If you receive a letter indicating that the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles intends to suspend your Driver’s License and/or right to operate a motor vehicle, I invite you to contact my office for a free review of your situation. Depending on your driving record, you may be able to avoid the loss of your license or right to drive.
If you receive a notice of intent to suspend for thee surchargeable incidents, you can prevent the indefinite license suspension from going into effect if you take and pass an approved Driver Retraining Program within 90 days of issuance of the notice of intent to suspend. If the suspension is valid, and you fail to complete the required course in time, G.L. c. 175 § 113B authorizes the RMV to indefinitely suspend your license and right to drive in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The suspension will remain in place until you successfully complete the National Safety Council (NSC) driver re-training program. If you are required to complete the class to avoid the loss of your license, within 10 days of receipt of the Registry’s suspension notice, the NSC will send a registration packet to the mailing address which is on file with the Registry. If you have multiple surchargeable event suspensions, the Registry may require you to take the class several times. You may be able to take the course on-line, after completing it in person.
Taking the course will not prevent a 60 suspension for 7 surchargeable events or a 4 year Habitual Traffic Offender Revocation. If you are facing one of these, you should contact a lawyer for a free consultation and review of your situation. It is sometimes possible to completely avoid these license losses, shorten their duration, or get a limited hardship license which allows you to legally operate for 12 hours a day.
Once your license is suspended for revoked for surchargeable events, you will be required to pay a $100.00 reinstatement fee. If your license is revoked under the Massachusetts Habitual Traffic Offender Statute, G.L. c. 90 § 22F, you will be required to pay a $500.00 reinstatement fee.
Most importantly, if you have received a suspension notice, you do have the right to a hearing and you have the right to be represented by an attorney at that hearing. The Registry holds hearings on a walk-in basis at Customer Service Centers located in Braintree, Lawrence, Springfield, Worcester and 136 Blackstone Street, Boston, 3rd floor. If you have questions regarding a license loss, you can contact the Suspension Department of the Mass. RMV at 857-368-8200. The Registry’s general customer service number is 857-368-8000.