Massachusetts
Massachusetts Reckless Driving and Operating to Endanger Laws
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 25, 2026). · 16 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Massachusetts has no offense called "reckless driving" by that name. The General Laws punish it in Chapter 90, Section 24(2)(a), the offense of operating to endanger: whoever, on a public way or other place the statute lists, "operates a motor vehicle recklessly, or operates such a vehicle negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered" faces a fine of $20 to $200, imprisonment for two weeks to two years, or both. The statute sets no speed that counts as reckless by itself, and a conviction leads the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to revoke the license unless the court recommends otherwise, with no reinstatement for at least 60 days on a first offense.
Information last verified on 2026-10-25. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 on reckless and negligent operation (Section 24(2)(a)), speed, drag racing, the license consequences in Sections 22, 22F and 24, the Safe Driver Insurance Plan surcharge points, and driving without a license or after suspension. It does not cover OUI penalties (see Massachusetts DUI laws), motor vehicle homicide (see Massachusetts manslaughter laws), leaving the scene of a crash (see Massachusetts hit-and-run laws), city or town bylaws, or commercial-driver and federal rules beyond a short note. For other states, see reckless driving laws by state.
What is reckless driving in Massachusetts?
Section 24(2)(a) of Chapter 90 opens with the offense:
"(2) (a) Whoever upon any way or in any place to which the public has a right of access, or any place to which members of the public have access as invitees or licensees, operates a motor vehicle recklessly, or operates such a vehicle negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, or upon a bet or wager or in a race, ... shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty dollars nor more than two hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not less than two weeks nor more than two years, or both;" M.G.L. c. 90, s. 24(2)(a)
Two points follow from those words:
- Reckless and negligent operation share one offense. The section covers operating "recklessly" and operating "negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered" in the same clause, with the same penalty. The Division of Insurance's list of traffic law violations names the reckless form "Driving to endanger or reckless driving."
- It reaches more than public roads. The section applies on "any way or in any place to which the public has a right of access," and in "any place to which members of the public have access as invitees or licensees."
The same penalty sentence also covers, among other things, racing on a bet or wager or in a race, operating to make a record in violation of the speed rules, leaving the scene after knowingly colliding with or causing injury to another vehicle or property, lending a license or learner's permit, false statements in license or registration applications, and negligently causing injury while violating Section 8M, 12A or 13B. Leaving the scene of a crash that injures a person is a separate, harsher offense in Section 24(2)(a1/2) (see Massachusetts hit-and-run laws).
Section 24G(c), the reckless homicide provision, defines the term: "For the purpose of this section, a person operates recklessly when that person consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered." That definition is written for Section 24G.
Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in Massachusetts? Penalties
Yes. Section 24(2)(a) does not use either word, but under Chapter 274, Section 1, "A crime punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison is a felony. All other crimes are misdemeanors." The reckless and negligent operation penalty in Section 24(2)(a) does not provide for imprisonment in the state prison, so those offenses are misdemeanors. The section states the penalty directly:
- a fine of $20 to $200;
- imprisonment for not less than two weeks and not more than two years; or
- both.
The jail term has a two-week floor as well as a two-year ceiling. Section 24(2)(a) has no injury tier of its own. When a driver who is under the influence operates recklessly or negligently and causes serious bodily injury, Section 24L applies: a separate offense punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 2 1/2 to 10 years, or in a jail or house of correction for 6 months to 2 1/2 years, and in either case a fine of up to $5,000. For OUI penalties generally, see Massachusetts DUI laws.
$250 assessment. The second paragraph of Section 24(2)(a) adds "an assessment of $250 against a person who, by a court of the commonwealth, is convicted of, is placed on probation for or is granted a continuance without a finding for or otherwise pleads guilty to or admits to a finding of sufficient facts of operating a motor vehicle negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered under this section." The statute provides that the assessment "shall not be subject to reduction or waiver by the court for any reason."
Repeat prosecutions. Section 24(3) provides that the prosecution of a person for a violation of any provision of Section 24, "if a subsequent offence, shall not, unless the interests of justice require such disposition, be placed on file or otherwise disposed of except by trial, judgment and sentence according to the regular course of criminal proceedings," and may be otherwise disposed of "only on motion in writing stating specifically the reasons therefor."
How fast is reckless driving in Massachusetts?
Chapter 90 names no speed that is reckless operation by itself. Speed is governed by Section 17, which provides that "No person operating a motor vehicle on any way shall run it at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to traffic and the use of the way and the safety of the public."
The numbers in Section 17 are evidence, not offense thresholds. Unless a way is otherwise posted, it is "prima facie evidence of a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper" to exceed, among other limits, 50 mph on a divided highway outside a thickly settled or business district for a quarter of a mile, 30 mph inside a thickly settled or business district for one-eighth of a mile, and 20 mph in a school zone.
Under Section 20, a speeding conviction carries a fine of not less than $50, and where the speed exceeded the limit by more than 10 mph, "an additional fine of ten dollars for each mile per hour in excess of the ten miles per hour." On a third or subsequent speeding conviction in the same twelve-month period, "the registrar shall forthwith revoke the license," with no new license for at least 30 days.
Negligent operation: Massachusetts' careless-driving offense
Negligent operation is Massachusetts' careless-driving-type offense, and it lives inside Section 24(2)(a): operating "negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered" carries the same $20 to $200 fine and two-week to two-year jail range as reckless operation, plus the $250 assessment described above.
License revocation and surcharge points in Massachusetts
Revocation after a conviction. Section 24(2)(b) provides that a conviction under Section 24(2)(a) "shall be reported forthwith by the court or magistrate to the registrar, who may in any event, and shall unless the court or magistrate recommends otherwise, revoke immediately the license or right to operate of the person so convicted."
When the license can come back. Under Section 24(2)(c)(iv), a person convicted of "any other provision of paragraph (a)" may not be reinstated "until sixty days after the date of his original conviction if for a first offense or one year after the date of revocation following any subsequent conviction within a period of three years."
Junior operators. A person holding a junior operator's license who is convicted of operating recklessly or negligently under paragraph (a) "shall not be eligible for license reinstatement until 180 days after the date of his original conviction for a first offense or 1 year after the date of revocation following a subsequent conviction within a period of 3 years" (s. 24(2)(c)).
Registrar's own powers. Under Section 22(a), the registrar "may suspend or revoke without a hearing" a license when the holder has committed a motor vehicle violation that gives the registrar reason to believe continued operation "is and will be so seriously improper as to constitute an immediate threat to the public safety." Under Section 22(b), after a hearing, the registrar may suspend or revoke a license when the holder is incompetent or "is operating a motor vehicle improperly," though a suspension under that subsection may not exceed thirty days.
Habitual traffic offender. Section 22F treats a person as a habitual traffic offender on three or more convictions within five years, "singularly or in combination," of listed offenses that include operating under the influence, "operating a motor vehicle recklessly or negligently so that the lives and safety of the public might be endangered," operating after suspension or revocation under Section 23, operating without a license under Section 10, and any felony committed with a motor vehicle, or on twelve or more convictions of reportable offenses that carry a suspension or revocation of thirty days or more. After revoking the license, the registrar "shall not issue a new license or reinstate the right to operate to such person for a period of four years from the date of revocation."
Safe Driver Insurance Plan surcharge points
Massachusetts' Safe Driver Insurance Plan, a Division of Insurance regulation (211 CMR 134), assigns insurance surcharge points for traffic law violations. Under 211 CMR 134.13, "Five Surcharge Points shall be assigned to each major traffic law violation," and "Two Surcharge Points shall be assigned to each minor traffic law violation," as 211 CMR 134.09 defines those terms.
The Division's list of traffic law violations for the plan places "Driving to endanger or reckless driving" (c. 90, s. 24) and "Refusing to Stop for Officer" (c. 90, s. 25) among major traffic law violations, 5 surcharge points each, and "Negligently operating" (c. 90, s. 24), "Racing" (c. 90, s. 24) and "Drag racing, speeding" (c. 90, s. 17B) among minor traffic law violations, 2 points each.
Commercial driver's licenses
Under federal rule 49 C.F.R. 383.51 (Table 2), driving recklessly "as defined by State or local law or regulation" is a serious traffic violation for a commercial license holder: a first one carries no federal disqualification, and a conviction in a non-commercial vehicle counts toward the second- and third-offense disqualifications only if it results in the revocation, cancellation or suspension of the license or non-commercial driving privileges. The reckless driving laws by state hub covers the federal layer.
Drag racing and racing in Massachusetts
Drag racing (Section 17B). Section 17B provides: "No person shall operate a motor vehicle, nor shall any owner of such vehicle permit it to be operated, in a manner where the owner or operator accelerates at a high rate of speed in competition with another operator, whether or not there is an agreement to race, causing increased noise from skidding tires and amplified noise from racing engines." The statute reaches an owner who permits it, applies with or without an agreement to race, and is written around acceleration in competition plus the tire and engine noise it causes.
A violation "shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 1/2 years or by a fine of not more than $1,000." The registrar "shall suspend" the violator's license "for a period of not less than 30 days for a first offense and for not less than 180 days for any subsequent violation." For a holder of a junior operator's license or learner's permit, Section 17B instead sets a fine of at least $250 and a 1-year suspension for a first offense, and at least $500 and a 3-year suspension for a subsequent one, and requires completion of the state courts against road rage program.
Racing on a bet or wager (Section 24(2)(a)). Operating "upon a bet or wager or in a race," or operating to make a record in violation of the speed rules, falls in the same penalty sentence as reckless operation: a fine of $20 to $200, two weeks to two years, or both.
Refusing to stop for police (Section 25). Section 25 provides that a person operating or in charge of a motor vehicle who "shall refuse or neglect to stop when signalled to stop by any police officer who is in uniform or who displays his badge conspicuously," among other listed refusals, "shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars."
Is there a wet reckless in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts' OUI provisions contain no wet reckless rule. Section 24 (which holds the OUI offense) and Sections 24D and 24E contain no provision that reduces an OUI charge to reckless or negligent operation, or that counts a reckless or negligent operation conviction as a prior OUI offense. Section 24(1)(a)(1) provides instead that an OUI prosecution "shall not be placed on file or continued without a finding except for dispositions under section twenty-four D." For OUI penalties, see Massachusetts DUI laws.
Driving without a license or after suspension in Massachusetts
Never issued a license. Section 20 provides that "any person convicted of operating a motor vehicle without having been issued a license by the registrar shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 for a first offense, by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, for a second offense and by a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,000, for any subsequent offense." The penalty is a fine only.
License not with you. Section 11 requires every person operating a motor vehicle to have the registration certificate and "his license to operate, upon his person or in the vehicle, in some easily accessible place."
After suspension or revocation (Section 23). The penalty depends on the record and the reason for the suspension:
- General rule: a first offense carries a fine of $500 to $1,000, imprisonment for up to ten days, or both, and any subsequent offense carries imprisonment for 60 days to one year. On a conviction, "the registrar shall extend said suspension or revocation for an additional sixty days."
- No prior finding: "Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph," a person who has not previously been found responsible for or convicted of operating after suspension or revocation "shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500." That paragraph "shall not apply" when the suspension or revocation was for an OUI offense under Section 24(1)(a) or for Sections 24D, 24E, 24G, 24L or 24N, among other listed grounds.
- Suspensions tied to OUI and other listed offenses: a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 and imprisonment in a house of correction for 60 days to two and one-half years, and "the sentence of imprisonment imposed upon such person shall not be reduced to less than sixty days, nor suspended."
- Habitual traffic offender revocation: operating after a revocation under Section 22F carries a fine of $500 to $5,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
- Operating under the influence while suspended for OUI: a person who operates in violation of Section 24(1)(a), 24G or 24L (among other listed provisions) while the license is suspended or revoked under one of those provisions faces a fine of $2,500 to $10,000 and a mandatory 1 to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction, "to be served consecutively to and not concurrent with any other sentence or penalty."
Massachusetts reckless driving and related offenses: penalty table
| Offense | Statute | What it prohibits | Class or grade | Statutory penalty range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reckless operation (operating to endanger) | c. 90, s. 24(2)(a) | Operating a motor vehicle recklessly on a public way or other listed place | Misdemeanor (c. 274, s. 1) | Fine $20 to $200, two weeks to two years, or both; license revocation (reinstatement after 60 days, first offense) |
| Negligent operation endangering the public | c. 90, s. 24(2)(a) | Operating negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered | Misdemeanor (c. 274, s. 1) | Same as reckless operation, plus a $250 assessment |
| Racing on a bet or wager or in a race | c. 90, s. 24(2)(a) | Operating on a bet or wager or in a race | Misdemeanor (c. 274, s. 1) | Fine $20 to $200, two weeks to two years, or both |
| Drag racing | c. 90, s. 17B | Accelerating at a high rate of speed in competition with another operator, causing tire and engine noise | Misdemeanor (c. 274, s. 1) | House of correction up to 2 1/2 years or a fine up to $1,000; license suspension of at least 30 days (180 for a repeat); junior operator or learner's permit: fine of at least $250 and 1-year suspension (first), at least $500 and 3 years (subsequent) |
| Speeding | c. 90, ss. 17, 20 | Speed greater than is reasonable and proper | Not labelled | Fine of at least $50, plus $10 per mph beyond 10 mph over; 30-day revocation on a third conviction in 12 months |
| Refusing to stop for police | c. 90, s. 25 | Refusing or neglecting to stop when signalled by a uniformed police officer | Not labelled | Fine of $100 |
| Operating without ever being issued a license | c. 90, s. 20 | Operating without having been issued a license | Fine only | Up to $500 (first); $500 to $1,000 (second); $1,000 to $2,000 (later) |
| Operating after suspension or revocation | c. 90, s. 23 | Operating after a license is suspended or revoked | Misdemeanor (c. 274, s. 1) | First: $500 to $1,000, up to 10 days, or both; later: 60 days to 1 year; OUI-related: $1,000 to $10,000 and 60 days to 2 1/2 years; after a habitual traffic offender revocation: $500 to $5,000, up to 2 years, or both; operating under the influence while suspended for OUI: $2,500 to $10,000 and a mandatory 1 to 2 1/2 years, consecutive |
Chapter 90 states each of these penalties in the section itself. For how Massachusetts grades crimes more generally, see Massachusetts felony and misdemeanor classes.
Vehicular homicide in Massachusetts
When reckless or negligent operation causes a death, the governing offenses are homicide by a motor vehicle while under the influence and reckless homicide by a motor vehicle under Chapter 90, Section 24G, covered on the Massachusetts manslaughter laws page.
Recent changes to Massachusetts reckless driving law
- 2022 traffic-fatalities act. Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2022, An Act to reduce traffic fatalities, amended Chapter 90, Sections 1, 6, 7, 14 and 18.
- A bill, not a law. House Bill 1871 of the 194th General Court, An Act relative to the reckless operation of motor vehicles, was referred to the Judiciary Committee on February 27, 2025 and on March 26, 2026 accompanied a study order (H.5281). It did not change the statute.
Related Massachusetts laws
- Reckless driving laws by state
- Massachusetts DUI laws
- Massachusetts manslaughter laws
- Massachusetts felony and misdemeanor classes
- Massachusetts hit-and-run laws
- Massachusetts expungement laws
- New York reckless driving laws
This article is general legal information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Massachusetts, or the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles for license questions.
Last updated: 2026-10-25.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is reckless driving a crime in Massachusetts?
Yes. Operating a motor vehicle recklessly, or negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, is punishable under M.G.L. c. 90, s. 24(2)(a) by a fine of $20 to $200, imprisonment for two weeks to two years, or both.
What is operating to endanger in Massachusetts?
It is the offense in c. 90, s. 24(2)(a) of operating negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, or operating recklessly. Both forms carry the same penalty, and negligent operation adds a $250 assessment.
How fast is reckless driving in Massachusetts?
Chapter 90 sets no speed that is reckless operation by itself. Section 17 bars speed greater than is reasonable and proper, and Section 20 sets speeding fines of at least $50, plus $10 per mph beyond 10 mph over the limit.
Will a reckless driving conviction suspend your license in Massachusetts?
Section 24(2)(b) provides that the registrar may, and shall unless the court recommends otherwise, revoke the license immediately. Reinstatement waits at least 60 days after a first conviction, or 1 year after a repeat within 3 years (s. 24(2)(c)).
How many points is reckless driving in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts uses insurance surcharge points under the Safe Driver Insurance Plan. The Division of Insurance lists driving to endanger or reckless driving as a major traffic law violation (5 points under 211 CMR 134.13) and negligent operation as a minor violation (2 points).
Does Massachusetts have a wet reckless?
No. Sections 24, 24D and 24E of Chapter 90 contain no provision that reduces an OUI charge to reckless or negligent operation, and Section 24(1)(a)(1) bars filing or continuing an OUI prosecution without a finding except for dispositions under Section 24D.
Is drag racing illegal in Massachusetts?
Yes. Under c. 90, s. 17B, drag racing is punishable by up to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction or a fine up to $1,000, and the registrar shall suspend the license for at least 30 days for a first offense and 180 days for a repeat. A junior operator or learner's permit holder instead faces a fine of at least $250 and a 1-year suspension for a first offense.
What is the penalty for driving without a license in Massachusetts?
Operating without ever having been issued a license carries a fine of up to $500 for a first offense, $500 to $1,000 for a second and $1,000 to $2,000 after that (c. 90, s. 20). Operating after a suspension or revocation is a separate offense under Section 23.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 90
§ 24Driving while under influence of intoxicating liquor, etc.; second and subsequent offenses; punishment; treatment programs; reckless and unauthorized driving; failure to stop after collisionIn forcecited in 4 of our articles
Section 24. (1) (a) (1) Whoever, upon any way or in any place to which the public has a right of access, or upon any way or in any place to which members of the public have access as invitees or licensees, operates a motor vehicle with a percentage, by weight, of alcohol in their blood of eight one-hundredths or greater, or while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or of marijuana, narcotic drugs, depressants or stimulant substances, all as defined in section one of chapter ninety-four C, or while under the influence from smelling or inhaling the fumes of any substance having the property of releasing toxic vapors as defined in section 18 of chapter 270 shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than five thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two and one-half years, or both such fine and imprisonment.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-24 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
Cited in 873 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Commonwealth v. Connolly (1985) held under G. L. c. 90, section 24, the Commonwealth must prove alcohol diminished the driver's capacity to drive safely, not just a perceptible effect, and need not prove unsafe driving. Irwin v. Town of Ware (1984), a suit against a town, cited the section as legislative policy to remove drunk drivers.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Irwin v. Town of Ware (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1984, 392 Mass. 745)✓Ware police detained an allegedly drunk driver and released him; he then caused a crash injuring the plaintiffs. The SJC read chapter 90 section 24 as part of a scheme making removal of such drivers a nondiscretionary duty, so the town was not immune, but ordered a new trial.
- Commonwealth v. Jones (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1981, 382 Mass. 387)✓Jones drove the wrong way on a highway and killed three people; the SJC held the vehicular homicide statute did not impliedly repeal common law manslaughter, but vacated his chapter 90 section 24(2)(a) operating to endanger conviction as duplicative.
- Commonwealth v. Cruz (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 2011, 459 Mass. 459)✓Officers smelled burnt marijuana in a parked car and ordered the passenger out; the SJC affirmed suppression, noting the record left open whether the driver was operating under chapter 90 section 24 and that suspicion of the driver would not justify ordering the passenger out.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Massachusetts OUI Laws: Penalties, BAC & License (2026), Massachusetts Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do, Hit and Run Laws in the United States (2026 Guide)
§ 17Speed limitsIn force
Section 17. No person operating a motor vehicle on any way shall run it at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to traffic and the use of the way and the safety of the public. Unless a way is otherwise posted in accordance with the provisions of section eighteen, it shall be prima facie evidence of a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper as aforesaid (1) if a motor vehicle is operated on a divided highway outside a thickly settled or business district at a rate of speed exceeding fifty miles per hour for a distance of a quarter of a mile, or (2) on any other way outside a thickly settled or business district at a rate of speed exceeding forty miles per hour for a distance of a quarter of a mile, or (3) inside a thickly settled or business district at a rate of speed exceeding thirty miles per hour for a distance of one-eighth of a mile, or (4) within a school zone which may be established by a city or town as provided in section two of chapter eighty-five at a rate of speed exceeding twenty miles per hour.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
§ 17BDrag racing; penaltiesIn force
Section 17B. No person shall operate a motor vehicle, nor shall any owner of such vehicle permit it to be operated, in a manner where the owner or operator accelerates at a high rate of speed in competition with another operator, whether or not there is an agreement to race, causing increased noise from skidding tires and amplified noise from racing engines. Whoever violates this section shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 21/2 years or by a fine of not more than $1,000. The registrar shall suspend such violator's license for a period of not less than 30 days for a first offense and for not less than 180 days for any subsequent violation. Notwithstanding the penalties provided in the first paragraph, a holder of a junior operator's license or learner's permit who commits a violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than $250 for a first offense and the registrar shall suspend the junior operator's license or learner's permit for 1 year. A subsequent violation shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500 and the registrar shall suspend the junior operator's license or learner's permit for 3 years.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
§ 20Penalties and punishmentsIn force
Section 20. A person convicted of a violation of any provision of this chapter the punishment for which is not otherwise provided, or of a violation of any rule or regulation of the registrar made under authority of section thirty-one, shall be punished by a fine of not more than thirty-five dollars for the first offense, not less than thirty-five nor more than seventy-five dollars for a second offense, and not less than seventy-five nor more than one hundred and fifty dollars for subsequent offenses committed during any twelve-month period; provided, however, that any person convicted of operating a motor vehicle without having been issued a license by the registrar shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 for a first offense, by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, for a second offense and by a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,000, for any subsequent offense; provided, however, that any person convicted of operating or permitting the operation of a school bus carrying passengers in excess of the number authorized under section seven B shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
§ 22Suspension or revocation of certificate of registration or license; noticeIn force
Section 22. (a) 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. Upon such suspension or revocation, the registrar shall forthwith send written notice thereof to the licensee or registrant, as the case may be. Such notice shall specify the time and place of the violation. The registrar may order the license of such operator or the registration certificate and number plates to be delivered to him; and neither the certificate of registration nor the license shall be reissued unless, upon examination or investigation, or after a hearing, the registrar determines that the operator shall again be permitted to operate. Said operator shall be entitled to a hearing within thirty days of the suspension or revocation, and the registrar shall so advise him in his notice of suspension or revocation.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
§ 22FHabitual traffic offender; revocation of license; reinstatementIn force
Section 22F. A person shall be deemed an habitual traffic offender when records maintained by the registrar show that such person has accumulated the following convictions within a five-year period; provided, however, that when a person who has no prior record of an automobile law violation, as defined in section one of chapter ninety C, is convicted of more than one of the violations referred to in this section, if such offenses all occurred within a six-hour period, such convictions shall for the purposes of this section be treated as a single conviction:—(1) three or more convictions, singularly or in combination, of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotic drugs in violation of paragraph (a) of subdivision (1) of section twenty-four; operating a motor vehicle recklessly or negligently so that the lives and safety of the public might be endangered; making a false statement in an application for a learner's permit or motor vehicle operator's license or in an application for registration of a motor vehicle; going away without making known his name, residence and the registration number of his vehicle after knowingly colliding with or…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
§ 23Operation of motor vehicle after suspension or revocation of license; concealment of identity of motor vehicleIn force
Section 23. Any person convicted of operating a motor vehicle after his license to operate has been suspended or revoked, or after notice of the suspension or revocation of his right to operate a motor vehicle without a license has been issued by the registrar and received by such person or by his agent or employer, and prior to the restoration of such license or right to operate or to the issuance to him of a new license to operate, and any person convicted of operating or causing or permitting any other person to operate a motor vehicle after the certificate of registration for such vehicle has been suspended or revoked and prior to the restoration of such registration or to the issuance of a new certificate of registration for such vehicle, or whoever exhibits to an officer authorized to make arrests, when requested by said officer to show his license, a license issued to another person with intent to conceal his identity, shall, except as provided by section twenty-eight of chapter two hundred and sixty-six, be punished for a first offence by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than ten days, or both, and for…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
§ 25Refusal to submit to police officerIn force
Section 25. Any person who, while operating or in charge of a motor vehicle, shall refuse, when requested by a police officer, to give his name and address or the name and address of the owner of such motor vehicle, or who shall give a false name or address, or who shall refuse or neglect to stop when signalled to stop by any police officer who is in uniform or who displays his badge conspicuously on the outside of his outer coat or garment, or who refuses, on demand of such officer, to produce his license to operate such vehicle or his certificate of registration, or to permit such officer to take the license or certificate in hand for the purpose of examination, or who refuses, on demand of such officer, to sign his name in the presence of such officer, and any person who on the demand of an officer of the police or other officer mentioned in section twenty-nine or authorized by the registrar, without a reasonable excuse fails to deliver his license to operate motor vehicles or the certificate of registration of any motor vehicle operated or owned by him or the number plates furnished by the registrar for said motor vehicle, or who refuses or neglects to produce his license when…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
§ 11Carrying certificate of registration and license; presentation after accident upon requestIn force
Section 11. Every person operating a motor vehicle shall have the certificate of registration for the vehicle and for the trailer, if any, and his license to operate, upon his person or in the vehicle, in some easily accessible place, except that the certificates of registration of dealers, manufacturers, repairmen, owner-repairmen, farmers or dealers in both boats and boat trailers need not be so carried; provided, however, that the certificate of registration of a person who is operating a motor vehicle in accordance with the provisions of the last sentence of the fifth paragraph of section two need not be so carried; and, provided further, that in the case of a rental vehicle, a photostat copy of the certificate of registration, accompanied by the rental agreement, shall be sufficient to comply with the provisions of this section.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
§ 24GHomicide by motor vehicle; punishmentIn forcecited in 3 of our articles
Section 24G. (a) Whoever, upon any way or in any place to which the public has a right of access, or upon any way or in any place to which members of the public have access as invitees or licensees, operates a motor vehicle with a percentage, by weight, of alcohol in their blood of.08 or greater, or while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or of marijuana, narcotic drugs, depressants or stimulant substances, all as defined in section 1 of chapter 94C, or from smelling or inhaling the fumes of any substance having the property of releasing toxic vapors as defined in section 18 of chapter 270, and so operates a motor vehicle recklessly or negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, and by any such operation so described causes the death of another person, shall be guilty of homicide by a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicating substance, and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 21/2 years nor more than 15 years and a fine of not more than $5,000, or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not less than 1 year nor more than 21/2 years and a fine of not more than $5,000.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at malegislature.gov
Cited in 130 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Commonwealth v. Jones (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1981, 382 Mass. 387)“…motor vehicle negligently so as to endanger public safety (G. L. c. 90, § 24G); and operating to endanger (G. L. c. 9…”
- Commonwealth v. Cass (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1984, 392 Mass. 799)“…a "person" for purposes of our vehicular homicide statute, G.L.c. 90, § 24G. At the request of both parties, a judg…”
- Commonwealth v. Woods (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1993, 414 Mass. 343)“…f vehicular homicide by negligent operation, 1 G. L. c. 90, § 24G (6) (1990 ed.), and one count of operat…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Massachusetts Manslaughter Laws: OUI Manslaughter and Vehicle Homicide
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Sources and References
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 24, Driving while under the influence; reckless and negligent operation; penalties(malegislature.gov).gov
- 211 CMR 134, Safe Driver Insurance Plan list of traffic law violations(www.mass.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 24G, Homicide by a motor vehicle(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 17, Speed limits(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 20, Penalties(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 22, Suspension or revocation by the registrar(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 22F, Habitual traffic offenders(malegislature.gov).gov
- 211 CMR 134.00, Safe Driver Insurance Plan and Merit Rating Plans(www.mass.gov).gov
- 49 C.F.R. 383.51, Disqualification of drivers(www.ecfr.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 17B, Drag racing(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 25, Refusal to stop for a police officer(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 11, License to be carried(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 23, Operating after suspension or revocation(malegislature.gov).gov
- H.1871 (194th General Court), An Act relative to the reckless operation of motor vehicles(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 274, s. 1, Felony and misdemeanor defined(malegislature.gov).gov
- M.G.L. c. 90, s. 24L, Operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury(malegislature.gov).gov
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