Baker Signs Law Repealing Suspension of License for Non-Violent Drug Offenses

Framingham, MA - Massachusetts joined more than half the country Wednesday in repealing a state statute that automatically revoked non-violent drug offenders' driver's licenses.

Gov. Charlie Baker signed the bill into law Wednesday morning, making Massachusetts the 35th state to roll back such provisions.

Under the 1989 law, the state automatically suspended licenses for drivers convicted of a non-violent drug offense (i.e. possession of marijuana), even if that offense had nothing to do with a motor vehicle. The automatic suspension lasted up to five years and required a $500 fee to reinstate the license. With Baker's signature, the state will waive the $500 reinstatement fee for people who lost their licenses under the previous law.

Those caught driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol will still automatically lose their licenses, and so will those convicted of trafficking hard drugs. Upon release from prison, convicted traffickers can apply for a "hardship license."

Statehouse News Service reports that, per a discussion on the Senate floor last September, 7,000 people lost their licenses each year under the statute, only 2,500 were able to pay the fees for license reinstatement, and another 700 were re-arrested for driving without a license.

>> Photo by Alison Bauter, Patch staff