Yes, to the best of our knowledge you would be able to register and insure your car if you have a hardship license. In MA you can ask for a hearing to request a hardship license if your license is suspended due to a DUI/OUI, a drug offense or due to being labeled a habitual traffic offender (HTO).

If you are granted this restricted driver's license it is issued by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) so that you can use it for legitimate purpose such as going to work, attending school, or receiving medical treat. Twelve (12) consecutive hours a day a hardship license is valid for the driver to get to work and fulfill their other driving needs that were granted at their hearing.

If you are found driving a motor vehicle outside of the hours of your Massachusetts Hardship License, you may be arrested or issued a citation for unlicensed operation since you are only permitted to drive during the hours granted to you at the hardship license hearing.

The Registry Hearing Officer will review your application and the documents which you must provide to at their discretion decide if you will receive a hardship license or not. The MA RMV has the hardship criteria lists and forms available online at their site for you to download so you will know what paperwork is needed for your hardship license hearing.

We could find nothing on the RMV site that says you cannot register or renew the registration on your vehicle if you had a hardship license. Typically you should get your renewal notice for your vehicle unless you have an outstanding obligation.

The MA RMV notes that you will not receive an RMV-2 Renewal form in the mail if you have any unpaid parking tickets, excise tax bills, abandoned vehicle citations, or outstanding child support obligations or warrants. All unpaid tickets and outstanding obligations/warrants must be cleared through the issuing agency before a registration can be renewed.

• If you have any outstanding parking tickets, excise tax bills or abandoned vehicle citations, you must obtain releases from the city or town involved. You must present the original releases to renew.
• If you have an outstanding warrant, you must obtain a recall notice from the court that issued the warrant. You must present the original recall notices to renew.
• If you have any outstanding child support obligations, you must obtain releases from the Department of Revenue.

So if you do not have any of these issues to take care of it appears you could renew your registration even without a license or with just a hardship license however you should check with the RMV to be certain. If however part of the penalties you received for your violation of the law that led to your suspended license was also a suspension of your registration than that is different and you would normally have to wait out your vehicle's registration suspension before being able to renew it. Again the RMV could give you the best information on this.

As for insurance, it may be more difficult to find an auto insurance provider with you carrying only a hardship license but you should be able to obtain insurance for your vehicle. A hardship license is a type of valid, active license so a high risk insurance company should be able to cover your vehicle for you.

You will normally need to now find a high risk insurance company due to the reason that your license was suspended in the first place. In MA to qualify get a hardship license you have had a DUI, OUI, a drug offense or are a habitual traffic offender and have had your license suspended. All of these violations of MA laws are serious and thus the high risk insurance providers are the ones that will normally take your business since the regular voluntary insurance market prefers to insure drivers that do not pose such a risk to them.

Click here to see if our Massachusetts affiliates can help you obtain the type of auto insurance you will need if you are granted a hardship license.