Do I Need An Attorney For A Traffic Ticket?

While you are not required to have an attorney in a traffic case, we always advise clients to seek legal advice about these matters. You face costly fines and a possible license suspension if you accumulate excessive speeding tickets or other types of traffic citations.

At the law firm of Sweeney and Associates, LLC Massachusetts, we have many years of experience with traffic cases of all kinds. If you have been accused of a civil or criminal traffic violation, our Quincy attorneys can help you protect your rights, your license and your pocketbook. Contact us for a free consultation.

What Penalties Do I Face?

In addition to financial penalties for the traffic citation itself and license reinstatement fees (ranging from $100 to $1,200 depending on the offense) if your license is suspended, you will face ever-increasing auto insurance premiums, which could cost you hundreds of additional dollars in just one year and thousands of dollars over the period that your insurance company increases your premiums due to violations.

• Three speeding tickets within one year result in a mandatory 30-day driver's license suspension.
• Three moving violations (surchargeable events) within two years or five moving violations within three years, including violations in other states, will result in an Intent to Suspend Notice from the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). You will have 90 days to complete a driver retraining course before your driver's license is suspended indefinitely. It will remain suspended until you complete the course and pay a $100 fee. You have to complete the driver retraining course each time you get a third surchargeable event within two years, even if you have already taken the course.
• Seven moving violations (surchargeable events) within three years, including any violations reported by another state, mandate a 60-day license suspension. Once the suspension period is complete, a $100 reinstatement fee will be required before your license can be reinstated.
• Habitual traffic offender status (three major moving violations or any combination of 12 major or minor violations within five years) mandates a four-year license revocation. Once the suspension period is complete, a full driver's license exam ($30 for the learner's permit exam, $20 for the road test) and a $500 reinstatement fee are required to get your license back.

The RMV will impose the suspension or revocation for three surchargeable events, for seven surchargeable events and for habitual traffic offenders independently of one another. This means you could lose your license for 30 days as a result of getting three speeding tickets in a year and you could also lose your license if you fail to take the driver retraining course because the third speeding ticket that you received also counted as one of the three surchargeable events.

Contact Our Team to Get Started

Every traffic matter is different. Get the help you need with your case — before you suffer the consequences. Our Quincy criminal defense attorneys offer a free case evaluation during which we will discuss your legal options.