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In August of 2024, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles called and emailed almost 500 Massachusetts truck drivers notifying them that their Commercial Driver’s Licenses will be downgraded to prevent them from driving commercial motor vehicles.
The recipients of these calls and emails were shocked and confused. Some thought it was a scam. These drivers have maintained clean records for many years and none of the violations used to disqualify them were recent.
When the Registry followed up the calls and emails with CDL disqualification notices, the truck drivers realized that it was no scam and that the Registry was planning on taking away their CDLs, their livelihoods, and their ability to support their families.
The Registry bases the CDL downgrades on G.L. c. 90F § 9. This Massachusetts law disqualifies drivers who have 2 or more convictions for DUI, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Refusing a Chemical Test, or Using a Motor Vehicle in the Commission of certain Felonies. There is lifetime lookback and the Registry counts all convictions, regardless of the type of license the driver held at the time or the type of vehicle driven at the time of the violation. This means that violations committed before the driver held a CDL or a CDL permit will count and it doesn’t matter if the violation occurred in a commercial motor vehicle or passenger car.
The Massachusetts CDL law, G.L. c. 90F § 9. Allows the Registry to enact regulations to reduce a lifetime CDL disqualification to 10 years, as long as the driver hasn’t committed any major violations over the past 10 years. However, the Mass. RMV enacted a regulation stating that it would not reduce a lifetime disqualification to 10 years under any circumstances, even if the driver maintained a spotless record for 10 years.
These almost 500 CDL drivers are rightfully shocked and outraged by the loss of the licenses that they depend on and that they worked so hard to obtain. Fortunately, the Massachusetts Legislature has responded to the media coverage and driver’s concerns by proposing Bill HD.5374 – “An Act relative to disqualification from operating commercial motor vehicles.” If signed into law, this Bill would force the Registry to enact a regulation that would allow CDL drivers who have no major violations over the past 10 years to keep their Commercial Driver’s Licenses. The Bill is simple – it changes 1 word in G.L. c. 90F § 9. I fully expect this important legislation to pass. Stay tuned for more updates and information.