules, or withdrawing from the family.
• School signs include decreased interest, negative attitude, drop in grades, many absences or truancy, or disciplinary action.
• Social signs include new friends who are less interested in standard home and school activities or problems with the law.

Some of these warning signs can also be signs of other problems. If you have concerns, consult a physician to rule out physical causes of the warning signs.

Alcohol is a colorless liquid that is produced by the natural fermentation of sugars. It is the ingredient found in wine, beer, liquor, and other spirits that is responsible for creating the sensation of "drunkenness". Alcohol is classified as a depressant, meaning that when consumed it slows you down. This is why people who have had too much to drink may have slurred speech, unsteady movement, or in extreme cases may stop breathing.

Alcohol is measured by most people in "drinks". But what many people don't know, is that despite the apparent amount of liquid consumed, one "drink" always has the same amount of alcohol. This can sometimes lead to people over-drinking, believing that since they haven't had as much liquid, they don't have to worry about getting too drunk.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

• Brain development continues into a person's mid-twenties. Alcohol can affect this development, and contribute to a variety of problems. For more information on the developing brain, visit National Institute of Mental Health and PBS Frontline Inside the Teen Brain.
• The younger you are when you start drinking, the more likely you are to become addicted. A recent study found that among those who started drinking before age 14, 47% became alcoholics at some point in their lives. Only 9% of those who waited until age 21 became alcoholics.
• Disrupts sleep cycles. Brain activity during sleep is important for learning and memory functions. What youth learn during the day is imprinted on the brain during sleep. Alcohol impairs the quality of sleep and can significantly diminish a person's ability to learn and remember, even after intoxication has worn off.
• 5,000 people under age 21 die each year from alcohol-related car crashes, homicides, suicides, alcohol poisoning, and other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning.
• In 2008, more than 190,000 people under age 21 visited an emergency room for alcohol-related injuries.
• Drinking can cause youth to make poor decisions, which can result in risky behavior (i.e. drinking and driving, sexual activity, or violence). Among male perpetrators of sexual assault/rape, 64% reported using alcohol before the assault.

Cannabis is a naturally occurring plant that is used for a variety of purposes in the world, including paints, textiles, animal feed. One if its more well-known uses is in the substance we refer to as marijuana. Often called pot, weed, grass, reefer, or herb, Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, and seeds and flowers of the cannabis plant.

The active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), creates a "high" in users after it is inhaled or ingested. When inhaled, most users smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes (called joints, among other names) or using a pipe or water pipe called a bong. Marijuana can also be combined with tobacco to create a marijuana cigar, or blunt. Marijuana can also be vaporized.

When ingested, the oil from marijuana can be cooked into certain foods (brownies, cookies, etc.) This gives the product the effect of creating a potent high. It can sometimes take users 90 minutes to 2 hours to feel the affects of this high.

Marijuana is a depressant, which means that it slows down messages traveling between your brain and your body. In some cases, though not all, using marijuana can result in hallucinogenic effects like intense paranoia or seeing things that aren't there. These experiences may cause people to act erratically.

The human brain continues to develop until around the age of 25. In the teen years, the brain is not growing, but actually eliminating unnecessary connections (synapses) it feels it does not need. In addition, the brain is producing myelin, which can be thought of like the insulation around an electrical wire. This insulation helps signals move more quickly in the brain.

While not fully understood, some research suggestions that marijuana can affect both these processes. Marijuana seems to negatively influence the production of myelin, which could result in long-term cognitive deficiencies for individuals who use in their teens. Additionally, using marijuana in your teens can affect certain neurotransmitters produced in the brain. As the brain strives to become more efficient, it could prune away synapses which produce these neurotransmitters, resulting in a deficit in adulthood.

While marijuana may not be physically addictive, like we might think of alcohol or heroin, marijuana is still mentally addictive.  In the section above it was mentioned that marijuana can affect certain neurotransmitters being produced in your brain.  One of them is actually a chemical very similar to THC, called an endocannabinoid.  These neurotransmitters are responsible for helping you to calm down, or to fall asleep, or deal with stress.  If a teen is using marijuana to help them with stress or anxiety, research suggests that their brains may prune away it’s ability to produce endocannabinoids as efficiently, meaning that without marijuana the teen will have a harder time coping, which would continue into adulthood.  Its easy to see how this situation could develop into dependence.

The medicinal properties of marijuana have been confirmed to contain active ingredients with therapeutic potential for relieving pain, controlling nausea, and stimulating appetite. As a result, an Institute of Medicine report concluded that further research on cannabinoid drugs (marijuana) and safe delivery systems was warranted. It is important to remember that marijuana is not a cure for any illness or condition, but a treatment to help manage certain symptoms.

With the recent passage of the Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Law, it is important to note that, as well as with all medicine prescribed by a doctor, the prescription should only be taken by the person to whom it was prescribed, as prescribed, and any unused marijuana should be properly disposed of.

For more information visit NIDA Marijuana Facts for Teens, or The White House Marijuana Resource Center.

Source: NIDA Research Report Series - Marijuana Abuse

The role of the Hudson Health Department is to educate the public on rodent issues. There are 3 areas of focus when it comes to rodent problems:

Prevention

• Educating residents and businesses on how to make properties less attractive to rodents
• Phone calls and on-site visits to residents and businesses to share best practices
• Participating in local and regional working groups to stay up to date on current trends for prevention and treatment
• Collaborating with town departments and professionals in the field
• Regular data monitoring to both determine areas of high rat activity and evaluate rodent control strategies

Identification

• Assisting residents and businesses in identifying problem areas and what to look for including droppings, chew marks, burrows, etc.
• Use of real-life examples including pictures on educational materials and other relevant resources

Remediation

• Empower property owners to contact a professional pest control company for an assessment and removal of rodents
• Gather best practices from trusted resources including the CDC

This flow chart (PDF) outlines best practices for when you see signs of rodents on your property and what to do.

See a rodent in your neighborhood? Report a rodent sighting. This will allow town officials to track pest control issues and trends.

For professional advice and/or possible treatment options, contact a licensed pest control company. Many offer free consultations.

• If you rent, talk with your landlord.
• Ask around and talk to neighbors for referrals and recommendations.

A reputable company will:

• Inspect your property before giving a quote.
• Give you a detailed written report and action plan personalized to your property and your needs.
• Make referrals for structural repair.
• Revisit and re-evaluate until your pest problem is gone.
• Educate you on how to prevent rats in the future.

CodeRED is a critical communications solution provided by OnSolve and developed specifically for local public safety personnel. It's used to alert residents and businesses through a variety of channels of time-sensitive information, emergencies or urgent notifications. The system can reach millions of individuals in minutes to ensure information such as evacuation notices, missing persons alerts, inclement weather advisories and more are quickly shared.

CodeRED is an important tool to help keep you informed and prepared for any emergencies that may occur in your area. Officials will send messages to alert you of emergency details, instructions or precautions that you need to make well-informed decisions and remain safe. This system is precise enough to geotarget residents within an exact area of impact, so only those who are affected by the situation are notified.

No resident should assume that their information is in the system or that it is up to date. Please visit our website and look for the link for the CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment page to register online.

Types of alerts:

• Chemical spills and HAZMAT incidents
• Viral outbreaks
• Evacuation notices
• Missing children and persons
• Boil water notices
• Power outages
• Severe weather
• Police activity and updates

If you receive a CodeRED phone call, listen carefully to the entire message. You can repeat the message by pressing any key. Do not call 911 for further information unless directed to do so, or you need immediate aide from the police or fire department. If you receive a CodeRED email or text message, please be sure to read the entire message carefully and follow all instructions.

The CodeRED system will leave a message on your answering machine or voicemail if you miss a phone call. If you do not have an answering machine, the system will consider the call as "incomplete" and will attempt to call again after several minutes have passed. If your phone line is busy, CodeRED will try two more times to connect. At any point, you may re-dial the 800 number on your caller ID to hear a replay of the message sent.

A CodeRED message will have the caller ID# 866-419-5000 for emergencies and caller ID Number 855-969-4636 for non-emergencies. Your city/county also has the option of customizing their phone number to be local and will inform you what it is so you can save it as a contact in your phone. If you need to replay the message received, you can dial this number and listen to the message again in its entirety.

If you used your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account to sign up you will need to reset your password for those accounts within the respective sites. If you created a unique username, first try the "forgot my password" option. If you forgot your username as well, please email client support or call 866-939-0911 (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 7 pm).

Creating an account will allow you to log back in and update your contact information if it changes. Using a single sign-on account makes it even easier by connecting your Google, Facebook or Twitter account credentials; that way, you don't have another username and password to remember!

Open the mobile app and hit "settings" in the top-right corner. From this page, click "select alert types," and from here you can review each category of alerts and de-select any types you don't want to receive.

First, we recommend making sure your area uses CodeRED; they might not be a provider. Refer to question Number 8 above about how to find out if they are. If they are a CodeRED provider, they might not have automated weather alerts on their account and instead use the system for civil emergencies and general announcements. Lastly, they may have sent out an alert and your location didn't fall into the alert radius. Many public safety officials try to target alerts as close as possible to avoid over-alerting their communities. We encourage you to engage with your local officials if you're curious to learn more about how they use the system!

If you are currently receiving emergency or community notifications from CodeRED in your area, but would like to stop receiving them, please opt out online.

It is impossible when plowing the streets not to push snow into open driveways. Please understand the Town cannot remove windrows from driveways that are left by the snowplow, nor can the Town crews plow private property. Please wait until snow plowing operations are complete to clear your driveway.

An important step in dealing with snowfall is street sanding and salting. Once the decision is made that a sanding operation should begin, a team of eight sanders will begin to canvass the town in their assigned routes. The sanding operation will continue until it is decided that all roads have been covered and that it is no longer necessary, or that the plowing operation should begin.

The town is divided into four plowing sections each with an individual supervisor. Routes are divided up into sections-priority (the main, arterial roads), secondary, and residential streets. The approximately 26 pieces of town equipment and 10 pieces of equipment from private contractors are each dispatched to assigned routes for the plowing operation. The top priority is to keep open the main roads. The plows will then open up all streets and continue in this pattern until the storm abates. Once the storm subsides, the plows will begin to push back the snow to the curb line and clear intersections. A sidewalk crew will also begin to clean sidewalks in the downtown area. All crews will remain around the clock if necessary to keep the roads open and passable. Please be patient.

Through regular inspections of drainage infrastructure, DPW personnel are trained to find evidence of illicit connections. Evidence consists of olfactory (smell) and visual senses. For example, suds found in a drainage manhole, or staining at the end of a pipe, which is called an outfall, indicate a possible illicit connection.

To comply with a federal mandate, the Town developed an Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Program Manual (PDF). Containing 125 pages, the IDDE Program Manual is an operations document for DPW personnel to utilize. This document is also given to any contractors who are responsible for implementing the IDDE Program. The IDDE Program Manual outlines how to:

• Conduct Inspections,
• Fill Out and Submit Documentation
• Determine Data Analysis and Next Steps

The MS4 Permit is issued by the Environmental Protection Agency for stormwater discharges to wetlands and water bodies.

The permit is divided into two sections, the "Minimum Control Measures" (MCMs) and Water Quality Standards.

Minimum Control Measures

There are six minimum control measures consisting of the following: 

1. Public Education and Outreach
2. Public Participation
3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
4. Construction Site Runoff Control
5. Post Construction in New and Redevelopment
6. Good Housekeeping and Pollution Prevention

In general, these MCMs require municipalities to:

• Create and implement various plans and maps
• Conduct inspections of infrastructure and construction sites
• Perform lab analysis of non-stormwater discharges (illicit discharges)
• Develop, review, and implement reports, programs, bylaws, rules, and regulations
• Enforce pollution prevention at construction sites
• Maintain stormwater infrastructure
• Perform retrofit analysis and implement retrofits for stormwater infrastructure

Water Quality Standards

According to the latest Integrated List of Waters 303(d) list as developed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), some waterways within the Town of Hudson are impaired (polluted). Discharges to impaired water bodies amplify the MCMs by requiring additional documents, reports, and educational requirements. Impaired water bodies in Hudson are Lake Boon, Fort Meadow Reservoir, and the Assabet River. 

See the latest Impairment Map (JPG).

In the last permit year, (Permit Year 5), the Town of Hudson:

• Removed about 200 yards from catch basin cleaning;
• 764 Tons of debris from street sweeping was removed;
• Reduced impervious surfaces at Cox and Old Bolton Road intersection
• Distributed educational materials at outreach meetings and on the website.

In Permit Year 6, the Town of Hudson created a new position, and hired a Stormwater Manager. The Stormwater Manager will implement MS4 permit compliance requirements and address stormwater or flooding concerns.

As a land owner, you have access to building plans, and documents through your personal files. From the plans, calculate the total impervious surface area of the following structures:

• Roofs
• Driveway/parking lot
• Paved paths and private sidewalks
• Inground pools
• Sheds
• Patios
• Other paved and hard-scaped surfaces

The Stormwater Division is working on an online facility for you to access the impervious surface data.

The Stormwater Utility assists the Town to comply with a federal permit known as the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), and for capital improvements. To understand more, please visit the Stormwater Utility page.

It is an annual tax for the privilege of registration. Anyone who registers a vehicle with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will be billed based on the information supplied to the Registry of Motor Vehicles on the registrant's application. Chapter 60A of Massachusetts General Laws imposes an excise on the privilege of registering a motor vehicle or a trailer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The excise is levied annually in lieu of a tangible personal property tax. Non-registered vehicles, however, remain subject to taxation as personal property. 

The excise is levied by the city or town where the vehicle is principally garaged, and the revenues become part of the local community treasury. The Registry of Motor Vehicles prepares data for excise bills according to the information on the motor vehicle registration and sends it to city or town assessors. Cities and towns then prepare bills based on excise data sent by the Registry in conformity with Registry requirements.

Anyone with Massachusetts license plates.

The rate is $25 on the thousand. This is the standard rate for the entire Commonwealth.

Based on valuation rates set by the state, vehicles are valued as:

• 50% of the manufacturer's list price in the year preceding the designated year of manufacture (brand new car released before model year)
• 90% of the manufacturer's list price (1st year)
• 60% of the manufacturer's list price (2nd year)
• 40% of the manufacturer's list price (3rd year)
• 25% of the manufacturer's list price (4th year)
• 10% of the manufacturer's list price (5th year)

Once the value of the vehicle is determined, an excise at the rate of $25 per thousand is assessed. Excise taxes are assessed annually on a calendar year basis by the assessors of the city or town in which the vehicle is garaged as of January 1st. 

If the motor vehicle is registered after January 31, it is taxed for the period extending from the first day of the month in which it is registered to the end of the calendar year. For example, if a vehicle is registered on April 30, it will be taxable as of April 1 for the nine months of the year (April through December), and the excise due, therefore, will be 9/12 of the full excise. 

In no event shall the excise be assessed for less that $5, nor shall an abatement or refund under Section 1 of Chapter 60A reduce an excise to less that $5.

You may qualify for an abatement when:

• A vehicle is sold, traded, or junked
• A vehicle is totaled
• A vehicle is stolen
• A registrant moves to another city or town within Massachusetts prior to January 1st of the taxing year
• A registrant moves out of state, cancels his/her MA registration, and registers in another state prior to December 1st

If an owner of a motor vehicle thinks that he/she is entitled to an adjustment of his/her excise bill, it is strongly recommended that he/she pay the bill in full and contact the Assessing Department for an application for abatement. An owner risks incurring late fees and penalties if an abatement is not granted. 

The Assessing Department must receive applications for abatement by December 31 of the year following the year of the tax. If the bill is mailed after December 1 of the year following the tax year, an application must be made on or before the 30th day from the date of issue or the date of mailing, whichever is later. 

Abatements can be handled through the mail. However, the bill should be paid as assessed, and a refund will follow if the abatement is granted.

You will need these items:

• If the vehicle was sold, traded, or junked: Bill of sale and either a plate return receipt or new registration if plates were transferred.
• If the vehicle was stolen or a total loss: Insurance Company Settlement letter and C-19 form (affidavit of Lost/Stolen plate form Registry of Motor Vehicles).
• If you moved to another city or town in MA prior to January 1st of the taxing year: Proof that vehicle was garaged and insured in another MA city or town, i.e. copy of the Coverage Selections Page from insurance company.
• If you moved to another state or country: Dated copy of original registration from the new state or country and either a plate return receipt or a C-19 form from the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Abatements are pro-rated monthly. The abatement amount is calculated from the registration cancellation date to December 31st of the tax year. For example, if the tax bill was issued for the whole year and the plate was cancelled in the month of February, you would be due an abatement for 10 months or 10/12ths of the original tax. The minimum abatement amount is $5.

Chapter 6GA, Section 1 of the Massachusetts General Laws provides excise tax exemptions for vehicles owned by certain disabled individuals and veterans, ex-prisoners of war and their surviving spouses, and certain charitable organizations. For ex-prisoners of war and their unmarried surviving spouses, the law allowing the exemption for the motor vehicle excise must be accepted by the city or town to be applicable. These individuals or groups qualify for an exemption.

• Blind:
  • Permanent impairment of vision in both eyes
  • Must own and register for their own personal use
  • Must submit either a certificate from the Division of the Blind or a physician's letter
• Handicapped:
  • Must suffer either the loss of or the permanent loss of use of both arms or both legs
  • A letter from physician must be submitted
  • If exemption is sought due to loss of use of limbs, the letter must state that it is a permanent loss
  • Vehicle must be owned and registered by handicapped person
  • Note: A handicapped person who owns a vehicle jointly, satisfies the ownership requirement for a full exemption. However, only one vehicle will be exempted per year.
• Veterans:
  • Must suffer either the loss of or the permanent loss of use of one foot, one hand, one eye, or permanent impairment of vision in both eyes
  • A certificate from the Veteran's Administration must be furnished
  • The vehicle must be owned and registered in the name of the veteran
• Prisoner of War:
  • Any U.S. Military former Prisoner of War who registers a vehicle with a P.O.W. license plate
• Non-Domiciliary Servicemen:
  • Servicemen assigned to Massachusetts by the Armed Forces
  • Vehicle must be registered in his/her name
  • Must submit a letter from either a commanding or personnel officer stating that he/she is a non-domiciliary assigned to Massachusetts
  • Must be assigned here at the time of registration

Please contact the Assessing Department at 978-586-9622 for further details on eligibility.

You must file by December 31st of the following year. If your tax bill is issued after December 1st of the following year, you have thirty days from the date of issue of your bill to file an application.

You can file either in person at the Assessor's Office or through the mail. Our mailing address is

Assessor's Office
78 Main Street 
Hudson, MA 01749

Payment of the motor vehicle excise is due within 30 days from the date the excise bill is issued. A person who does not receive a bill is still liable for the excise plus any interest charges accrued. Therefore, it is important to keep the Registry, the Town of Hudson, and the post office informed of a current name and address so that excise bills can be delivered promptly. 

All owners of motor vehicles must pay an excise tax. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the owner to contact the Tax Collector's Office if you have not received a bill.

If an excise is not paid within 30 days from the issue date, the local tax collector sends a demand. The charge for the demand is $5. Interest accrues on the overdue bill from the day after the due date until the date of payment at an annual rate of 12%. 

If the demand is not answered within 14 days, the collector may issue a warrant to the deputy tax collector or an appointed agent. The warrant notice sent by the deputy collector (or the appointed agent) to the taxpayer costs $12. 

If this notice is not answered then a final warrant, a service warrant, will be delivered or exhibited to the taxpayer at his/her residence or place of business at a fee of $17. All bills should clearly state the interest and penalty charges.

If the service warrant demanding final payment is ignored, the collector may then notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles of such non-payment, including all accrued interest and penalty fees. The Registry may then mark the individual's registration preventing the renewal of the motor vehicle registration and the owner's driver's license until such time as the Registry is notified that full and final payment has been made to the city or town. This payment shall include a $20 release fee as the final settlement of the delinquent excise. 

Once the bill has been paid, the municipality will give the motorist a receipt so he or she can return to the Registry to re-register his/her vehicle. Although the local tax collectors do notify the Registry that the matter is resolved, it is strongly advised to retain the certified receipt of payment for presentation to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Cities and towns relay computerized notification that excise bills have been paid only periodically to the Registry. 

Local tax collectors, in effect, have up to six years to notify the Registry of non-payment. Under the excise tax law, tax collectors have six years from the issue date of a bill to notify the Registry of non-payment by a driver (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 60A, Section 2A), unless the tax record shows a history of non-payment. However, under the Registry's own policy, this notification time has been reduced to just two years. If the record does show a history of delinquency, the tax collectors can electronically mark the driver's record and institute proceedings to collect for as many years back (beyond six years, in other words) as necessary and notify the Registry. The Registry, in turn, reviews each notification beyond two years individually. 

If a taxpayer has had a good history of payment and suddenly receives a bill dating back more than six years, the assessors will assign a tax collector to collect the bill; the tax collector, in turn, will attempt to collect and assess late fees and penalties, as is required by law, if applicable. However, the collector can no longer mark the driver's record for non-payment since the Registry only allows two years for notification from the issue date of the bill. Thus, the taxpayer's ability to renew the license, in this instance, is not hampered, but the bill must still be resolved with the local tax collector.

If a motor vehicle owner moves within Massachusetts and has not paid an excise tax for the current year, he/she should  

• Notify the Assessing Department at 978-568-9622 of his/her new address 
• Provide them with a copy of this documentation: 
  • The date of move
  • Proof of garaging as of January 1, of the billing year 
  • A copy of the Insurance Policy (Cover Selection Page) as of January 1 of the tax year
• Pay the motor vehicle excise to the city or town in which he/she resided on January 1.

If the owner moved before the first of the year, he/she must pay the tax to the new community to which the owner moved. If the owner did not notify the Registry, the local assessor, and the post office that he/she moved before the first of the year, it may be necessary to file for an abatement with the former city or town that had sent the excise bill. Most cities or towns will dismiss the bill and reroute it to the new community once the owner furnishes proof that he/she had moved before the first of the year.

If the owner of a vehicle moves out of Massachusetts and registers his/her vehicle in another state:

• Notify the Assessing Department at 978-568-9622
• Provide them with a copy of the Registration Form for the New State or County or Plate Return Receipt, as of January 1 of the tax year

Please note: that the Registry strongly encourages a person who has moved to another state to cancel the registration in Massachusetts in order to avoid problems with an excise tax abatement application or future registration in the new state.

If an excise bill is received for a vehicle or trailer which has been sold, the seller must 

• Return the plate(s) to the Registry of Motor Vehicles
• Get a return plate receipt
• File an application for abatement with the Assessing Department at 978-568-9622, together with the return plate receipt or new registration form and the bill of sale

The bill will be adjusted to reflect the portion of the year when the vehicle was owned by the recipient of the bill. 

Note: It is important to remember that the bill for a vehicle you no longer own should not be ignored.

If an excise bill is received for a vehicle that was traded and that was not owned in the calendar year stated on the bill, it is recommended to pay the bill and file an application for abatement with the Assessing Department at 978-568-9622. The application must accompany a copy of the New Registration Form for the new vehicle that indicates the date of transfer. 

If an excise bill is received for a vehicle which was traded but which was owned for a portion of the calendar year stated on the bill, it is necessary to pay the bill and provide a copy of the registration for the new vehicle which indicates the date of transfer together with an application for abatement to the Assessing Department. 

The Assessor can then adjust the bill to reflect the ownership for only part of the year and grant the proper abatement. The bill is prorated back to the last day of the month in which the vehicle was owned. The excise bill on the new vehicle will be prorated as of the date the new vehicle was registered.

If the vehicle is stolen and not recovered within 30 days, the owner will be entitled to an abatement if he/she reports the theft of the vehicle to the local police within 48 hours of discovery of the theft. After 30 days, the owner must:

• Surrender the certificate of registration and obtain a certificate from the Registry of Motor Vehicles indicating that he/she has done so
• Notify the Assessing Department at 978-568-9622 and provide them with a copy of the Police Report and C-19 form (Affidavit of Lost or Stolen plate). 
  This certificate and the local police report of the theft should be presented to the Assessing Department with an application for abatement. 

The assessor will adjust the bill and grant an abatement for the remaining portion of the year. If the motor vehicle or trailer is subsequently recovered and reregistered, another excise bill will be issued for the remainder of the year. Falsely reporting the theft of a motor vehicle or trailer will result in severe penalties, and a person may be charged up to three times the excise due on the vehicle for an entire year.

Personal property is all tangible property other than real property, including, but not limited to business equipment, office machinery, inventory, furniture, and fixtures not located at the owner's domicile on January 1.

The tax must be paid by:

• Individuals
• Partnerships
• Associations 
• Trusts
• Limited liability companies
• Massachusetts business and out-of-state business corporations
• Limited liability companies filing federally as corporations
• Mutual insurance holding companies
• Massachusetts and out-of-state manufacturing corporations
• All other Massachusetts corporations subject to taxation under General Law,  Chapter 63

In general, all tangible personal property situated in Massachusetts and all tangible personal property owned by Massachusetts domiciliaries is taxable unless expressly exempt. There are many exemptions, which are usually based on ownership, type of property, or use of property.

Each year, prior to March 1, all persons subject to taxation in a city or town must submit a list of all their personal property that is not exempt from taxation. These personal estate items must be included on the documentation known as the Form of List. 

State Tax Form 2 is a form listing all personal property assets of an organization for the current fiscal year. Filing a Form of List is required by statute. Blank Forms of List are available at the Assessor's Office. 

The Form of List is due by the March 1 preceding the Fiscal Year. For example, the Form of List for Fiscal Year 2007 is due on March 1, 2006. Taxpayers are not required to estimate the value of the property included on the Form of List. The Assessing Department will determine the valuation, based on standard reference tables. 

In the event that a taxpayer does not submit the list, the assessor will ascertain, as best they can, the personal estate belonging to the taxpayer and will estimate its value. 

Please note: the Form of List is not open to public inspection.

This form must be filed each year by all individuals, partnerships, associations, trusts, and corporations that own or hold taxable personal property on January 1, except telephone and telegraph companies and owners of pipelines who are required to file a personal property return with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. 

Individuals owning or holding household furnishings and effects not located at their domicile on January 1 must also file State Tax Form 2HF. 

Literary, temperance, benevolent, charitable, or scientific organizations that may be entitled to an exemption must file State Tax Form 3 ABC, listing all property they own or hold for those purposes on January 1.

Forms of List must be filed by March 1 with the Board of Assessors in the city or town where the personal property is situated on January 1. The principal exception is in situations where personal property has only a temporary location as of January 1; then it must be listed on a Form of List filed with the assessors in the city or town where the owner is domiciled (legal residence or place of business). A Form of List is not considered filed unless it is complete

The Board of Assessors may extend the filing deadline if you can show a sufficient reason for not filing on time. The latest date the filing deadline can be extended is 30 days after the tax bills are mailed for the fiscal year. Requests for an extension must be made in writing to the assessors.

There is a penalty for failing to file the Form of List pursuant to Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 59, Section 64. If you do not file a Form of List for the fiscal year, the assessors cannot grant an abatement. If you show a reasonable excuse for filing late, the tax assessed cannot be reduced lower than 150% of the amount that would have been assessed if the list had been timely filed. In that case, only the amount over that percentage can be abated. You can avoid this penalty by filing on time.

The information in the Form of List is used by the Board of Assessors to determine the taxable or exempt status of your personal property and, if taxable, its fair market value. You may also be required to provide the assessors with further information about the property in writing and asked to permit them to inspect it. 

Forms of List are not available to the public for inspection under the public records law. They are available only to the Board of Assessors and Massachusetts Department of Revenue for purposes of administering the tax laws

Anyone who feels that his or her personal property is overvalued or exempt may file for an abatement. You must file an abatement form at the Assessor's Office between January 1 and February 1 of the current tax year. Only the current tax year is eligible for abatement or exemption.

• Tools employed by a plumber, carpenter, auto mechanic, and other trade professionals are exempt from the personal property tax. In legal terms, this exemption covers "tools of trade" of a "mechanic" (e.g., small tools that can fit in a toolbox). 
• Boats, fishing gear, and nets - up to $10,000 in value - owned and used in a commercial fishing business are exempt. 
• Tools of other professionals not listed are considered taxable. These include dentist's drills and x-ray machines. Computers are also subject to the personal property tax, but in cases where they are utilized by a corporation for internal purposes only (e.g. for such functions as internal accounting or administrative operations), computers are not subject to taxation. 
• Tangible personal property subject to some other type of local tax is also exempt from the personal property tax. Motor vehicle and trailer excise, ship and boat excise, the farm animal and equipment excise, and mobile home park license fees are all included in this category. 
• Intangible personal property is exempt from the personal property tax. Intangible property includes stocks, bonds and cash, mortgages and other evidence of ownership of property rights.

For Individuals, Sole Proprietors, Partnerships, Associations, Trusts, Limited Liability Companies filing as Partnerships, and out-of-state Insurance Companies not having a reciprocal exemption agreement with Massachusetts:

• Individuals are entitled to an exemption for household furniture and effects at the place of their domicile, farm utensils, and tools of a mechanic's trade.
• Tangible personal property that is taxable includes: Poles, underground conduits, wires, pipes, machinery, tools and equipment, business furniture and fixtures, merchandise, unregistered motor vehicles and trailers, animals, and forest products.

For Massachusetts Business and out-of-state Business Corporations, Limited Liability Companies (filing federally as corporations) and Mutual Insurance Holding Companies:

• Tangible personal property that is taxable includes poles, underground conduits, wires, and pipes. 
• All "machinery used in the conduct of business" is taxable except machines that are: 
  • Stock in trade
  • Used directly in dry cleaning or laundering processes, to refrigerate goods or to air condition premises or 
  • Used directly in purchasing, selling, accounting, or administrative functions.

For Massachusetts and out-of-state Manufacturing Corporations and Limited Liability Companies (filing federally as corporations which have been classified as "manufacturing" by the Department of Revenue):

• Tangible personal property that is taxable includes poles, underground conduits, wires, and pipes. 
• All tangible personal property used in the manufacture or generation of electricity except property that is a cogeneration facility of 30 megawatts or less in capacity, or was exempt because of a manufacturing classification effective on or before January 1, 1996.

For All Other Massachusetts Corporations subject to taxation under General Laws Chapter 63 including: Financial Institutions, Insurance Companies, Savings and Cooperative Banks, Utility Corporations, out-of-state Public Service Corporations subject to taxation under General Laws Chapter 63, Section 58 and out-of-state Insurance Companies if the state of incorporation exempts similar tangible personal property of Massachusetts insurance companies:

• Tangible personal property that is taxable includes poles, underground conduits, wires, pipes, and machinery used in the manufacture, or in supplying, or distributing water.

The tax rates for Fiscal 2024 are:

• Residential: $14 per thousand 
• Commercial, Industrial, and Personal Property: $27.50 per thousand

100% of full and fair cash value.

The courts have defined this phrase to mean "current market value", the price arrived at by a willing buyer and a willing seller, each with a good knowledge of the market and each acting without undue pressure or compulsion. Thus, in determining value, assessors seek to approximate what property would sell for on the open market within an acceptable range of error.

If you need certified owner information, you have two options:

• Go in to the Assessor's Office for this information
• Mail in a request for information, with an inquiry fee of $1 per parcel

All properties listed on the Assessing website are sorted by street address, owner's name, or Map and Lot number.

Please contact the Assessor's Office by phone at 978-568-9622 or by a written request.

If you wish to obtain a Municipal Lien Certificate, the requirements are:

• The Parcel ID (Map and Lot.)
• Owner's name
• Property location
• $25 per parcel requested 
• A self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish the municipal lien certificate mailed to you

Acceptable forms of payment are attorney's check, certified or registered check, and cash (if in person). Please allow ten business days for processing. 

Mail your request to: 

Collector of Taxes
Town of Hudson
78 Main Street
Hudson MA 01749

Download the Municipal Lien Request Form (PDF).

You can file an application with the Assessor's Main Office at 78 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749.

You must file between January 1 and February 1 of the tax year. However, you should ask yourself three questions before filing for an abatement:

• Is the data on my property correct?
• Is my value in line with others on my street?
• Is my value in line with recent sale prices in my neighborhood?

The Reevaluation staff will be happy to assist you to determine whether your assessment is fair and equitable.

Tax bills are mailed four times a year. The quarterly tax payments are due on  August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1. 

The bills are sent 30 days prior to these due dates. Payments are due 30 days from the date the tax bill is issued.

Please send your payment and remittance slip to Town of Hudson. Please make checks payable to Town of Hudson. If you do not have a remittance slip, for proper crediting, please write the parcel ID (Map, Lot) on the check and include the property location and owner's name. To obtain a receipt, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and both portions of the bill with the payment.

You should request a duplicate tax bill by calling the Tax Collectors Office at 978-568-9610.

Tax payments must be received on or before the due date to avoid interest charges. If payment is not made within 30 days of the original date of mailing, the account will begin to accrue interest at the rate of 14% per annum, computed from the date the bill was due. A demand notice will be sent, and a demand fee of $5 will be charged against the account. 

Please note that demand notices are sent only on the third and fourth quarter bills. If the account remains delinquent after June 30th of the fiscal year, a tax lien (a legal claim placed on property for debt) is placed on the property and is recorded with the Middlesex County Registry of Deeds. In addition, the property is placed in the tax title system. A tax lien is the first step in the foreclosure process. All taxes, costs, and interest must be paid to prevent foreclosure.

If your taxes are escrowed by a bank or mortgage company, you will want to ensure that they make timely payment. Most banks and mortgage companies subscribe to a tax service that will notify them directly of the amount they need to pay for your taxes. However, if you have recently purchased, refinanced, or have a mortgage company that does not subscribe to a tax service, it will be up to you to notify them by forwarding your tax bill to them. Do not change your mailing address on your tax bill to be sent directly to the Mortgage Company. It will impede you from receiving proper notice of unpaid taxes. You may request that your mortgage company receive a duplicate tax bill if necessary by emailing us.

Under state law, failure to receive a bill does not affect the validity of the tax or any interest or fines incurred due to late payment(s). It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to secure his/her tax bill when one is not received. 

You can request a duplicate tax bill by calling the Tax Collector's Office at 978-568-9610. The Tax Collector's Office will mail you a remittance slip on request. However, the request must be received early enough to allow sufficient time to avoid late charges.

New owners will be automatically updated by the Assessor's Office upon receipt of a copy of the recorded deed from the Registry of Deeds. If the sale is very close to a tax due date, you may call the Tax Collector's Office at 978-568-9610 or email us for a remittance slip to be sent to you. You may also update the mailing address on the bill by contacting the Assessing Department at 978-568-9622.

The Collector of Taxes is required by Massachusetts General Law to issue the bill to the assessed owner as of January 1. Therefore, the old owner will receive a tax bill until the following January 1, and the new owner should request a copy.

Although the tax bill will bear the name of the assessed owner as of January 1, the new owner is responsible for all taxes once the sale of the property is finalized. The amount of tax owed by the old owner is determined at the time of closing and is typically deducted from the selling price. Once this deduction is made, the new owner must pay all bills as they become due in order to avoid collection actions, including foreclosure. 

The lawyers assisting each party should already have investigated any outstanding taxes and obtained a Municipal Lien Certificate. Once the agreement is made, the new owner is obligated to pay any outstanding taxes due on the property.

If you receive a bill within 6 weeks of the sale, please forward it to the new owner immediately as it is his/her responsibility to make payment.

If your check is returned due to insufficient funds, absence of signature, or technical error, the account will have the same status as an unpaid account. You will receive a notice from the Collector of Taxes notifying you of the insufficient funds. As provided by law, a penalty charge of $25 or 1% of the amount of the check (whichever is greater) will be assessed to your tax account for each bad check received, in addition to any other fees and interest applicable. You will be required to make payment by cash or certified check within 10 days.

If you or your mortgage company have paid the tax bill, and for some reason you receive a demand notice for non-payment of the tax due, you must provide proof of payment. Please call us at 978-568-9610 for the requirements.

A refund check is issued to a taxpayer who has a credit balance on their bill, provided that they supply the Town of Hudson with the proper information and they have no other outstanding taxes due and payable.

If the credit was caused by abatement, the refund will automatically be issued unless the property has changed hands during the fiscal year.

The refund will usually be returned to the record owner. If the property has been sold during the fiscal year to a new owner, the date of transfer (deed date) statement will determine who is eligible for the refund. If you have any questions, please email us.

The Library walthrough addendum can be read at: Hudson Architect RFP Addendum 1 (PDF)

It depends on the location of our future Library. If the Library remains at its current location, the goal is to renovate and expand. If the Library must relocate, then it may become a renovation project or new construction based on the location. The 2024 conditions assessment concluded that the Library's 1966 addition is not constructed on a suitable foundation system nor is the foundation built on suitable subgrade to the extent that would be designed and required by licensed structural engineers operating under the "Standard of Care" in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To the extent that improvements can be made to the landmarked 1904/1929 Carnegie Building in a rigidly-attached manner (such as would not be dislodged in the case of future construction on the site) with a flexible state-of-the-art system design that is capable of expansion to integrate with a future facility addition.

The Library Building Project cost estimate will vary pending the start date of the renovation or construction project and the size of the new library. We anticipate the estimated project cost to be between $20 million and $24 million.

The Library's budget is approximately $250 thousand, and is partially funded through an MPLCP grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Town of Hudson. However, please note the following concerning OPM Fees as stated in our RFQ:

The fee for this project is to be negotiated upon selection. Price of the fee is not a consideration under the evaluation criteria of this RFQ. The negotiated fee, however, will include all expenses, direct and indirect, for this project. Contracts for OPM services resulting from this RFQ and negotiation are subject to available funds.

A copy of this RFQ, may be obtained via print at the Hudson Public Library or by email request to Deepa Venkat, CHA Solutions OPM at dvenkat@chasolutions.com or Aileen Sanchez-Himes, Library Director at asanchez-himes@cwmars.org.

Yes. If the request is from an interested party for this project, email Deepa Venkat, CHA Solutions OPM at dvenkat@chasolutions.com or Aileen Sanchez-Himes, Library Director at asanchez-himes@cwmars.org, after July 24, 2025 and include in the subject line, Planholders List Request - Designer Services, to obtain an updated list of companies requesting a copy of our RFQ for Designer Services for the Planning and Design of the Hudson Public Library.

Yes. If the request is from an interested party for this project, email the Library Director at asanchez-himes@cwmars.org, after April 10, 2025 and include in the subject line, Planholders List Request, to obtain an updated list of companies requesting a copy of our RFQ for OPM Services for the Planning and Design of the Hudson Public Library.

A Town Meeting is both an event and an entity. As an event, it is a gathering of a town’s eligible voters, and is referred to as “the Town Meeting.” As an entity, it is the legislative body for towns in Massachusetts, and is referred to simply as “Town Meeting.” 

Town Meeting decides three major things: • It sets the salaries for the elected officials. • It votes to appropriate money to run the town. • It votes on the town’s local statutes, which are called by-laws.

An open Town Meeting means that all of the town’s registered voters may vote on all matters. 

The minimum number of registered voters that must be present to start the meeting.

A quorum is the minimum number of voters needed to conduct business at Hudson Town Meeting. Hudson’s Town Meeting quorum is 150 registered voters. Non-voters must sit in the visitor section.

Hudson’s annual Town Meeting occurs the first Monday in May, while the special Town Meeting is held the third Monday in November.

Each town must hold an annual Town Meeting. Additional Town Meetings are called special meetings. They may be called as many times during the year as necessary.

The warrant lists a meeting’s time, place, and agenda. A warrant is also known as a warning. A Town Meeting’s action is not valid unless the subject was listed on the warrant.

Articles are items on the warrant. Appropriations for each town function or department may be in separate articles. Or one article on the warrant may propose appropriations for all necessary town expenses.

A petition article is a proposal brought before Town Meeting by a citizen or group of citizens. The petition can be on any topic that is relevant to action by Hudson town government. Petitioners are required to get 10 signatures of registered voters to place an article on the annual Town Meeting warrant, and 100 signatures of registered voters to place an article on the special Town Meeting warrant. Petitioners will be expected to attend Town Meeting to present and make a motion for their article.