Mass drivers license??? (1 Viewer)

I had to get insurance from MA cause my previous NJ insurance company wasn't national, just NJ, so I got new MA plates, had new registration and a new MA state safety inspection.

 

What do I need to do with my driver's license though? Can I leave it at NJ since I still do maintain a NJ residence until my house is sold anyway?? Do I need to get a MA license pronto? Nobody in my car has asked for it...

 

Jay

The Registry of Motor Vehicles (one of the many terminological quirks of the great commonwealth of Massachusetts) has a questionnaire for conversion from an out of state driver's license. It should tell you if you need to convert your license yet and, if you do, what documents you'll need to get together to do so.

Hi Adam, I have seen that and actually went about to fill it out and print it, It doesn't really say whether I need to get a MA license but rather how to do it and seems to make it pretty straightforward. In getting my insurance and stuff, I was never asked to show a valid MA license so right now I still have my license from NJ. Given the choice, I'd rather wait til my NJ one expires than pay whatever fees I'm sure are involved with getting a new one.

 

Jay

From the Mass RMV Manual:

 

Out-of-State/Country Residents

A U.S. resident living outside Massachusetts may drive in the Commonwealth using a valid

out-of-state driver's license. This rule applies both to visitors and to out-of-state residents

who work in Massachusetts.

 

If you are a visitor from another country, you may drive private passenger vehicles in

Massachusetts for up to one year from your date of arrival in the United States provided you

have a valid driver's license issued by your home country and your country is recognized

under one of the conventions listed in Appendix A or the Registrar has specifically granted

driving privileges to residents of your country as detailed in Appendix A. An International

Driver's Permit is not required, but the permit may help provide an English translation of your

foreign license. The International Driver’s Permit is not a driver’s license.

 

You must have your valid out-of-state or foreign driver's license in your possession when

driving in Massachusetts.

Originally Posted by DaveMcS

From the Mass RMV Manual:

 

Out-of-State/Country Residents

A U.S. resident living outside Massachusetts may drive in the Commonwealth using a valid

out-of-state driver's license. This rule applies both to visitors and to out-of-state residents

who work in Massachusetts.

 

 

 

Click to expand...

I'm a US citizen so the second half is irrelevant but the first part which I quoted above should be fairly obvious. If not, then anybody who doesn't have a MA license would not be able to drive in that state. Not exactly a good way to promote tourism... unless they make a visitor get a MA license just to drive through the state.

 

I guess it just comes down to whether I want to consider my residency NJ or MA. Until I sell my house in NJ, I guess I can claim either. I was forced to do the MA plates/Reg thing because of my insurance company not issuing policies to MA and I can't exactly claim I drive (or bike) to MA from NJ 4 or 5 days a week...
 

Jay
 

[SIZE= 12px]Converting an Out-of-State License[/SIZE] "If you have recently moved to Massachusetts, you must obtain a valid Massachusetts license upon becoming a resident."

 

So it sounds like you have to do it when you declare yourself a resident, whenever that happens to be. There doesn't seem to be any specific time limit. The same is true in Florida, near as I can tell. You are required to register your out-of-state-vehicle and obtain insurance for it within ten days of becoming employed, enrolling a child in school or establishing legal residency, but there is no specific requirement for obtaining your license. (Still, it might make life easier since your car is registered in Mass., and cops seem to find life less confusing when the address information on the insurance and registration matches that on the driver's license.) I'd think the decision on officially changing residence would have more to do with taxes and local regulations than with your car, though. Just make sure you don't claim both places as residences and try to vote twice with absentee ballots. I'm told that sort of thing is frowned upon outside of Chicago. )

 

By the way, I thought everyone knew that mass drivers were outlawed by interplanetary convention.
 

Regards,

 

Joe

Originally Posted by Jay H

I'm a US citizen so the second half is irrelevant but the first part which I quoted above should be fairly obvious. If not, then anybody who doesn't have a MA license would not be able to drive in that state. Not exactly a good way to promote tourism... unless they make a visitor get a MA license just to drive through the state.

Click to expand...

 

It's also a constitutional issue.Article IV, Section 1: "Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof." Massachusetts is required to give "full faith and credit" to the driver's licenses from the other 49 states, just as as the other 49 state are required to give "full faith and credit" to Massachusetts licenses. It's one of the things that makes the United States a nation instead of a mere confederation of states.