Know Your Options

What it Means to Pay Your MA Traffic Ticket

Submitting payment for a noncriminal civil violation―legal speak for a traffic ticket― is an admission of guilt. This means:

• You have waived your right to a trial before a judge.
• The Massachusetts RMV will assign surchargeable events (Massachusetts' version of points) to your driving record. For more information, visit our page detailing Massachusetts' point system.
• Additional surchargeable events on your driving record may lead to the suspension or revocation of your Massachusetts driver's license.
• Additional violations on your driving record may lead to the suspension or revocation of your MA driver's license. Read more on our Traffic Ticket Fines & Penalties page.
• The addition of surchargeable events and/or violations on your MA driving record could increase your car insurance premiums, and/or, depending on your line of work, jeopardize your job.

Criminal offenses, which are serious offenses, cannot be settled by payment. These violations come with mandatory court appearances. Violations under this category include operating under the influence (OUI), driving with a suspended driver's license and leaving the scene of an accident.

Pay on Time

You have 20 days to pay your citation. The RMV will charge you a late fee if you fail to pay within this timeframe. If you ignore the citation and the late fee your driver's license will be suspended.

Pleading Guilty as CDL Driver

If you hold a commercial driver's license, you are required by law to notify your employer within 30 days of any traffic violation. This applies to all vehicles, including your own personal car. For more information on CDL rules and regulations, consult the MA Commercial Driver's License Manual and our page on traffic ticket fines and penalties.

Pleading Not Guilty

You always have the right to plead not guilty or no contest. This requires appearing at a hearing before a judge. Learn more on our Fighting Your Traffic Ticket page.

Pay Online

Depending on the nature of your traffic ticket, you may be given the option to pay online using a valid credit card (Discover, American Express. MasterCard, Visa).

Other Traffic Ticket Payment Options

Unlike most other states that require settling citations through the county or municipality you're ticketed in, all Massachusetts noncriminal traffic ticket payments are handled by the RMV. This eases the payment process, especially if you have questions regarding your citation.

Pay by Mail

Follow the instructions on your citation, making sure to check Box 1 (the "guilty" box) found on the front of your citation. Mail the completed traffic ticket, along with a check or money order in the provided envelope to:

• Attn: Citation Payment

• Registry of Motor Vehicles

• P.O. Box 55890

• Boston, MA 02205-5890

NOTE: Be sure to write your citation number on the check or money order.

Pay by Phone

Dial (617) 351-4500 if you're calling from out of state or have one of the following area codes: 339, 617, 781 or 857. Or, call (800) 858-3926 from all other MA area codes. Have at the ready your citation number and a valid credit card (Visa, Discover, American Express, MasterCard).

Remove "Surchargeable Points"

Enrollment in the state's driver retraining program will not reduce points from your driving record. The only way to trim points is by maintaining a clean driving record. If you have no more than three surchargeable events on your record over the past five years, one point will be removed for each citation, for every three years of safe driving.

Check Your Driving Record

After paying your traffic ticket, check your driving record for accuracy. Make sure there are no unaccounted violations or surchargeable events listed. Otherwise, you could see an unwarranted increase in your auto insurance rates, or lose your driving privileges.

Shop for Better Car Insurance Rates

If your current auto insurance plan exceeds your budget, take the time to shop around for a new car insurance provider. You can do this from the convenience of home by comparing car insurance rates online from a variety of auto insurance companies.