Throughout the year the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) updates independent agents on changing laws, proceedures and general happenings at the Registry. With the summer months upon us, we wanted to share news about three-wheeled motorcycles, same day license/ID policy, one-year photo extensions and Tobin Bridge toll updates.

Three Wheeled Vehicles

Three wheeled vehicles, such as the Polaris Slingshot and the Campagna T-Rex, have been certified by the manufacturers to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as motorcycles. These vehicles may have certain automobile design elements, but they can only be registered as motorcycles.

Drivers of these vehicles need to follow all motorcycle rules, wear a DOT approved helmet, and have the proper motorcycle license or permit. For a full list of motorcycle rules and requirements, please refer the customer to the online Motorcycle Manual.

 Campagna T-Rex

Same-day licenses/IDs

Same-day licenses/IDs (also known as instant issue licenses/IDs) are processed for customers who do not have a license/ID in their possession and are planning to travel domestically by common carrier (plane, train, cruise ship, or bus) within seven days. Customers in this situation need a license/ID for identification purposes for travel and are unable to wait for the credential to arrive in the mail. Same-day licenses/IDs cannot be issued for international travelers.

Same-day licenses/IDs can be processed for Class D or M licenses and Mass IDs for renewal or duplicate transactions. A same-day license/ID cannot be issued for an initial license/ID. The fee for a same-day license/ID is $50, which is added to the normal license or ID fee. After the transaction has been processed at a full-service RMV branch, same day licenses/IDs are issued by Enforcement Services (which is located on the 2nd floor at 10 Park Plaza).

Photo Extension

An applicant for the renewal of a driver’s license or ID card who needs a new photograph can be given a one year extension of the use of the current photograph. A licensed physician must certify that the applicant’s appearance has temporarily been changed due to medical treatment. Allowing customers to keep their current photo is compassionate and accommodates them during a difficult time in their lives.

The fee for this transaction is $25. The new license or ID will be valid for one year. The applicant will need to renew the license or ID in one year (at the normal fee) with a new photograph. This extension can only be given one time.

New Application: A new One Year Photo Extension Application (T21905-0415) has been created. This application is available on the RMV website (under the Licensing Forms section).

This application must be completed and signed by both the applicant and a licensed physician.

Tobin Bridge Toll Updates

MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack announced changes to the fine structure to the all-electronic, Pay-By-Plate, toll collection system on the Tobin Bridge. Additionally, Secretary Pollack also announced a 30-day amnesty program that starts Monday, June 1, where drivers can simply pay the amount of outstanding tolls and will have all late payment fines waived. Both the new fine structure and the 30-day toll amnesty apply exclusively to the Tobin Bridge.

“While the use of the new All-Electronic Tolling technology has certainly proved its worth, piloting the system first on the Tobin Bridge taught us some valuable lessons. Too many of our customers were incurring hundreds or even thousands of dollars in late payment fines,” said Secretary Pollack. “The goal of the program should be payment, not punishment. We can ensure that our customers pay their tolls with much smaller late payment fines that are fair, reasonable, and will not result in substantial charges to people who may have missed the notifications. And no one will ever incur more than $500 per year in late payment fees.”

The Tobin Bridge’s All-Electronic Tolling system was activated on July 21, 2014, and eliminated the need to pay tolls in cash. The system employs a dual technology that detects E-ZPass transponders, or for vehicles without transponders, captures an image of the registration plate and sends an invoice to the address listed on the vehicle registration.

Known as Pay-By-Plate, vehicles without transponders that cross the Tobin Bridge are mailed invoices and reminder notices based on a monthly billing cycle. Subsequent reminder invoices and notices of non-payment are accompanied by a fine structure that was modeled after the structure that has been in place on the Turnpike since 2000.

“This new structure is the result of a thorough review that incorporated a substantial amount of public feedback into the final product,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Thomas J. Tinlin. “At the end of the day, our goal is to collect tolls, and we feel that this new structure is a way to ensure that continues without unduly burdening drivers with substantial fines.”

Under the new structure for the Tobin Bridge, fines will be assessed according to the following:

• A $1 late fee will be added to every unpaid Pay-By-Plate toll after an invoice goes unpaid for 30 days;

• An additional $1 will be added to each toll transaction after 60 days of non-payment, and another $1 after 90 days;

• Under the maximum fines allowed, each unpaid Tobin Bridge toll transaction will be capped at $6; also at that time, the vehicle owner’s driver’s license and vehicle registration will be placed in a non-renew status, until the toll balance and fines are resolved. Also at this stage, there is an additional $20 fee to remove the hold on driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals.

Additionally, beginning Monday, June 1, 2015, MassDOT is offering a 30-day toll amnesty program, whereby Tobin Bridge Pay- By-Plate customers with outstanding balances have the opportunity to pay tolls only in full, with all fines waived dating back to July 21, 2014. The 30-day amnesty also includes the suspension of the $20 fee to remove the hold on registration and driver’s license renewals. Programming changes to roll back Tobin Bridge fines and to allow for the amnesty program began on Monday, June 1, 2015.

Infomation provided by the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA)