Code of Massachusetts Regulations
540 CMR - REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Title 540 CMR 18.00 - Minimum Standards for Issuance and Use of General Registrations and General Registration Number Plates
Section 18.05 - Penalties

(1) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, the Registrar, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, may suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew a general registration and general registration number plate(s) if he or she has reason to believe that the holder has violated the provisions of M.G.L. c. 90, §§ 5 or 6, or 540 CMR 18.00.

(2) Suspension of a general registration or general registration number plate shall be for a fixed period of time; however, if the general registration holder is required to perform specific acts as a term of the suspension, or to provide documentation to bring the holder into compliance with either M.G.L. c. 90, §§ 5 or 6 or 540 CMR 18.00, the suspension may be for an indefinite period until the Registrar is satisfied that the holder has satisfied the requirements. Upon suspension of a general registration, the holder must return the master certificate of registration and all issued general registration plates to the Registrar. If one or more plates are suspended, only the specific plate(s) that is suspended must be returned to the Registrar. Although a suspension shall be effective as of the date specified in the notice for purposes of prohibiting use of the affected registration and plates, no time shall be credited to the holder's suspension period until the holder returns the registration or plates as required. An affidavit subscribed and sworn to under penalties of perjury shall be required from a suspended registration holder who asserts that a master certificate of registration, or one or more registration plates, has been lost or stolen, and if stolen, the holder must also provide a copy of a theft report filed with the appropriate police department. A holder who is under a suspension order may not be granted a general registration of any type, may not renew a suspended registration, and may not be granted additional plates during the suspension period. The Registrar may refuse to issue a general registration to an applicant if the Registrar has reason to believe that the applicant is acting as an undisclosed agent for a holder who is the subject of a current suspension order.

(3) Upon revocation of a general registration, the holder must return the master certificate of registration and all general registration number plates to the Registrar. Revocation of a holder's registration shall be for not less than 12 months. Although a revocation shall be effective as of the date specified in the notice for purposes of prohibiting the use of the registration or plates, no time shall be credited to the holder's period of revocation until the holder has returned the master certificate of registration and all registration plates. An affidavit subscribed and sworn to under penalties of perjury shall be required from a revoked registration holder who asserts that a master certificate of registration, or one or more registration plates, has been lost or stolen, and if stolen, the holder must also provide a copy of a theft report filed with the appropriate police department. A holder who is under a revocation order may not be granted a general registration of any type during the revocation period. The Registrar may refuse to issue a general registration to an applicant if the registrar has reason to believe that the applicant is acting as an undisclosed agent for a former holder who is the subject of a current revocation order.