Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 41 § 81X
No register of deeds shall record any plan showing a division of a tract of land into two or more lots, and ways, whether existing or proposed, providing access thereto, in a city or town in which the subdivision control law is in force unless (1) such plan bears an endorsement of the planning board of such city or town that such plan has been approved by such planning board, and a certificate by the clerk of such city or town, is endorsed on the plan, or is separately recorded and referred to on said plan, that no notice of appeal was received during the twenty days next after receipt and recording of notice from the planning board of the approval of the plan, or, if an appeal was taken, that a final decree has been entered by the court sustaining the approval of the plan, or (2) such plan bears an endorsement of the planning board that approval of such plan is not required, as provided in section eighty-one P, or (3) the plan is accompanied by a certificate of the clerk of such city or town that it is a plan which has been approved by reason of the failure of the planning board to act thereon within the time prescribed, as provided in sections eighty-one U and eighty-one V, or that it is a plan submitted pursuant to section eighty-one P and that it has been determined by failure of the planning board to act thereon within the prescribed time that approval is not required, and a reference to the book and page where such certificate is recorded is made on said plan; and, unless, in case of plans approved, the endorsement or certificate is dated within six months of the date of the recording, or there is also endorsed thereon or recorded therewith and referred to thereon a certificate of the planning board or city or town clerk, dated within thirty days of the recording, that the approval has not been modified, amended or rescinded, nor the plan changed. Such certificate shall upon application be made by the board or by the clerk unless the records of the board or clerk receiving the application show that there has been such modification, amendment, rescission or change. The planning board of a city or town which has authorized any person, other than a majority of the board, to endorse on a plan the approval of the board or to make any other certificate under the subdivision control law, shall transmit a written statement to the register of deeds and the recorder of the land court, signed by a majority of the board, giving the name of the person so authorized.
The contents of any such endorsement of the planning board or certificate by the clerk of the city or town shall be final and conclusive on all parties, subject to the provisions of section eighty-one W.
Such register and recorder shall each keep in a place open for public inspection a book which shall be a public record in which the name of each city or town in which, according to notices sent him by the board having powers of subdivision control in such city or town the subdivision control law is or may be in effect, shall be separately indexed and in which shall be entered all notices from such board or the board of appeal of such city or town relating to subdivision control, including copies of the rules and regulations of such boards. Such register and recorder may each accept for record any plan of land, otherwise appropriate for record, in a city or town of which the board having powers of subdivision control has not sent him notice that the subdivision control law is in effect in such city or town, without requiring the approval of the planning board of such city or town, or a certificate that no approval is necessary.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the register of deeds shall accept for recording and the land court shall accept with a petition for registration or confirmation of title any plan bearing a certificate by a registered land surveyor that the property lines shown are the lines dividing existing ownerships, and the lines of streets and ways shown are those of public or private streets or ways already established, and that no new lines for division of existing ownership or for new ways are shown. The recording of any such plan shall not relieve any owner from compliance with the provisions of the subdivision control law or of any other applicable provision of law.
No register of deeds or recorder of the land court shall accept for record a notice of modification, amendment or rescission of approval of a plan of a subdivision unless such notice contains a statement by the planning board that such modification, amendment or rescission does not affect any lot or rights appurtenant thereto in such subdivision which lot was conveyed or mortgaged in good faith and for valuable consideration subsequent to the approval of the subdivision plan.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 41, § 81X