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CaregiversLast verified: October 24, 2026

Register as a Medical Marijuana Caregiver

A personal caregiver helps a registered patient with their medical use of marijuana. In Massachusetts a caregiver has to be 21 or older and register with the Cannabis Control Commission. Registration is free. Here are the four steps and the rules.

Four steps to register

Ask the patient for your PIN The patient has to be registered first. They give you a four-digit PIN. You need it to register online. See the state steps
Get your ID ready A valid driver license or other government ID. If you use a passport, military ID or Permanent Resident Card, you also need a document that shows your Massachusetts address. See what the state accepts
Get a passport-style photo If you use a Massachusetts driver license or ID, the system may find your photo. If it cannot, you upload a passport-style photo taken in the last six months. See the photo rules
Apply online. It is free. Log in to the state patient portal and apply as a caregiver. The state charges nothing to register as a caregiver. Open the patient portal

What a caregiver can do

Take the patient to and from a medical dispensary.
Get marijuana from a dispensary and carry it for the patient.
Prepare it for the patient, or give it to the patient.
Order and receive delivery for the patient.

What a caregiver cannot do

Use marijuana that was dispensed to the patient.
Sell, give away or divert it.
Take payment for the help, except as the Commission allows for some health care workers.
Let a patient under 18 have marijuana unless the caregiver is present.

The rules in short

The caregiver is 21 or older and has a government ID.
The caregiver and the patient both keep an active registration, and the patient keeps an active certification.
One caregiver serves up to five patients at a time, apart from the exceptions and the waiver the Commission describes.
A patient can name up to two caregivers. If there is a second one, one of them has to be an immediate family member of the patient.
The provider who certified the patient cannot be the caregiver.
The caregiver carries their registration card whenever they have the patient's marijuana.
For a patient under 18, the parent or guardian is the personal caregiver.

After you apply

If the state approves you, you can print a temporary card. The Commission says it expires four weeks after approval. The official card comes by mail in 10 to 15 business days. A caregiver card is issued for a year, and you renew every year. You get an email reminder before it expires.

If you lose the card, tell the Commission within five business days. The replacement fee is $10. The caregiver registration form is also published in Spanish.

If you are the patient

Naming a caregiver is optional for patients over 21. The Commission says a caregiver is strongly recommended if you have a disability that makes medical marijuana hard to get or use. To change a caregiver, the new one applies for a card and the old one gives theirs back. Your caregiver needs your PIN, so give it only to someone you trust.

A patient can also authorize a temporary caregiver during the 14 days of Initial Access, with a form the certifying provider generates.

AC Peabody is a medical dispensary being renovated at 25 Newbury Street, on Route 1 in Peabody. It will serve registered patients and caregivers. It has no opening date yet.

Short answers

How old do I have to be to be a caregiver?

You have to be 21 or older. A patient can be 18 or older.

Does it cost money to register as a caregiver?

No. The Commission charges no fee to register as a caregiver. A replacement card costs $10.

Can a caregiver be paid?

No. A person may not receive payment or other compensation for serving as a personal caregiver. The Commission lists exceptions for health care facility employees, visiting nurses, personal care attendants and home health aides, who can receive only their regular wages.

How many patients can one caregiver help?

Up to five at one time. To serve more, a caregiver has to ask the Commission for a waiver. The Commission lists some exceptions, including immediate family members.

Can a caregiver shop at AC Peabody?

Yes, a registered caregiver can shop at a medical dispensary for a registered patient. AC Peabody will serve registered patients and caregivers. It is being renovated and has no opening date yet.

Does a caregiver have to renew?

Yes. The Commission says a caregiver has to renew the registration every year, and both the caregiver and the patient have to keep an active registration.

More for patients

Sources

Read on October 24, 2026. The state can change its rules, so confirm on its pages before you act.

This page explains how a state program works. It is not medical or legal advice, and it makes no claim about what marijuana does for any health condition. Ask a health professional about your health.