LAW ENFORCEMENT
Law enforcement duties on Devens are the
responsibility of the Massachusetts State Police. Seat belts are
mandatory on Devens and in Massachusetts; drivers, front and back seat
passengers.
DOD Police are now within the enclave of Devens.
SPEED
LIMITS:
Observe all posted limits. Off Devens: most Interstate
Highways in Massachusetts now have a 65 mph limit. Posted limits
supersede the general rule above (i.e. School Zones, Construction
Zones)
FINES:
0-10 mph over limit - $50.00. After that $10.00 per
each mile an hour over. Example: 45 mph in a 30 mph zone is
equivalent to $100.00.
VEHICLE CHECKS ON DEVENS:
Unannounced State
Police road inspections.
ACCIDENTS:
Few accidents.
CRIMINAL
OFFENSES:
Minimal offenses.
SEAT BELTS:
Massachusetts has a
mandatory Seat Belt Law in effect. A fine is imposed per person in
the vehicle not wearing a seat belt, and is assessed to the operator.
Restraints/car seats are required for children under 5
years.
INSURANCE:
Must maintain minimum insurance required by the
state of Massachusetts. No Allstate or GEICO. As part of the registration
process, Mass requires every vehicle on the road to be covered by minimum levels
of motor vehicle insurance. For more information on motor vehicle
insurance compulsory insurance coverage, please call Office of Consumer Affairs,
Division of Insurance, at 617-521-7777.
MINIMUM AGE FOR
DRIVERS:
17 (16 1/2 with driver's education) All new drivers 16 1/2- 18
years of age are considered to have a Junior Operator's Driver's
License. This means that they may not have passengers who are under
18 years old unless they are siblings or operate a vehicle between the hours of
12:00 A.M.-5:00 A.M. unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian 21 years
of age.
MOTORCYCLES:
Required equipment include helmet,
eyeglasses, goggles or face shield, a rearview mirror, directional lights and
flashers, muffler, horn, brakes, license plate and registration card. Your
driver's license must be endorsed for motorcycle use. Motorcycle license plates
cost $25.00 and are valid for one year. A yearly inspection of
motorcycle is required by law. Cost is $29.00
MASSACHUSETTS DRIVER'S
LICENCE:
To obtain a Massachusetts driver's license, you will not be
required to take a driver's test or a written exam if you have a valid license
issued in the United States or Canada.
RENEWAL LICENSE FEES are as
Follows:
Cost is $40.00-$60.00 depending on Class required.
Your Massachusetts license is valid for a maximum of five (5) years and expires
on your birthday. You may renew your license up to one year prior to
the expiration date.
The Registry of Motor Vehicles is located in
Leominster, MA, 80 Erdman Way, opposite the Four Points Hotel, Route 12 North
exit off Route 2 West. If you are coming from another state, your registration
and license is valid as long as it has not expired.
LICENSING
REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL:
While you are on active duty and
stationed outside Massachusetts, you are not required to renew your
Massachusetts license. For insurance purposes or other reasons,
however, you, your spouse, and family members may wish to renew your licenses
during your military service. In such cases, the RMV will issue
special non-photo driver's licenses if you are stationed outside of
Massachusetts.
If you return to Massachusetts after your honorable
discharge from active duty, you have sixty (60) days to renew your expired
Massachusetts license.
If you are a nonresident stationed in the
Commonwealth, you must have a valid license from your home state to drive in
Massachusetts.
TO REGISTER VEHICLES EXEMPT FROM MASSACHUSETTS SALES
TAX:
If you have already paid sales tax in another state you should not
pay it again when you register your vehicle in Massachusetts. Fill
out an Affidavit in Support for Exemption or Use Tax for a Motor Vehicle
Purchased Outside of Massachusetts (MVU-29). **This form is also
available at any full service RMV branch office.
EXCISE
TAX:
Military personnel stationed in Massachusetts are exempt from paying
excise tax on their POV.
RECREATIOAL VEHICLES:
Information on
fishing, boating, and hunting licenses is available at ACS. All boats
with engines and other recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles and trail bikes
must be registered with the Division of Law Enforcement. This can be
done either at one of the regional offices or in the Boston
office. Call Division of Fisheries and Wild Life.
DRINKING
AGE:
The legal drinking age in Massachusetts is 21 (effective
6/1/85). Proper identification is a Massachusetts driver's license or
a liquor purchase identification card issued by the Registry of Motor
Vehicles.
GUN LAWS:
Gun and firearm permits are issued by local
police departments. There are three basic types of permits: a firearm
identification card (F.I.D.), a license to carry and a license to
purchase. An F.I.D. card is required to own, possess or carry (with
some restrictions) a rifle, shotgun or ammunition including mace and to own or
possess a pistol (handgun) which must be kept in the person's residence or place
of business. A license to carry is required to transport or carry a
handgun and may also be used to possess and carry a rifle or
shotgun. Permits to purchase are issued to F.I.D. holders to buy a
hand gun which, once purchased, is delivered by the local gun dealer to the home
or place of business where the permit holder keeps it with the F.I.D.
card. A permit to purchase conveys no right to transport or
carry.
It has come to the attention of the Massachusetts State Police
that certain out-of-state persons are bringing privately owned firearms onto
Devens RFTA when here for drill. These persons may be duly authorized
to carry weapons in their state. However, to legally carry a firearm
in Massachusetts the persons must meet one of the two following
criteria. 1.) Person must be authorized by
their Commanding Officer, be it for Military or Law enforcement
use. Authorization should be written and carried at all
times. 2.) In performance of their official
duty.
Students cannot have any kind of gun in the buildings or on the
grounds of any secondary school, college, or university without the written
permission of the board or officer in charge of the secondary school, college,
or university. People should not carry any guns away from their home
or place of business unless they have the proper authorization or
license. It is important to know that in Massachusetts there is a law
which requires a one year mandatory jail sentence for illegally carrying a
handgun, rifle, or shotgun. For more information, contact your local
police department or:
Department of Public Safety Division of Firearms
Records 1010 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA (617) 727-5720; (800)
223-0933