Massachusetts
Vehicle Resource Center
Massachusetts is home to some of the most exciting historical landmarks, but it's also home to millions of drivers. All those vehicle owners and everyday drivers need to update their registrations, maintain insurance, and handle all the everyday requirements of vehicle ownership.
Ownership and Maintenance
A vehicle in Massachusetts requires regular paperwork and document renewals, which come with some unexpected costs. All these little extra maintenance items can seem overwhelming at first, but they're simple to manage with tools provided by the state and outlined in this section.
Every Massachusetts vehicle must undergo safety and emissions inspections each year. The inspections must be performed at certified inspection stations, and they typically cost $35 per vehicle.
Once an inspection is successful, the original sticker will be replaced with a new sticker with an updated expiration date. For more details about the inspection requirements and how special vehicles must receive inspections, see the Massachusetts inspection information guide.
Massachusetts is one of the few states that's known as a no-fault state. That means fault is not used to determine who pays for an accident when it occurs. Instead, the insurance available from all the present drivers and passengers is leveraged to obtain the money required to cover the accident. However, vehicle owners are still required to maintain liability insurance for their vehicles. There are state minimum coverage amounts, and if the proper amount of insurance is not maintained, drivers can be ticketed, and they open themselves up to lawsuits and other issues.
According to Massachusetts law, as explained at this legal link, the following insurance minimums are required:
If all these coverage minimums are met, a driver is typically not at risk of being sued, and they will not be ticketed for lack of insurance. Having minimum liability coverage does not offer the highest level of protection, though, and many drivers opt to add collision insurance and higher coverage limits for additional protection.
Most vehicle registrations in Massachusetts must be renewed each year.
Drivers can complete the registration renewal online, by mail, or by visiting a local RMV center for help with more complicated renewals.
During every registration renewal, it's essential that the RMV can see that proper insurance coverage is maintained on the vehicle. Registration is only possible if there are no unpaid parking tickets or EZ-Pass violations and if the vehicle isn't suspended or revoked. For more specialized information, please visit the Massachusetts Registration guide page.
Licensed drivers must renew their license every five years to keep it legal in Massachusetts. The renewal process is simple and requires only a few documents and a fee for most drivers.
License renewals can be completed online for Real ID holders or standard license holders who don't wish to change anything about the license. Online transactions are verified using the Massachusetts online credential service to help streamline the process.
Drivers who wish to update a photo or change to a Real ID will have to do so at an RMV Center location.
When a license is successfully renewed, the driver receives a temporary license, while the final copy is printed and mailed to the listed mailing address on the license.
Learn more about the license renewal process via the Massachusetts government license guide page.
There are fees associated with all the paperwork and renewals completed in Massachusetts.
Annual Inspection
An annual inspection costs drivers approximately $35. Motorcycle inspections are $15 and commercial inspections come at a higher price. Get more pricing information from the Massachusetts inspection prices guide.
License Renewal
License holders in Massachusetts must pay $50.00 each time they renew a standard 5-year license. There are different charges for different license classes and endorsements. See the Massachusetts Schedule of Fees for more information.
Registration Renewal
Normal passenger vehicles come with an annual fee of $60 to renew. More specific fees can be found on the Massachusetts Schedule of Fees.
Buying & Selling
When buying or selling a vehicle in Massachusetts, there are strict protocols that should be followed. By having the proper documents signed and completed during a sale, both the buyer and seller are more protected, and the buyer can register and title the vehicle properly afterward.
Create a Bill of Sale
Make a Bill of Sale document for the buyer to sign, proving who the vehicle was sold to and the purchase price. The paper should have the name and address of both the buyer and seller, the VIN, the odometer reading, the sales amount, and the date of the transaction.
Sign Over the Title
During the transaction, the original title must be signed over to the buyer. This includes adding all the required information on the rear of the title, including the odometer reading.
Report the Sale
Once the vehicle is sold, it's important to contact the RMV and report the vehicle sale immediately after. Inform the RMV that the vehicle was sold, and consider checking back with the RMV a few weeks later to verify the vehicle was registered.
Research the Vehicle
There is no guarantee that the Massachusetts vehicle being considered was well-cared for or that all its features are being represented properly by the seller. That's why the buyer should invest money to get a License Plate Lookup, Vehicle VIN Check, and a complete history report on the vehicle from GoodCar. These services provide immediate access to owner history, open recalls, past accidents, odometer readings, a list of features, and more about the vehicle. All this immediate data makes it simple to determine whether the vehicle is a good purchase or not.
Register and Title the Vehicle
With the information collected during the vehicle purchase, as well as proof of insurance, the buyer must title and register the vehicle. This process must be completed at the RMV with the original title. Buyers can use form TTLREG100_0923 to handle both titling and registering the vehicle at the same time. Fill out the form, provide the requested information and the fees, and the process can be completed with ease.
Title and Registration
There is a $25 fee for transferring a registration from one individual to another. Obtaining a certificate of title also comes with a $75.00 fee.
Sales Tax
Buyers must also prepare to pay a 6.25% sales tax when registering a vehicle. The tax rate is applied to the purchase price of the vehicle to determine the total tax value that must be paid at the time of registration.
Laws and Regulations
Massachusetts maintains a set of laws and regulations that govern vehicle owners and drivers in the state. Below are the most important laws worth knowing.
According to state laws, any child that's under 57 inches tall and under eight years old must ride in an approved car seat for their weight and size.
Everyone is required to wear seat belts while riding in a vehicle, but children must be properly restrained, or the driver can face potential lawsuits and risk of receiving a citation.
General Mass Car Seat Guidelines:
Children under one or under 20 lbs. must be seated in a rear-facing car seat. The children should remain rear-facing until they reach the weight limit of the seat.
Children over 20 lbs. may be able to safely sit in a forward-facing car seat if they are large enough. Following the guidelines on the rear-facing seat and use them to decide when to swap the child to forward-facing.
Children under 57 inches tall should be seated in a booster seat to properly adjust the height of the vehicle's chest restraint to the right level. When a child is taller than 57 inches or when a child is over eight years old, they can ride legally without a booster seat.
Learn more about the car seat and seat belt laws using this Massachusetts seat belt guide.
Applying tint to the windows of a vehicle is an excellent way to keep temperatures down in the summer and prevent upholstery fading. Massachusetts has strict laws governing the tint that vehicle owners can use, though. It's essential to understand these laws to avoid potential citations.
According to Massachusetts tint laws, standard window tint is allowed above the AS-1 line on the windshield, which is approximately the top 5 or 6 inches of the windshield. The remaining windows on the vehicle must all allow more than 35% of visible light through.
Massachusetts has strict drunk driving laws that can lead to substantial fines, license suspensions, and jail time for driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
According to this legal page provided by the Connecticut General Assembly, drivers over 21 with a BAC (blood alcohol content) level of 0.08 or higher are considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Minors under 21 can be charged with the same crime with a BAC of just 0.02.
A series of penalties are applied to drivers who are caught driving with alcohol or drugs in their systems, beginning with fines between $100 and $5,000. After multiple offenses, it's possible to go to jail and suffer a license suspension as well. More details about specific penalties are available via this drunk driving legislation page from the Connecticut General Assembly.
In Massachusetts, a vehicle is protected by the state's Lemon law if it is less than one year old and has fewer than 15,000 miles. That means if the vehicle is defective and meets the definition of a lemon, the manufacturer must buy the vehicle back or reimburse the buyer for the fair value of the vehicle.
To qualify as a lemon, the vehicle must be suffering from a significant defect that makes it unsafe to drive or that substantially reduces its resale value. The manufacturer must be notified of the defect so it has the chance to make repairs. If the manufacturer fails to repair the vehicle, unsuccessfully repairs the problem three or more times, or the vehicle is unavailable for use for more than 15 business days because of these related repairs, it is considered a Lemon.
For more information about the state's Lemon laws and what to do about a Lemon car, visit the Massachusetts page on Lemon laws.
Useful Things to Know
All Massachusetts vehicle owners and drivers need to understand the road laws and all the necessary paperwork requirements that come with owning and purchasing a vehicle. This section helps provide ready access to other useful data that should help vehicle owners.
See The States Motor Vehicle Fees
Whether a driver is renewing their license, ordering new plates, paying for a registration, or something else, there are always fees to pay. See a list of the most common fees charged by the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles in this guide. Massachusetts Schedule of Fees
Find EV Charging Stations in Mass
Quickly locate nearby electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state of Massachusetts and other areas using this EV station locator. Massachusetts EV Charging Station Locator
Mass State Crash Trends
Massachusetts is one of the safest driving states in the country and ranked number one in statistics gathered by the IIHS in 2021, with only 0.71 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. There were 417 fatalities from 397 crashes in the state, and although it is one of the safest, it's still valuable to understand the common causes and conditions of car accidents in the state fully. Get the complete picture with Massachusetts car crash statistics by GoodCar.
Locate an RMV Service Center
Find the right RMV service center for any paperwork or license needs using the simple Massachusetts locator page. Massachusetts RMV Locator Tool
Get the Latest Massachusetts Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Massachusetts vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN Check and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.