Mass. RMV Escalation Hearings

The Registry of Motor Vehicles no longer holds in-person license suspension hearings. All license suspension hearings are held remotely over the phone. You are entitled to have legal representation during these hearings and the RMV will hold them via 3-way conference calls so that your lawyer is on the phone line with you and the Registry Hearing Officer.

If you are represented by counsel, you should not schedule the hearing yourself. Your attorney can schedule the hearing on your behalf. This will ensure that the Registry Hearing Officer will call your lawyer and he or she can add you to the call.

It takes approximately 3-4 weeks to get a Registry Hearing scheduled via the Registry’s website. However, the Registry offers a very limited number of escalation hearings. To get an escalation hearing, you must go to the RMV Service Center in person located at 136 Blackstone Street, Boston, Massachusetts on a regular business day (Monday – Friday), at approximately 6:30 AM. You can also attempt to request an escalation hearing at these other Massachusetts RMV Service Centers: Fall River, Brockton, Lawrence, Wilmington, Worcester, and Springfield. You must get there early (before they open) and there is no guarantee that you will get a hearing request form at these locations.

You can use the escalation hearing process to request a hardship license or reinstate your full license. You can also use it to address ignition interlock violations and indefinite immediate threat suspensions. The Registry will hold your hearing within 3 business days.

At approximately 7:30 AM, a security officer will distribute 5 hearing request forms to the first 5 people in line. You will need to complete this form and include all relevant paperwork in a blue envelope that the security guard will give you. Although you are required to request the escalation hearing in-person, you will not be allowed into the building and your hearing will be held over the phone. You must include a telephone number where you can be reached between 09:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Your phone must be set up to receive calls from blocked, restricted, and private numbers.

You must return the blue envelope with the hearing request form and any documents that you want the Registry Hearing Officer to consider. The Hearing Officer will call you within 3 business days to conduct your hearing. If you are attempting to reinstate your driver’s license based on a Finding and Order from the Division of Insurance, Board of Appeal, you must include a copy of the Board’s order with your hearing request form.

If you don’t receive a phone call within 3 business days you can try calling the Registry’s Telephone Center at 857-368-8200.