Category: Massachusets

Massachusetts Car Insurance

Last updated on November 9th, 2017

Unlike most states, which allow drivers to prove financial responsibility in a variety of different ways, such as purchasing an indemnity bond or self insuring, Massachusetts only allows residents to satisfy financial responsibility requirements in one way and that is purchasing minimum levels of liability coverage. In the state of Massachusetts vehicle owners are required to maintain minimum amounts of liability coverage on every vehicle they own. If a vehicle is not covered by minimum levels of liability insurance required by the state it cannot be legally driven on a public road. In Massachusetts minimum coverage levels set by the state currently sit at $20,000 in per person bodily injury coverage, $40,000 in per accident bodily injury coverage and $5,000 property damage coverage. Massachusetts law also requires that vehicle owners purchase at least $8,000 in personal injury protection. This personal injury protection is meant to cover medical expenses and lost wages resulting from an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault. When a car insurance policy is purchased in Massachusetts it automatically include levels of coverage that meet the state’s minimum requirements though policy owners can purchase extra coverage if they so desire.  Massachusetts car insurance companies also offer a variety of optional forms of coverage for residents of the state, including collision, comprehensive and medical payment coverage. Unlike liability coverage, most of the optional coverage offered by car insurance companies to Massachusetts residents is payable directly to the policy holder and does not require fault to be placed on a driver before the money is paid out. Even if a policy holder with one or more of the above mentioned forms of optional coverage is at fault in an accident they are still eligible to receive the money paid out from the insurance company.

In Massachusetts, if a vehicle owner allows their insurance coverage to lapse or cannot provide proof of insurance when requested they risk being penalized for failure to maintain coverage as dictated by state law. In addition to the cost of the violation itself, receiving a citation for lack of insurance can also cause insurance premiums to rise. The mandatory fine for driving without car insurance in Massachusetts is a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $5,000. The amount of the fine a driver receives for driving without insurance will largely depend on whether or not they have been caught driving without insurance before. In some cases a driver without insurance can also be penalized by up to a year in jail if they cannot pay the fine. Drivers caught without car insurance also risk having their license suspended for up to 60 days by the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Additionally, the tags and registration of a vehicle could also be suspended, which will result in the driver having to pay more fines to have their driving privileges reinstated. In most cases the fees and fines a driver will incur for driving without car insurance will more than exceed any potential savings they saw from not paying insurance premiums.

Recently, the state of Massachusetts has done away with its old fixed car insurance system that managed competition between insurance companies and required companies to apply certain surcharges to their customer’s insurance premiums for different types of traffic violations. Now, car insurance companies licensed to sell insurance can decide what surcharges they charge their customers for traffic violations, known in Massachusetts as a merit rating plan. This allows car insurance companies to set their own surcharges as well as credits in the form of a safe driver insurance plan. This plan rewards drivers to having a clean driving record and not having any accident and penalizes drivers that have a checkered driving history. Although insurance companies are free to determine their own rates based on a drivers history Massachusetts law prevents insurance companies from using anything older than six years when calculating the premiums for a customer. The way insurance companies calculate premium rates in Massachusetts also makes it extremely beneficial for residents to shop around for a policy. Since insurance companies in Massachusetts are allowed to calculate premiums based on the factors they determine to be important, such as a driver’s age or driving history, a motorist in Massachusetts can easily get five different quotes from five different car insurance companies. Even if two car insurance companies use the same criteria to determine insurance rates they are still likely to weigh the criteria differently, resulting in different rates for the same driver. Unfortunately for residents of Massachusetts, legal restrictions make it rather difficult for a vehicle owner to easily receive car insurance quotes from multiple auto insurance companies, primarily because there are a variety of restrictions on providing insurance quotes on the internet. Because of this, if a driver in Massachusetts wants an official quote they will more than likely have to call the company or visit a local agent in person.

Filed under: Massachusets, Articles, Car InsuranceTagged with: ,

Exemptions for Massachusetts

Last updated on April 26th, 2018

Vehicles Exemptions Massachussetts – Vehicles in the state of Massachusetts are required to pass emissions and safety inspections. However, in some cases vehicles may be exempt from these tests, let’s take a look at which ones are exempt.

The following vehicles are exempt from emissions testing:

 

  • Diesel vehicles less than 8,500 lbs. that were manufactured before 1998 and/or are over 15 years old
  • Diesel vehicles weighing up to 10,000 lbs. that were manufactured before 2007 and/or are over 15 years old
  • Non-diesel medium duty vehicles that were manufactured before 2008 and/or are more than 15 years old
  • Motorcycles and mopeds
  • Military vehicles
  • Electric powered vehicles

Farm and Construction Exemptions

Farming and construction vehicles that are not meant to be driven on the road are exempt from emissions testing. These include the following:

  • Construction vehicles used in the actual construction work process (i.e. bulldozers, excavators, motor graders, articulated loader/haulers)
  • NOTE: This does not include pickups or vehicles owned by construction companies to be driven on MA roadways (i.e. semis, dump trucks, cement trucks, etc.)
  • Tractors and off-road farm equipment (does not include pickups or vehicles with farm registration plates driven on MA roadways)

Source: http://www.dmv.org/ma-massachusetts/smog-check.php

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Massachusetts – General Emissions Information

Last updated on March 4th, 2021

Massachusetts – General Emissions Information – The state of Massachusetts requires emissions testing on most vehicles and there are many common questions that vehicles owners in Massachusetts have concerning the emissions testing program.  This section will cover some of the most frequently asked questions about the Massachusetts emissions inspection program and provide the answers to these questions.

Does every vehicle need to be tested for emissions in Massachusetts?

There are certain vehicles which are not intended to be driven on the roads in Massachusetts and these vehicles do not require an emissions test.  These vehicles would be:  ATVs, Loaders & Haulers, Backhoes, Bulldozers, Cranes, Excavators, Platform Lifters, Motor Graders, Pavers, Tractors and farming equipment, and Tracked Vehicles.

How often do I need to have my vehicle’s emissions tested in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts your must have your vehicle’s emissions tested every year before the current inspection sticker expires.

What if I purchased a new or used car, do I need to have the emissions tested?

Yes, you must get your vehicle’s emissions inspection done within seven calendar days from the date you get the registration.

Is there a customer service number to speak to someone about the Massachusetts emissions inspection program if I cannot find the answer to my question online?

There is a Motorist Hotline 1-866-941-6277 for Massachusetts motorists.  There is also the Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236

Is there a fee to get my emissions tested?

Yes, there is a $29 fee which you need to bring with you (along with your registration) when you bring your vehicle in for emissions testing.

What happens after the emissions test is complete?

After your emissions testing is complete there will be a sticker printed out for your vehicle and you will also get a copy of the vehicle inspection test results.  This report will tell you if your car passed or failed the test, and if your vehicle had issues it will direct you as to what the failing area was.

If I’m required to get a federal DOT inspection do I need to do this and get the vehicle’s emissions tested?

No, if you get your Massachusetts emissions inspection done this will allow you to meet the federal DOT requirement.  The paperwork you receive after you pass the emissions inspection is proof that can be used to signify you met the DOT requirements.

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Massachusetts – Emissions Failures and Retests

Last updated on April 26th, 2018

If you have your vehicle’s emissions tested and your vehicle fails the emissions test then there are a few steps you need to follow so that you can get your vehicle repaired and retested within sixty days from the date you failed the inspection as that is the requirement.

After your initial emissions test is complete you will receive a vehicle inspection report from the emissions inspector which will give you the result of the emissions test and put notes on what areas of the test your vehicle has failed.  When you go to get your car repaired you need to bring this vehicle inspection report with you so that you can give it to the repair technician.  This will allow them to pinpoint the area(s) of your vehicle that they need to look further into and will save you time.   If you lost your vehicle inspection report you can reprint the report out from the Massachusetts state website page which you can visit here.

The emissions inspection may have also given you a repair form.  If you received this form you will need to bring it when you are getting your vehicle repairs completed and have the technician complete this form for you and give it back to you.  You will need to submit this form to the emissions inspector when you get your vehicle retested.  The repair technician is able to complete this form online and submit it online.  If they do not give you a paper copy to bring with you, you should ensure that they submitted it online.

You should also hold onto the receipt from your emissions repair work that was done and bring that to your followup inspection also.  There are times when the repair work you have done did not fix the problem.  If the vehicle repair estimated cost is very high upon failure there is a chance you could still pass the test. Or if you got your vehicle repaired and it still fails and you bring all the paperwork and the repair was done by a registered emissions repair tech there is a chance you can have the failure waived and your vehicle will be passed.

If you would like to apply for either an extension or a waiver for your vehicle you will need to bring the following to a Motorist Assistance Center:  your vehicle, the emissions inspection report, and the repair form with receipt.  At this point you will either receive the waiver or extension or you will be informed why you are not receiving the waiver or extension.

The first time you get your vehicle retested it is done free of charge if you go to the same emissions testing station.  If you do not go to the original station but to a new station you will need to repay the $29 fee to get the retest done.

Filed under: Massachusets, Articles, State Emissions Testing