What moving violations are tracked in Massachusetts by the RMV and recorded on your driving record?

If you get three SPEEDING tickets in one 12 month period the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles must suspend your driver’s license for 30 days pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90 Section 20. The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles does not use a calendar year to calculate the 12 month period. The Registry will look at the most recent responsible finding for a speeding ticket and then look back 12 months.

A finding date for a speeding ticket happens when

• A disposition date and/or judgment date entered by a court on a citation for a traffic law violation. A judgment date will be 20 after a clerk magistrate’s appeal or when the payment is received or in the case of a judge’s appeal the judgment date is the date the judge makes the decision.

• the date the Registry of Motor Vehicles applies the payment of the fine assessed for a civil traffic law violation.

• the fine payment default date, or the court hearing default date

• the conviction date of an out-of-state ticket

Massachusetts RMV Suspension Three Surchargeable Events

The Registry of Motor Vehicle must suspend your Massachusetts driver’s license if you get three surchargeable incidents in a 24 month period. Like the speeding ticket license suspension, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicle will use a 24-month look back from the most recent finding. If there is an issue with the record an appeal may be made to question the accuracy of the record but there are no hardship or Cinderella licenses available in this situation.

If you get three surchargeable events in two years you are required to finish a Driver Retraining Course within 90 days of notification from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. If you fail to complete the retraining class your license will be suspended until you complete the class. If your license is suspended because you did not take the class you will have to pay a $100.00 reinstatement fee. Be taking the class within 90 days of the suspension notice you avoid having your license suspended and avoid having to pay a reinstatement fee. Every time you get your third surchargeable event within two years you MUST retake the class, even if you have already taken it.

The Three Surchargeable Event violation was in the Safe Driver Law that became law on September 30, 2010.

Massachusetts Driver’s License Suspension Seven Surchargeable Events

The Massachusetts RMV must suspend your driver’s license if you get seven surchargeable events over thirty-six months. Like the other suspensions, the three years is a 36-month look back from the most recent ticket conviction date. Out of state incidents are included in the decision.

If your license is suspended for seven surchargeable events it is for 60 days. The Massachusetts RMV also requires a $100 reinstatement fee before your driver’s license is restored.

Massachusetts Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO)

A habitual traffic offender suspension occurs if there are either three major moving violations (like negligent operation or an OUI) or any combination of 12 major or minor moving violations within five years. This period is calculated back from the most recent finding/conviction date. Out of state convictions or tickets are included in the calculation. A Massachusetts habitual traffic offender is a FOUR-year license suspension. In addition to the license loss, a driver’s test is required before the Registry restores the license. The reinstatement fee for a habitual offender in Massachusetts is $500. That must be paid before the license is restored.

Independent Suspensions

Any suspensions for Three Surchargeable Events, Seven Surchargeable Events, and Habitual Traffic Offenders are independent of one each. That means you must fulfill the requirements of each suspension independent of any other suspensions or revocations that may be active or have already been issued.

Massachusetts License Suspension Lawyer

Patrick Donovan is a former prosecutor who has helped many clients fight their license suspension in Massachusetts. Attorney Donovan has appeared before the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles hearings officers as well as the Board of Appeals.

If you are in danger of having your license suspended for a Massachusetts surcharge event contact attorney Donovan for a free consultation. Attorney has helped many clients avoid license suspension and can help you.

Obtaining your Massachusetts driving record will allow you to review if all the information recorded there is accurate. 

Doing so will also help you prepare for what’s coming ahead, in case you’re near to accumulating enough points to get your license suspended. 

Meanwhile, keeping your record clean will have advantages in getting auto insurance discounts and even applying for a job. 

So it’s important to monitor your driving record regularly. 

But how do you get a driving record in Massachusetts?

Let me guide you through the process in this article.

Who Can Request a Massachusetts Driving Record?

Your driving record will contain all your moving violations, driving accidents, and convictions. Your driving record also includes all criminal and civil driving violations where you were found guilty or responsible and license suspensions. 

It is not a public record but it can be requested by the court, government agencies, or your potential employer.

By checking the number of points in your record, a potential employer will be able to assess the diving-related risks in hiring an applicant during background checks. Or, an insurance provider will be able to assess whether you have responsible behavior or not to determine your insurance rate.

For example, if you have higher points than usual in your driving record, your auto insurance company can use the information to increase your car insurance rates. On the other hand, if you have a clean driving record for more than six years, the insurance company can offer discounts for driving safely.

What are the Types of Driving Records in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, there are 2 types of driving records:

• Unattested

• True & attested

Unattested (Non-Certified)

This type of driving record is used for personal purposes only. The unattested driving record does not have the official stamp of the Registry of Motor Vehicles or RMV.

True & Attested (Certified)

This is used for official purposes such as court hearings. It has the validation or official stamp of the RMV. 

If you’ll request this type of driving record, RMV will mail it along with an explanatory cover letter. 

How to Get a Driving Record in Massachusetts?

You can obtain your Massachusetts driving record through the mail, by phone, in-person, or online. 

For an Unattested Driving Record, the fee is $8.00, while for a True & Attested Driving Record the fee is $20.

Note: getting a True & Attested driving record will take 10 business days.

Now, let’s see the steps to obtain your driving record for each category. 

Mail

To request a copy through the mail, you need to fill up the Public Driving Record Request Form.

Once that’s done, put it in a stamped and self-addressed envelope together with the money or check payable to MassDOT.

Mail it to this address:

Registry of Motor Vehicles

Court Records Department

P.O. Box 55896

Boston, MA 02205

Phone

You can request your driving record by contacting the Massachusetts RMV office at (857) 368-8000 or (800) 858-3926. Their customer support is available from 9 am-5 pm EST, Mondays to Fridays only.

In-Person

Again, you will need to complete the Public Driving Record Request Form. 

Then, locate the nearest RMV office in your area and submit the form there. 

Don’t forget to bring your driver’s license and fee payment - $8 for Unattested driving records and $20 for True & Attested driving records. 

If you’re getting an Unattested driving record, it can be provided immediately. However, as mentioned above, for the True & Attested driving record, you have to wait at least 10 business days.

Online

To request your Massachusetts Driving Record online, visit the RMV website and provide the following information:

• Driver’s License or Learner’s Permit Number

• Full Name

• Date of Birth

• Email Address

• SSN 

There you have it. Those were the 4 ways you can obtain your driving record in Massachusetts. 

Easy, isn’t it?

What To Do With Your Massachusetts Driving Record?

The information in your driving record is obtained directly from the official RMV and contains accurate and updated information. However, small errors are still possible, which is why we recommend checking your driving record now and then.

Once you already have your Massachusetts driving record, make sure that all personal information is correct. 

In case you find incorrect information on your driving record, you need to contact the local office of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. 

Remember, if you’re not able to fix these errors, it could harm your employment or auto car insurance rates. 

Other uses for a driving record are car theft, court proceedings, employment screening, auto insurance discounts, and the list can go on. 

Understanding the Driving Record Points in Massachusetts

The points in your driving record include both civil and criminal offenses that you were found guilty of. You will also see the administrative license suspensions in your driving record. 

Now, you can receive between 2 to 5 points, depending on the type of offense you committed. 

In Massachusetts, your accumulated points will stay on your driving record for 6 years. 

To give you an idea, here are some examples of the violations and their corresponding point values in Massachusetts:

• Minor Traffic Violation: 2 points

• Running a red light

• Speeding

• Minor Driver Fault: 3 points

• Major Driver Fault Accident: 4 points

• Major Traffic Violation: 5 points

• Driving when a license is suspended or revoked

• Fleeing the scene of an accident that has caused serious injury or death

• Refusing to stop at an officer

Accumulation of multiple traffic violations or “surchargeable events" often leads to mandatory license suspensions. Below is a guide on the suspension periods for drivers with multiple violations:

Here are other important information about the MA point system that you should take note of:

• You’ll have to re-apply for a driver's license after revocation. This means you’ll need to take all the exams and pay all applicable fees again.

• If you accrue 3 surchargeable events in 24 months, you will be required to complete a driver retraining course. But don’t worry, you’ll get a notification if you need to complete the course and you will be given 90 days to complete it. Your driver's license will be suspended until you complete it.

• Depending on how many violations you receive, you may also have to:

• Pay a license reinstatement fee ($100).

• Retake your driver's exam and pay for your learner's permit exam ($30) and road test ($35).

• Pay a license reinstatement fee ($100 to $1,200)

• If you’re between 16 1/2 and 18 years old, you are considered a Junior Operator in Massachusetts and you will have additional driving rules and restrictions.

For more information on specific punishments, you may contact your local RMV office.

How to Improve Your Massachusetts Driving Record? 

Want to dismiss a traffic ticket to avoid points from being added to your record in the first place?

Want to grab an auto insurance discount?

A driver retraining program can help you with that!

A driver can either take the course voluntarily or as ordered by the court. Also, they have a choice to attend the course in-person or online. 

If you’re looking for a reliable online traffic school, we highly recommend GoToTrafficSchool!

GoToTrafficSchool

GoToTrafficSchool has been offering online driver retraining program courses since 2000. It’s a traffic school you can trust because they are fully compliant with the state’s requirements. 

They offer affordable courses, too. If you find a cheaper online option, they will match or beat that price. They also have a money-back guarantee program.

The traffic school course is fully online and can be taken using any device. Other than that, their courses include 3D driving simulators, audio clips, and animated videos. 

With GoToTrafficSchool, you’re guaranteed to have fresh and updated content.

So there you have it. 

As you can see, obtaining a Massachusetts driving record is very easy. And, you have 4 options to choose from, whether that is through the mail, phone, in person, or online. 

If you want to keep your driving record clean, make sure to take a driver retraining program. You don’t want to get your license suspended!

We hope that this article has been a great help!