MASSACHUSETTS RMV LICENSE SUSPENSION LAWYER
Have you received a notice of license suspension from the Mass RMV? Our MA RMV Suspension Hearing Lawyer serving Bristol, Norfolk, Worcester, and Plymouth Counties can help get your license back.
What are the reasons the RMV suspends driver licenses?
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is the agency that issues and regulates driver licenses and driver privileges in Massachusetts. They have the power to revoke or suspend a person’s right to drive in Massachusetts. The RMV can suspend someone’s driving rights in Massachusetts even if you hold an out-of-state driver’s license.
There are many reasons a person’s driving rights might be suspended. Some reasons include being found guilty of certain driving-related criminal offenses in court, such as operating under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and others. Driving rights could be suspended for reasons unrelated to criminal offenses. For example, someone might receive too many speeding tickets, other moving violations, or sanctionable events in too short a period of time. A person’s driving rights are also suspended upon refusing a chemical substance test when stopped for suspicion of operating under the influence. Suspensions for refusal to submit last for a minimum of 180 days for a first offense.
There is also a law on the books known as the “immediate threat” law. That is MGL c. 90 § 22(a). A police officer may file an immediate threat citation to the RMV after determining that someone caused an accident, even if that person is not charged with a crime. The RMV may suspend a person’s driving rights under the immediate threat statute when it has cause to believe that continued operation by the operator will be so seriously improper as to constitute an immediate threat to public safety. Suspensions under this statute are automatic after the officer files a police report with the citation to the RMV. When that happens, the RMV issues an immediate threat suspension letter with a notice that the operator is entitled to a suspension hearing within 30 days of the suspension.
What must you do if you receive a letter stating your license is suspended in Massachusetts?
First, if you are a Massachusetts resident with a Massachusetts driver’s license, you must immediately cease operating a motor vehicle. If you are not a Massachusetts resident and hold an out-of-state driver’s license, you must immediately cease operating a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Next, you should call a Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer to discuss the facts of your case and learn about your options for restoring your license or driving rights.
How do you restore your Massachusetts driver’s license or driving rights after an RMV suspension?
The answer to this depends on many factors. Those factors include the reason for the suspension, the facts of your case, your past driving history and record, and other factors. If the suspension is due to an alcohol-related offense, you may first be required to complete any court-ordered probation conditions, such as an OUI 24D program, pay costs and fines, or attend treatment programs. If your license results from too many sanctionable events, you may need to pay fines and fees directly to the RMV and take driving re-training classes such as the Brains at Risk program, Defensive Driving class, State Courts Against Road Rage, or other classes. Sometimes, the RMV orders additional requirements, like a medical or psychological evaluation. If your driving rights are suspended for multiple refusal to submit or you are a 2nd offender or more for an OUI, you may also be required to participate in a risk analysis program.
All of these programs come with different time requirements and may have to be done in a certain order so that the evaluations do not expire before you submit your proof of completion to the RMV and have a hearing. Speaking to a Massachusetts RMV license suspension lawyer can be critical to determining the best strategy in your situation. When you hire our Mass RMV license suspension hearing lawyer, you will receive a personalized action plan designed to get you back on the road as soon as possible. You will learn how to complete the RMV’s conditions in your situation and be referred to the appropriate medical and psychological providers who know how to complete the evaluations required by the RMV.
After you have completed all your conditions, re-training classes, risk assessments, and medical evaluations, our Massachusetts RMV license suspension lawyer will assemble your documents and book a hearing with an RMV license suspension hearing officer. During the hearing, our Massachusetts license suspension lawyer will present your proof and best arguments supporting your request to reinstate your license with the goal of getting you back on the road.
What happens if the RMV hearing officer denies your request to reinstate your driving rights?
You still have options if the RMV hearing officer does not agree to reinstate your driving rights after the hearing. You may appeal the decision to the Massachusetts Division of Insurance Board of Appeals in Boston. Our Massachusetts license suspension lawyer knows how to take the fight all the way up to Boston. There, he will argue the factual and legal reasons why the RMV hearing officer made the wrong decision. The Board of Appeals gets to review the RMV officer’s decision and has the authority to overturn it or modify it. But strict time limits apply. If an RMV hearing officer has already denied you, you must act immediately to preserve your rights to appeal.
Our Massachusetts license suspension lawyer has a track record of success at RMV suspension hearings and Board of Appeal hearings. If you have received a notice from the RMV that your license or driving rights have been or will be suspended, contact us now to receive your free thirty-minute consultation, where you will learn how best to proceed and what steps you must take to regain your license or driving rights in Massachusetts. When you hire us, you will receive a personalized action plan designed to get you back on the road as fast as possible.
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