Out-of-State Violations

Massachusetts has arranged to share driving-record and criminal-violation information with other states. Certain traffic offenses you have committed in other states will be placed on your driving record and treated by the RMV as if they had occurred in Massachusetts.

As explained later in this chapter, out-of-state violations count toward possible license suspension and automobile insurance surcharges. Furthermore, if your license or driving privileges have been suspended or revoked in another state, your Massachusetts license will be suspended automatically.

Out-of-State Suspensions

If your driving privileges have been suspended or revoked in another state, your Massachusetts driver’s license will be suspended until your out-of-state suspension or revocation is resolved. Once your license has been reinstated in the state that suspended or revoked it, you can settle your Massachusetts suspension by bringing either a reinstatement letter or a current driving record from the state of suspension to any full service RMV Branch. For certain offenses, you may be required to submit additional information. Your reinstatement letter or driving record must be no more than 30 days old. Each state in the United States is required to notify the Massachusetts RMV of any traffic offenses you commit out of state. Again, these offenses will be treated as if they occurred in the Commonwealth if they are a “like” offense.

To determine what is a “like” offense, the RMV will look at what conduct the other state’s law prohibits, not whether or not the other state chose to assess a higher or lower penalty, or treat the offense as a civil or criminal infraction.

Massachusetts state law requires the RMV to apply Massachusetts license suspension rules to any of these out-of-state violations, even if an offense did not cause a suspension in another state.

What does MVA consider a moving violation conviction?

A moving violation conviction is any conviction for which points are assessed under the Maryland point system, or any conviction received in another state or jurisdiction that is similar to a moving violation in Maryland.

Maryland car insurance information found here.

The Maryland Driver’s Handbook states that traffic violation convictions that occur in member states of the Drivers License Compact and thus are reported back the MD Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) will be treated in the same manner as if the offenses occurred in Maryland.

Out of state traffic convictions for moving violations are put on to the Maryland motorist’s driving record when the information is received in from the other jurisdiction. Whether Maryland assesses points or not for a violation usually does not matter to an insurance company, it is the violation itself they look at.

So, yes an out of state moving violation that is listed on your Maryland driving history can be looked at by your insurance company. It will depend on your insurance company’s rating system if this violation will be “used against” you and affect your insurance premiums.

Out-of-State Convictions

The department also assesses negligent operator points for traffic convictions California drivers receive in other states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Under Vehicle Code 13363, the department determines whether the same violation, if committed in California, would be assessed negligent operator point count or would be grounds for suspension or revocation. Points resulting from out-of-state convictions may form the basis, or part of the basis, for a NOTS action.

Out-of-State Collisions

If a California driver has a collision out-of-state, it may be reported to the department through the Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS), National Driver Register or out-of-state law enforcement agencies. These collisions are entered on individual records and report the date and location of the collision. When there is not enough information to determine responsibility, these collisions are not assigned NOTS points. Therefore, no NOTS action is imposed, except if the driver is suspended at Level III or IV and the collision occurs during a suspension when it is evidence of driving while suspended.

When these reports are reviewed and it is determined that the driver was responsible, had been drinking, was injured, etc. the report is then updated onto the driver’s record and, if the driver was responsible, the collision adds a NOTS point to the record.