Can i register my car if my license is suspended

Bad payments made to the RMV

The RMV will suspend or revoke your permit, license, or right to operate, and registration indefinitely if you make a bad payment. A bad payment is any payment that is rescinded, invalidated, rejected, or not paid in full.

If your license, right to operate, or vehicle registration is suspended due to a bad payment, you must make full restitution before your license, right to operate, or vehicle registration can be restored.

A $15.00 fee is charged for all bad payments. A $100.00 fee is also required to reinstate your driver's license, right to operate, and/or vehicle registration. These fees are payable by cash, certified check, or money order only made payable to MassDOT.

This payment may be made at any RMV Service Center or you can mail your certified check or money order to:

Registry of Motor Vehicles Revenue Control
PO Box 55889
Boston, MA 02205-5889

Child support non-payment

As stated in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 22(g), the RMV will suspend or revoke your learner's permit, driver's license, or right to operate, and/or registration indefinitely if you fail to pay child support to the Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division.

The RMV will mail a suspension notice to your address on file stating that you must pay the child support obligation within 10 days.

• If you pay the child support obligation before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will not take any adverse action
• If you fail to pay the child support obligation before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will suspend or revoke your learner's permit, driver's license, or right to operate, and/or registration until this obligation is satisfied

Court defaults

If you fail to appear for a criminal court hearing, the court will issue an arrest warrant, or, previously, the court may have submitted a criminal citation default to the RMV. In both cases, your license or right to operate will be revoked until you appear at the court to resolve your issue.

Many criminal offenses carry mandatory revocation periods. Even if you resolve the warrant or citation default, if you are found guilty, your license or right to operate may be suspended or revoked.

The RMV will mail a suspension notice to your address on file stating that you have 30 days to contact the court having issued the default and obtain either a release form or a supplemental court abstract authorizing the RMV to release this default suspension or revocation.

• If you satisfy the court default before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will not take any adverse action
• If you do not satisfy the court default before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will suspend or revoke your permit, license, or right to operate until this court default has been satisfied

Once the court has cleared the default, a supplemental court abstract will be mailed to the RMV indicating the final disposition of the violation.

In some cases, a court may have issued both an arrest warrant and a court default for the same incident. This would generate 2 indefinite suspensions. These suspensions must be resolved with the court, and a release form, court abstract, and/or warrant recall must be presented to the RMV to be reinstated.

Note: Many criminal offenses carry mandatory suspension periods if found guilty in court. Even though you may clear the warrant, if you are found guilty of the underlying charge, your permit, license, or right to operate may be suspended or revoked.

Failure to register as a sex offender

As stated in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 22(j), the RMV may suspend or revoke your learner's permit, driver's license, or right to operate, and/or registration indefinitely if you fail to register as a sex offender with the Sex Offender Registry Board.

The RMV will mail a suspension notice to your address on file stating that you will be suspended 90 days from the date of issue. You can register as a sex offender by visiting the visiting the Sex Offender Registry Board page.

• If you register as a sex offender before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will not take any adverse action
• If you do not register as a sex offender before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will suspend or revoke your learner's permit, driver's license, or right to operate, and/or registration until you register

Additional Resources

No active insurance policy

As stated in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 34H, the RMV will suspend or revoke your vehicle registration indefinitely when notified that your insurance policy has been cancelled, if you have not provided proof of a new insurance policy. 

The RMV will mail a suspension notice to your address on file stating that you must provide proof of valid insurance within 10 days from the date of issue.

• If you provide proof of valid insurance to the RMV before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will not take any adverse action
• If you do not provide proof of valid insurance to the RMV the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will suspend or revoke your vehicle registration until you provide proof of insurance

State tax non-payment

As stated in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 62C Section 47B, the RMV may suspend or revoke your learner's permit, driver's license, or right to operate, and/or registration indefinitely if you fail to pay state taxes to the Department of Revenue Collections Bureau.

The RMV will mail a suspension notice to your address on file stating that you will be suspended 10 days from the date of issue.

• If you pay your state taxes to the Department of Revenue Collections Bureau before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will not take any adverse action
• If you do not pay your state taxes to the Department of Revenue Collections Bureau before the date listed on the suspension notice, the RMV will suspend or revoke your learner's permit, driver's license, or right to operate, and/or registration until they are paid