You may have a lawyer present, or attempt to fight the ticket yourself. If you choose not to take any action, the state could choose to suspend your license. Massachusetts speeding ticket fees In Massachusetts, the base fee is $50 plus a $50 surcharge for every speeding offense that’s 10 miles over the posted limit.
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Feb 22, 2022 · You may have a lawyer present, or attempt to fight the ticket yourself. If you choose not to take any action, the state could choose to suspend your license. Massachusetts speeding ticket fees In Massachusetts, the base fee is $50 plus a $50 surcharge for every speeding offense that’s 10 miles over the posted limit.
In Massachusetts, you are afforded 2 hearings, a clerk magistrate's hearing and a judge's hearing. Often, the clerk magistrate will offer to reduce the ticket. In this instance, you will still be found responsible, and accordingly will be assessed insurance surcharges. In this instance, you may pay a $20.00 fee and get a second hearing, at a ...
The attorneys at DelSignore Law have extensive experience in addressing driving offenses and will be more than happy to answer any questions about your appeal. Do not let a speeding ticket ruin your driving record. Call DelSignore Law anytime at 781-686-5924 to discuss your case. Search. Search.
If you've been pulled over and issued a ticket for an offense -- like speeding, running a stop sign or red light, mechanical violation, or reckless driving -- a traffic ticket attorney can help. Hiring a traffic ticket attorney can make the difference between getting a warning and paying fines or having your drivers license suspended.
VIOLATION CODE | OUR SUCCESS RATE |
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22349(b) | 80.00% |
22350 | 91.89% |
22356(b) | 82.22% |
22362 | 100.00% |
Have you found yourself on the receiving end of a speeding ticket in the state of Massachusetts? You aren’t sure what comes next, but you want to know your options. You’re not alone. Keep reading to find out what to do, now that you’ve gotten a ticket.
You have less than 3 weeks to decide what you are going to do once you find yourself in possession of a speeding ticket. You have two real options as listed below, so choose what works best for your situation, based on the circumstances involved in receiving the ticket.
In Massachusetts, the base fee is $50 plus a $50 surcharge for every speeding offense that’s 10 miles over the posted limit. If you are going faster than 10 miles over the posted limit, the fee will raise for each mile. This is further explained below.
The fee increases by $10 for every mile over 10mph above the posted limit, which can ramp up your fee. If you were going 70 in the 55 for example, your base charge would be $100 up to 65 and then another $50 for the extra 5 mph, making your total ticket fee $150 in this instance. All speeding ticket fees are doubled in construction zones.
It’s pretty easy to follow the posted speed limits and stay beneath them, but there are sometimes areas that are not posted. If you want to avoid getting a speeding ticket, review the speeds for the areas that may not be posted.
This depends on the officer and the circumstances that they have at the time. It’s not enough to just hope that they do not show up to the judge’s hearing.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (n.d.). Appeal your traffic ticket. Mass.gov. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://www.mass.gov/how-to/appeal-your-traffic-ticket
Appeal your ticket In Massachusetts, you have 20 days from the date the ticket is issued to appeal. Make sure that you check off the box to appeal the ticket. If you pay any amount of the fine, the Registry deems it an admission and you will not be entitled to a hearing.
Examine the Ticket Examine the ticket. Are their inconsistencies on the ticket? Does the ticket correctly identify your sex, color, the road, the date and time? Any of these can be a possible defense to the ticket.
Practice Practice makes perfect. Its a good idea to practice what you are going to say in your hearing. That way, you will be more comfortable during the hearing and less likely to miss a key detail.
Understand the Ticket Learn what statute you were cited under. Determine if your conduct falls under the statute, or whether you have a defense. Were you cited for speeding? If so, what method was used to determine your speed? In Massachusetts, speed in measured by lidar, radar, estimated, posted and clocked.
Appeal a Responsible Finding In Massachusetts, you are afforded 2 hearings, a clerk magistrate's hearing and a judge's hearing. Often, the clerk magistrate will offer to reduce the ticket. In this instance, you will still be found responsible, and accordingly will be assessed insurance surcharges.
If you've been pulled over and issued a ticket for an offense -- like speeding, running a stop sign or red light, mechanical violation, or reckless driving -- a traffic ticket attorney can help.
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What will make a difference is how fast you were driving. Massachusetts charges a flat $50 for speeding 10 mph over the speed limit or less. There is also a flat $50 fine for each ticket that goes to the state’s Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund. In addition, MA charges $10 per mph more than 10 mph over the speed limit. For example, if you were driving 45 mph in a 30 mph zone (15 mph over the speed limit), you’d be charged an additional $50 for a total of $150.
If you wish to dispute your ticket, you can request a civil hearing with a Massachusetts court magistrate, which requires paying a $25 fee. At a hearing, a representative of the police department will read a report from the officer who cited you.
Massachusetts’s point system is linked directly to your insurance premium. The state has something called the Safe Driver Insurance Program (SDIP), which rewards safe drivers but mandates that insurance premiums are increased for drivers with points on their record. That’s why Massachusetts calls them “surchargeable points” – they result in a surcharge to your insurance rate. Speeding is considered a minor traffic violation, which is worth 2 SDIP points. Other violations, such as running through a stop sign or causing an accident, will also result in points. You can see a full breakdown of the policy on the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles website. If you start receiving points, your insurance premium will go up by the following percentages:
The biggest discount is called “Excellent Driver Discount Plus” and applies when you have at least 6 years of driving experience and have had no surchargeable events in the last 6 years. That’s worth a 17% insurance premium discount.
Driving safely is particularly important because in Massachusetts speeding points are automatically linked to insurance premiums. Your rate will go up by a prescribed amount if you are convicted of a speeding violation.
In general, points will stay on your record for 6 years, which means paying increased insurance premiums for at least 6 years. However, there is one way to remove points from your record. It’s called the “Clean in 3” rule, and it has the following 3 requirements:
Your license will be suspended if you are cited for the following number of violations: 3 violations within 1 year: 30-day suspension. 3 violations within 2 years: suspension until completion of training program. 5 violations within 3 years: suspension until completion of training program.
If you’re pulled over in Massachusetts for a speeding violation, you will need to present your license and registration. The officer may let you off with a warning, or they’ll go ahead and write you a ticket, which comes with a fine.
The minimum fine for a speeding ticket in Massachusetts is $100, but you will be charged more depending on how much you were exceeding the speed limit.
Paying the fine outright is the simplest way to deal with a speeding ticket. There are a few options for paying your ticket off:
If you can’t afford to pay the fine, don’t want more points on your record, or don’t believe you were speeding, you’ll have to fight your ticket in a Massachusetts court.
Having a speeding ticket on your record can raise your insurance prices. Even after only one ticket, Massachusetts drivers could experience up to a 31% hike in their insurance premiums.
It’s possible to lose your license for speeding. In Massachusetts, a speeding ticket is considered a minor traffic violation that can result in two points being added to your driving record.