By Bob Katzen

Gov. Healey signed into law a proposal which would prevent commercial drivers from losing their licenses due to passenger vehicle offenses they committed prior to September 30, 2005.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles recently notified hundreds of bus and truck drivers that they were ineligible for commercial licenses due to at least two past major offenses, blindsiding many motorists who for years thought their infractions were behind them.

“Over time, the relevance and predictive value of these older offenses has diminished, particularly for those drivers who have remained offense-free since,” said Healey. “In most circumstances, a commercial driver who meets the safety requirements of federal law should not be disqualified from driving due solely to passenger vehicle offenses that occurred 19 or more years ago.” She noted her bill would remove consideration of pre-September 30, 2005 passenger vehicle offenses from the disqualification law, except for multiple instances of operating under the influence.

“Our administration is committed to ensuring safety on our roads while also supporting the many hardworking Massachusetts residents who rely on commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for their livelihoods,” continued Healey. “The RMV will take immediate action to inform eligible drivers that their CDLs will not be disqualified and will continue updating its regulations to ensure that drivers who have served disqualifications for significant periods of time will have a pathway to reinstatement.”