Massachusetts Is Looking To Implement A New ‘Toll’ Law For Drivers

Every time we drive down the Mass Pike in Massachusetts, we pass the cameras that hang over the highway, snapping license plates for non-E-ZPass customers so they can send a bill in the mail. While they're not going away anytime soon, the state is looking to change a law that allows licenses not to be suspended for long-overdue tolls.

A new law aims to eliminate a common cause of license suspensions that some drivers may face

Under the proposed law, as reported by The U.S. Sun, drivers may keep their licenses despite accumulating specific fines and penalties that qualify for this exception. Massachusetts Senate Bill 2874, introduced by Democratic Senator Julian Cyr, is titled “An Act to Increase Opportunity by Ending Debt-Based Driving Restrictions,” according to the bill’s summary.

“This is really something that just seems out-of-date, we want to eliminate the surprise suspension of a license due to fees and fines that people may not even be aware of.”  - Cyr told Boston NBC affiliate WBTS

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How drivers will gain from the new legislation

The proposed law aims to protect drivers from the loss of their driving privileges due to unpaid fines related to certain minor offenses. Under the current system, unpaid fines such as delinquent toll charges, vehicle excise taxes, or overdue speeding and parking tickets can lead to license suspensions. However, this new legislation would exclude more serious safety violations from this restriction, ensuring that drivers are not penalized with license suspensions for less severe infractions.

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How will drivers find out if and when the new law comes into effect?

Drivers will be notified of unresolved issues when renewing their license if the law is enacted. This could have helped Bob Arruda address a problem before his license suspension, after he received a 30-year-old ticket. He fought the ticket in court and won shortly after it was issued, and he has been successful on multiple renewals since then.