The Nonresident Violator Compact (NRVC) is an agreement between certain states to respect each other’s traffic citations by suspending or revoking driving privileges in a person’s home state of licensure when that person has an unsatisfied citation-related obligation to another state which is a member of the NRVC. This is accomplished by placing a NRVC Withdrawal on the alleged scofflaw’s home state driving record. The NRVC only applies to moving violations such as DUI, reckless driving, speeding, and careless driving. It does not apply to parking, registration, equipment, or weight violations.
Massachusetts is one of the forty five members of the Nonresident Violator Compact of 1977. It is a misconception that the Mass. RMV does not honor NRVC withdrawals and suspensions. The only states which are not signatories to the NRVC are Alaska, Oregon, Montana, Michigan, California, and Wisconsin.
The NRVC was designed to prevent a motorist from ignoring out of state violations. Without systems such as the National Driver Register and the NRVC, a motorist would be free to ignore out of state citations because his or her driver’s license would still be valid in his or her home state. If a Massachusetts resident was cited for careless driving while vacationing in Florida for example, he could simply ignore the citation and his right to drive would be unaffected in Massachusetts. The NRVC was designed to force violators to address out of state citations.
In addition to the NRVC, there is a Driver’s License Compact (DLC) and Massachusetts is not currently a member of that Compact. Nevertheless, MassDOT is applying out of state violations to Massachusetts Driving Records daily.
Massachusetts is a member of the interstate compact on motor vehicle violations and the Registry’s participation in that Compact is codified in G.L. c. 90 § 30B. This Compact requires state motor vehicle departments such as the Mass. RMV to exchange information regarding serious offenses such as DUI, motor vehicle homicide, and other similar major motor vehicle offenses. It requires the violator’s home state to give the same effect to out of state violations as if they had occurred in-state. This means that if you commit a DUI in another state, the Registry is entitled to penalize you as if the offense had occurred here in Massachusetts, if you are a MA resident or license holder.
If you are dealing with a NRVC Withdrawal or indefinite NDR revocation, I invite you to contact me for a review of your situation. I have been able to help countless clients avoid the often harsh consequences triggered by out of state violations.