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Immediate Threat License Suspension in Massachusetts: How to Get Your License Back
Have you received a notice in the mail from the Massachusetts RMV letting you know that your license has been suspended for an Immediate Threat? If so, the Massachusetts and Boston Immediate Threat Attorneys at Rightful Legal are here to help you get your license back!
Time is of the essence on these immediate threat license suspensions. The longer you wait, the longer it will take to get you back on the road.
⇨ Call or Text Massachusetts RMV Attorney Tracy Paulsen directly at 617-821-5856 or reach out to schedule a free, confidential consultation on our website. Get your License and Your Life Back.
The Short on Immediate Threat License Suspensions in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV or DMV, for short), has unusual authority to immediately and indefinitely suspend a driver’s license (or learner’s permit or vehicle registration) without a court order if the driver is deemed an immediate threat. In Massachusetts, both law enforcement officers and medical providers have the authority to recommend an Immediate Threat Suspension of any person’s driver’s license if they determine that allowing a driver to remain on the road would somehow endanger the public. A Massachusetts Immediate Threat Driver’s License Suspension can be triggered by a range of circumstances, including a car accident, erratic or reckless driving, a traffic violation, or even being in the wrong place at the wrong time and running afoul of a police officer or state trooper. While medical providers sometimes recommend medical immediate threat suspensions against their own patients, law enforcement officers can also decide, without any medical training, that a medical issue makes you an immediate threat and recommend suspension of your license. When a law enforcement officer deems an Immediate Threat Suspension appropriate, all they have to do to initiate a suspension is complete a brief form and submit it to the Registry of Motor Vehicles’ Driver Control Unit. Similarly, a medical provider may submit this form if they believe your medical condition prevents you from driving safely. The RMV typically defers to law enforcement and medical providers without additional steps, granting any immediate threat suspensions they request.
To combat an immediate threat license suspension or revocation, it is best to enlist the services of a skilled Massachusetts Suspended License Attorney. You have the right to request a hearing before the RMV to reinstate your driver’s license or right to operate a motor vehicle. Massachusetts License Suspension Attorney Tracy Paulsen has over fifteen years of experience with RMV hearings and has helped hundreds of drivers defend against immediate threat allegations. Massachusetts Suspended License Law Firm Rightful Legal has the experience and skills to guide you through the RMV and Board of Appeals hearing process and get you back on the road, legally.
⇨ If you’ve had your Massachusetts driver’s license suspended or revoked as an immediate threat, you can contact our Massachusetts Revoked License Attorneys at Rightful Legal today online. You can also reach us by calling 617-821-5856.
What is an Immediate Threat Suspension in Massachusetts?
- According to the RMV, an Immediate Threat Suspension is issued “If the RMV determines that your operation of a motor vehicle poses an immediate threat to public safety. . .”
- In this situation, the RMV can revoke your learner’s permit, driver’s license, vehicle registration, or right to operate immediately, without a hearing or a court order, for an indefinite period. They may or may not choose to notify you before suspending your license
- Immediate threat suspensions are based on MGL c. 90, s. 22, which states, “The registrar may suspend or revoke without a hearing any certificate of registration or any license issued under this chapter whenever the holder thereof has committed a violation of the motor vehicle laws of a nature which would give the registrar reason to believe that continuing operation by such holder is and will be so seriously improper as to constitute an immediate threat to the public safety.”
Can You Get a Hardship or “Cinderella” License with an Immediate Threat Suspension?
No. There are no hardship exceptions to an Immediate Threat License Suspension in Massachusetts. In suspending your license as an immediate threat, the RMV has decided that it is dangerous for you to drive at all. They will not grant an exception. The only way to legally drive again is to have the Immediate Threat Suspension removed.
How Do Medical Immediate Threat Suspensions Work?
In Massachusetts, if you get an Immediate Threat medical suspension, you’ll need to show medical proof that you’re safe to drive to regain your license. This usually means having a doctor fill out clearance forms to submit to the RMV. These forms may cover your overall health, mental health, vision, and any history of passing out behind the wheel.
Just turning in these clearance forms doesn’t mean you automatically get your license reinstated by the RMV. A hearing officer will look over the paperwork and decide whether or not to reinstate you. The hearing officer might also require you to take a road test to prove you can safely drive.
Even if your doctor says you’re okay to drive, the RMV can still go against your doctor and decide you’re not a safe driver. The RMV has the final say. If they say no, you have the right to hire a lawyer and appeal the decision. Experienced Massachusetts Immediate Threat Suspension Lawyer Tracy Paulsen can help you with that process.
If you’ve lost your license to a medical Immediate Threat Suspension, call Rightful Legal at 617-821-5856. Our team can provide a free, confidential consultation to evaluate your suspended license case.
How Do You Get Your License Back After a Massachusetts Immediate Threat License Suspension?
The first thing you should do is talk to a Massachusetts Suspended License Lawyer who handles RMV and Board of Appeal cases. Attorney Tracy Paulsen has experience with the Board of Appeals, the government agency that can overturn RMV immediate threat suspensions, and she can help you understand your next steps.
Typically, you’ll need to go to the RMV for a hearing. If you have criminal charges related to your suspension, the RMV will make you wait until the court case is over. In the meantime, the hearing officer might give you advice on what to do to improve your chances or regaining your license later.
But keep in mind, even if your charges are dropped or you’re found not guilty, that doesn’t mean you automatically get your license back after an immediate threat suspension. The RMV uses a different legal standard. In court, the bar to prove you committed a crime is beyond a reasonable doubt. At the RMV, it’s just more likely than not that you’re an unsafe driver and a threat to public safety.
RMV hearings are not like regular court. They’re administrative hearings, meaning they follow different rules. Things that might protect you in court won’t always help here. It is best to have a seasoned Massachusetts License Suspension Lawyer in your corner. The RMV’s goal is not to help you, it’s to protect the public from anyone it seems unsafe. You need someone like Attorney Tracy Paulsen to Fight for Your Rights and make sure you are treated fairly by the RMV and Board of Appeals.
How Long Does a Massachusetts Immediate Threat Suspension Last?
In Massachusetts, immediate threat suspensions are indefinite. This means an immediate threat suspension has no end date. It continues until you win a hearing to regain your license.
⇨Contact Massachusetts Immediate Threat Suspension Lawyer Tracy Paulsen today at 617-821-5856 or online. The team at Rightful Legal is ready to help show you are a safe driver and work to get you back behind the wheel.
How Much Does It Cost to Have Your License Reinstated After an Immediate Threat Suspension?
If you succeed in regaining your license, there is a mandatory fee to the RMV of $500. This is the case even if you prove you are a safe driver.
What Happens if You Ignore an Immediate Threat License Suspension?
If your license has been suspended due to an Immediate Threat complaint, it is critical that you do not drive at all. Even if the suspension is unfair, you must comply with it. Being caught Operating After Suspension can result in jail time and will automatically trigger an extra 60-day suspension of your license.
The Board of Appeals takes a very serious view of drivers who operate a vehicle after their license has been suspended. Even a single incident can negatively impact your chances of winning a license appeal.
Even if you’re not convicted, just being cited or arrested for driving with a suspended license can be enough for the RMV to deny your request for reinstatement. The Registry considers any indication of post-suspension driving as a significant strike against you.
Why You Should Contact a Massachusetts Immediate Threat Suspension Attorney Now
The Massachusetts Immediate Threat License Suspension system is confusing and difficult to navigate. Many Massachusetts drivers do not understand their rights when the RMV revokes their license without a court hearing and sometimes with no notice. Normal drivers facing an immediate suspension with no end date can struggle to regain their license on their own.
Massachusetts License Suspension Law Firm Rightful Legal can help you get your license back, and with it your ability to drive to work and run errands. We assist clients from all over Massachusetts by gathering evidence, representing them at hearings, and handling communications with the RMV and Board of Appeals.
Why Trust Rightful Legal with Your Massachusetts Immediate Threat Suspension Case?
Massachusetts Suspended License Attorney Tracy Paulsen has over fifteen years of experience in representing drivers. At Rightful Legal, we provide a completely cost-free, obligation-free, and private consultation to help you understand your Immediate Threat Suspension case.
Rightful Legal is passionate about obtaining justice for drivers who have unfairly had their licenses taken away. Attorney Tracy Paulsen has years of experience in proving her clients are safe drivers, bringing unique insight into the RMV license suspension system to every client’s unique case.
Do not wait to contact us. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can work to get you back on the road. Call 617-821-5856 or contact our Massachusetts Suspended License Attorneys at Rightful Legal immediately online today.
This article was reviewed by Tracy Paulsen, a Massachusetts Suspended License Lawyer and Managing Attorney of Rightful Legal. She is a barred Attorney in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
