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Traffic Tickets
Smart Solutions For Difficult Legal Problems. Visit Lawyers.com Today.www.lawyers.comWe offer driving instruction and safety training courses in Boston, MA.www.americandrivingacademy3666.comEnter your Zip Code below to get a Free Quote. We suggest getting quotes from both companies to ensure you get the best rate. There is no obligation to purchase.Traffic tickets in Massachusetts are expensive in ways that most other states only dream about. First, you have to pay the fines, which are substantial. Then you get points on your license, which result in mandated insurance surcharges, which are also substantial. Finally, if you get enough "surchargeable events" on your license, you can face license suspension.
Top Traffic Fines in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has a graduated fine system, meaning you can pay a base fine and then have more charges added on top.
For example, the base fine for speeding is $100. But that's just the start. If you're convicted of going more than 10 mph over the speed limit, add $10 for each additional mph you were traveling over the base 10. For example, say you're convicted of going 85 in a 55 mph zone. You get a free pass up to 65, but then you get fined an additional $200 for the extra 20 mph from 65 to 85.
There's also a $50 surcharge on every speeding ticket, with money going to a trust fund for treating head injuries.
See the complete list of Massachusetts traffic fines. You will need the free Adobe Reader to download and print this file.
Top Surchargeable Events and Suspensions
Massachusetts is one of the few states in the U.S. where the state sets insurance rates together with the auto insurance companies doing business in the state. The state's Safe Driver Insurance Program is a result of this collaboration.
The SDIP is designed to put more expenses on the drivers who pose the greatest risks and give breaks to safe drivers. This means that if you get a traffic ticket (or have an accident with more than $500 in damages), you get points on your license that add up to immediate insurance surcharges.
Even worse, once these surcharges are on your record, they stay there for a long time. The only way to remove them from your record is to have a safe driving record for three years or more. Even then, you can only reduce one point from each violation every three years.
See our point system page to find out more about the SDIP and surchargeable events in Massachusetts.
Get enough surchargeable events on your driving record and your wallet isn't the only part of you that's going to suffer. Accumulate five or more in within three years and you'll be facing a choice of driver retraining school or immediate license suspension. Get seven incidents in three years, and you automatically lose your license.
Top What to Do if You Get a Traffic Ticket
So you get a ticket for a moving violation. You have some options, none of them great:
- You can waive your right to a hearing before a judge and pay the fine by mail or online. By paying the fine, you accept a guilty plea for the violation, which will go on your RMV driving record. The RMV will also notify your insurance company.
- You can ask for a hearing before a municipal court judge. At the hearing, you can make an argument that the ticket was wrongly issued and the judge can dismiss the case. The judge can also order you to pay the fine, plus court costs, if he or she thinks your case is frivolous.
Either way, you have to make a decision within 20 days. Don't ignore the ticket. If you do, you'll face extra fees, and a possible arrest warrant and license suspension.
Top Parking Tickets
Parking tickets are not considered traffic violations and are due to the municipality where the violation occurred. You need to pay the traffic tickets or face problems with the RMV when you want to renew your driver's license or registration.
Related Questions from DMV Answers
How can I reduce my speeding ticket cost?
Methods vary by state, but some common ways to reduce speeding ticket cost include: Being a first-time offender. Not speeding more than a certain number of miles over the speed limit. Contesting the ticket in court. Depending on the nature of the traffic ticket, you might want to bring a traffic ticket attorney along with you. However, one of the most popular ways to reduce speeding ticket cost or dismiss a traffic ticket altogether is traffic school attendance. The grid below outlines which states consider dismissing traffic tickets or reducing speeding ticket costs if the driver attends traffic school. The bad news is that not every state does; the good news is that most states offer at least point reduction to your driving record. Once you check your state, be sure to talk with your local court and driver license agency for details.
Read more >>Where can I access the traffic violation codes online?
Conveniently, most states post these codes on one or several Web sites.A state government Web site that posts state laws online will include all state laws, and you’ll need to sift through to find the section that deals with vehicle code and, more specifically, the section that deals with all the traffic violation codes. On the other hand, if you search through your driver handbook or the Web site of the state agency that handles driver- and vehicle-related mattes (this agency varies by state, but think the DMV, your county clerk’s office, or a division of your state’s public safety, transportation, or revenue department), chances are you’ll find that agency has isolated just the vehicle code.Understanding your state’s traffic violation codes can help you avoid getting a traffic ticket and, in some cases, even help you prove your citation was unwarranted. AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinois...
Read more >>How much does it cost for license reinstatement?
Each state, as the grid shows below, mandates different license reinstatement fees. Most fees vary depending on the nature of the suspended license. Insurance-related suspensions, for instance, are usually higher than traffic-ticket suspensions. But again, it depends on your state, which should inform you of your exact reinstatement fee. Getting a drivers license reinstated requires more than just paying a reinstatement fee. For exact requirements, contact your local DMV office.
Read more >>Is there a grace period for vehicle registration renewal?
Generally, no. Some states, such as Texas, will give you a brief window after your expiration date. But, for the majority of states, your vehicle registration ends on your registration deadline with no grace period.Now, you can usually renew your registration after the deadline without having to pay a late registration penalty. Again, this varies depending on your state's vehicle registration renewal policy. Some states will make you pay extra even if you're one day late. However, most states will give you anywhere from 10 days to several months to renew without hitting you with additional charges.However, that still doesn't protect you from being nailed with a traffic ticket fine. And, those fees usually are much more expensive than the cost of the registration renewal. In most states, you're breaking the law if you haven't renewed your registration by the deadline - even by an hour.Check with your state's motor vehicle division to learn the renewal policy in yo...
Read more >>What is the cell phone law in my state?
Before trying to contact a friend or family member while driving, know the cell phone law of the state you're in. Otherwise you may receive a traffic ticket with a hefty fine. This also applies to text messaging, which many states, over the last year, have enacted laws banning this practice.If you need to know your state's cell phone traffic law, contact your DMV or state police. Or, if you need to know now, consult the grid below.
Read more >>
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