How to Appeal your MA License Suspension

You have the legal right to appeal any suspension or revocation of your Massachusetts Driver’s License or right to operate in Massachusetts.

The appeal process will depend on the type of suspension and your driving record. Some suspensions can be appealed directly to the Suspension Department of the Registry of Motor Vehicles, while other suspensions or revocations must be appealed to the Board of Appeal of the Division of Insurance.

In many cases, it makes sense to appeal your license suspension because it may not be legally valid. The Registry sometimes imposes illegal and invalid license suspensions which a lawyer can reverse on appeal. Attorney Brian Simoneau has been very successful in getting invalid license suspensions reversed and completely removed from his clients’ driving records.

Not all License Suspensions Are Valid

Many license suspensions are automatically generated by the Registry’s multi-million dollar dysfunctional computer system and they may be invalid. You should have an attorney who is well-versed in the laws applicable to motor vehicle offenses and license suspensions such as Attorney Simoneau review these suspensions.

Even when a license suspension is legally valid, it may still be possible to get the suspension terminated early and receive a full license reinstatement or at least a 12-hour hardship license. The appeal process will depend on the suspension reason.

The License Suspension Appeal Process

The first step in appealing your suspension is to have a lawyer review the suspension notice along with your driving record. The content of these documents will determine the next step in the appeal process, which may involve obtaining court records, a substance abuse evaluation showing your risk of recidivism, or evaluation forms.

It is important to remember that just because the Registry has suspended your license, that does not necessarily mean that the suspension is legal. Many suspensions can be reversed by appealing directly to the Registry or the Board of Appeal. Don’t needlessly suffer with an invalid license suspension when you may be able to get it reversed on legal grounds.