8.1 Junior Operator Permit & License Suspensions, Retraining & SCARR
Key Takeaways
A Massachusetts Junior Operator convicted of speeding loses the license for 90 days (first offense) or one year (later offenses) and must pass a new permit exam, Driver Attitudinal Retraining and a new road test.
A first Massachusetts Junior Operator drag racing conviction brings a one-year suspension, and a later one brings three years; permit holders pay a $500 reinstatement fee for a first offense and $1,000 for a later one.
A Massachusetts permit holder under 18 convicted of driving without a licensed driver, or of breaking the night restriction, is suspended 60 days, then 180 days, then one year, and must retake the permit exam each time.
Under M.G.L. c. 90, s. 24P, a Junior Operator convicted of offenses such as OUI, leaving the scene or reckless operation gets an extra 180-day suspension (first) or one-year suspension (later).
A Massachusetts Junior Operator is required to take the State Courts Against Road Rage (SCARR) course only once, and parents are notified of every JOL suspension.
Teen drivers lose privileges faster, and for longer, than adults. The Manual has two separate charts for Junior Operators (ages 16 1/2 to 18): one for permit suspensions and one for license suspensions. On the PDI exam, the most common mistake is mixing the two.
Mandatory PERMIT Suspensions (Junior Operators)
| Violation | Suspension | Reinstatement requirements | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving without a licensed driver (c. 90, s. 8B) | 60 days (1st); 180 days (2nd); 1 year (later) | Retake the permit exam for every offense; Driver Attitudinal Retraining for a 2nd offense | $100 |
| Driving during the night restriction (c. 90, s. 10; s. 8B) | 60 days; 180 days; 1 year | Retake the permit exam every time; attitudinal retraining for a 2nd offense | $100 |
| Speeding (c. 90, ss. 17, 17A, 18) | 90 days (1st); 1 year (later) | New permit exam for every offense | $100 |
| Drag racing (c. 90, s. 17B) | 1 year (1st); 3 years (later) | New permit exam and Driver Attitudinal Retraining; SCARR may also be required | $500 (1st); $1,000 (later) |
| Mobile electronic device (text or phone; c. 90, s. 8M) | 60 days; 180 days; 1 year | 1st offense: $100 fine, new permit exam and attitudinal retraining. Fine is $250 (2nd) and $500 (3rd) | $100 |
| Negligent operation and injury from mobile phone use (c. 90, s. 24) | 180 days (1st); 1 year (later) | New permit exam for 2nd and later offenses | $500 |
Mandatory LICENSE Suspensions (Junior Operators)
| Violation | Suspension | Reinstatement requirements | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger or night restriction (c. 90, s. 8; s. 10) | 60 days; 180 days; 1 year | Attitudinal retraining for 2nd and later offenses; new permit exam and road test for 3rd and later | $100 |
| Speeding (c. 90, ss. 17, 17A, 18) | 90 days (1st); 1 year (later) | Every offense: new permit exam, Driver Attitudinal Retraining and a new road test; SCARR may also be required | $500 |
| Drag racing (c. 90, s. 17B) | 1 year (1st); 3 years (later) | Every offense: new permit exam, attitudinal retraining and road test; SCARR may also be required | $500 (1st) |
| Negligent or reckless driving / operating to endanger (c. 90, s. 24) | 180 days (1st); 1 year (later, within three years) | New permit exam and road test for 2nd and later offenses | $500 |
| Mobile electronic device (c. 90, s. 8M) | 60 days; 180 days; 1 year | 1st offense: $100 fine, new permit exam, attitudinal retraining and a new road test. Fine is $250 (2nd) and $500 (3rd) | $100 |
| Negligent operation and injury from mobile phone use (c. 90, s. 24) | 180 days; 1 year | New permit exam and road test for 2nd and later offenses | $500 |
Warning
Speeding is the classic trap. A licensed Junior Operator's first speeding conviction already brings 90 days, a new permit exam, Driver Attitudinal Retraining, a new road test and a $500 fee. SCARR is listed as possibly required, not automatic. A permit holder's speeding suspension costs only $100 to reinstate and needs only the new permit exam.
The c. 90, s. 24P Additional Suspension
On top of any other penalty, M.G.L. c. 90, s. 24P adds a suspension for a Junior Operator convicted of any of these:
- operating under the influence (OUI), or OUI with serious bodily injury;
- operating to endanger, or reckless or negligent operation;
- leaving the scene of a crash;
- drinking from an open alcohol container;
- unauthorized use of a motor vehicle;
- loaning or allowing another to use your license or learner's permit;
- motor vehicle homicide.
The extra suspension is 180 days for a first offense and one year for any later offense. It applies only to Junior Operators and only if they did not already receive an additional suspension for failing or refusing a breath test (section 8.2).
In Chapter 1 the Manual also says that a driver under 18 who commits certain driving offenses involving alcohol or drugs is suspended for one year (180 days at ages 18 to 21), in addition to any court penalty.
Other JOL Consequences
- Parents are notified of every Junior Operator suspension.
- A Junior Operator cannot get a full license until the JOL suspension is served and they turn 18.
- The JOL passenger-restriction clock pauses during a suspension (section 3.1).
Remedial Programs
| Program | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Driver Attitudinal Retraining | Junior Operators with certain suspensions: 2nd passenger, night or unlicensed-driver offenses; every speeding, drag racing or device offense where the chart requires it | Register through Mass.Gov/RMV ("Teens and Parents"); it addresses attitudes behind risky driving |
| State Courts Against Road Rage (SCARR) | JOL license or permit holders who commit certain categories of violation; drivers a court orders to attend | A Junior Operator is required to take SCARR only once |
| Driver Retraining (adult) | Anyone with three surchargeable events in two years | Eight hours, through the National Safety Council (section 7.2) |
Worked Comparisons
| Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
| 16-year-old permit holder caught speeding (first offense) | 90-day permit suspension, new permit exam, $100 |
| 17-year-old JOL holder caught speeding (first offense) | 90-day license suspension, new permit exam, attitudinal retraining, new road test, possible SCARR, $500 |
| 17-year-old JOL holder, second passenger-restriction violation | 180 days plus attitudinal retraining, $100 |
| 17-year-old JOL holder, third night-restriction violation | 1 year plus attitudinal retraining, new permit exam and road test, $100 |
| 17-year-old JOL holder texting while driving (first offense) | 60 days, $100 fine, new permit exam, attitudinal retraining, new road test, $100 fee |
| 17-year-old JOL holder convicted of leaving the scene (first) | The criminal-chart suspension plus a 180-day s. 24P suspension |
Using the Charts in the Parent Class
These charts work best in the parent class and in Module 14 (Consequences of Unsafe Driving and Poor Decision Making). Put the speeding row in front of families: one speeding ticket for a licensed 17-year-old means three months without a license, two retests, a retraining course and $500 to reinstate.
A 17-year-old JOL holder is convicted of a first speeding offense. Which requirements does the Manual's license chart impose?
A 60-day suspension and a $100 fee, with retraining only for a second offense
A 30-day suspension and a $100 fee
90 days, permit exam, retraining, road test and $500
A one-year suspension and mandatory SCARR, with no retesting required
When does the additional M.G.L. c. 90, s. 24P suspension apply to a Junior Operator?
On conviction for listed offenses such as OUI or leaving the scene
Only when the Junior Operator refuses to take a chemical test
Only to drivers 21 or older convicted of motor vehicle homicide
On every civil speeding citation, in addition to the 90-day speeding suspension
A 16-year-old learner's permit holder is convicted a second time of driving without a qualified licensed driver. What does the permit chart require?
A 180-day permit suspension, a new permit exam and a Driver Attitudinal Retraining course
A 60-day suspension and nothing more, because only the third offense needs retraining
A one-year suspension and the eight-hour adult Driver Retraining course
Permanent loss of permit eligibility until age 18
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.