What is the Penalty for Driving on a Suspended License in Massachusetts?

There are severe penalties for driving with a suspended license.

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) has the power to suspend your license. If your license is suspended, you are not permitted to operate a motor vehicle under any circumstances. If you are caught driving with a suspended license, you can have your license revoked for up to one year. You may have to pay a fine up to $1,000. You may also face jail time. If you are caught and convicted a second time, you will receive a mandatory 60-day jail sentence.

Reasons for Suspension

Licenses are suspended for a number of reasons including unpaid speeding tickets, habitually violating traffic laws, committing a felony involving a motor vehicle or driving to endanger. Sometimes Massachusetts licenses will be suspended for reasons unrelated to operating a motor vehicle, such as using a fake I.D., failing to register as a sex offender or being convicted of a drug offense, according to the Massachusetts RMV.

First Offense

For the first offense, driving under a suspended license is punishable by up to $1,000 in fines, a sentence of up to 10 days in jail or both. In order to convict you of this crime, the Massachusetts RMV will have to produce certified documents stating that your license was suspended, and it will have to prove that you were sent notification of the suspension when it occurred, according to the Mass Suspended License Help website. The Massachusetts RMV must have sent a letter to your correct address, the address on your license.

After a DUI

If your license was suspended for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and you are convicted of the crime in court, you will face a mandatory 60-day jail sentence, as is also true for a second conviction for driving under suspension. This type of conviction also will prevent you from applying for a hardship license. Your license will be suspended for a minimum of one year. If you are on probation, getting convicted of driving on a suspended license after a DUI can result in a violation of your probation.

Hearings

You have a right to a hearing if your license is suspended. During your hearing, you will have the opportunity to plead your case and inform the judge of any extenuating circumstances. In many cases, appearing in court will result in a shorter suspension, according the Massachusetts RMV. Suspensions can be as short as 30 days or as long as a year. If a driver is repeatedly caught driving under suspension (more than three times), his license can be permanently revoked.

Hardship License

If your license is suspended in Massachusetts, you still may appeal for a hardship license under some circumstances. A hardship license is a license issued to someone who has extenuating circumstances that must be defended in a court of law. However, if you have been caught operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, it will be held against you during hardship hearings and may prevent you from obtaining a hardship license.

References

• Massachusetts RMV: Suspensions and Hearings
• Find Law: Massachusetts Traffic Law
• Suspended License Help: Get a Hardship License from the Massachusetts RMV or the Board of Appeal

Resources

• Massachusetts Criminal Offense: Massachusetts Driving on a Suspended License Defense Strategies