Massachusetts Surchargeable Incidents (SDIP)

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

Massachusetts is one of the few states that does not run a traditional DMV point system. There is no "12-point suspension" rule and no point chart on the back of every citation. Instead, the Mass RMV and the Division of Insurance jointly run the Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP), which assigns a surchargeable incident to certain at-fault crashes and moving-violation convictions. Each surcharge raises your auto-insurance premium under a state-set formula — and accumulating seven surchargeable events in three years triggers mandatory enrollment in the Driver Retraining Program before your license can be retained.

What counts as a surchargeable incident

At-fault accident — any accident in which the Mass RMV's at-fault determination assigns more than 50% fault to the driver, with damage exceeding $1,000 to all vehicles combined.
Moving-violation conviction — speeding, failure to yield, marked-lanes violation, red-light or stop-sign violation, following too closely, leaving the scene of property damage, and similar offenses under M.G.L. c. 90.
OUI conviction under c. 90 § 24 — counts as a major surchargeable incident with the highest premium impact.
Operating after suspension — operating with a suspended license under c. 90 § 23.
Reckless or negligent operation under c. 90 § 24(2).
Refusal to submit to chemical test after an OUI arrest.

What does NOT count

Parking violations (any).
Equipment violations (broken taillight, expired inspection sticker — not surchargeable).
Non-moving registration violations (registration lapses).
Crashes where you are determined less than 50% at fault.
Citations dismissed at clerk-magistrate hearing or in District Court.
Civil-only infractions where no surchargeable conduct is shown.

How surcharges affect your premium

Massachusetts insurers calculate the SDIP surcharge using a per-incident percentage increase applied to the policy's base premium for six years from the incident date. The surcharge schedule:

Minor surchargeable incident (most at-fault crashes): roughly 15% of base premium per incident, applied to bodily-injury, property-damage, and collision coverages.
Major surchargeable incident (OUI, vehicular homicide, leaving scene): substantially higher, typically capped only by the SDIP regulatory framework.
Multiple incidents stack — two minor surcharges roughly double the percentage effect.

The surcharge falls off six years after the incident date. Massachusetts is one of the few states where the surcharge mechanism is set by regulation rather than by individual carriers, which means rate effects are uniform across all carriers in the Commonwealth.

The 7-incident Driver Retraining Program (DRP) trigger

Mass RMV regulations require enrollment in the Driver Retraining Program when a driver accumulates seven surchargeable events in any rolling three-year window. The DRP is an 8-hour state-approved curriculum (delivered by private vendors) covering crash avoidance, defensive driving, and the SDIP surcharge framework. The completion certificate is forwarded electronically to the RMV. Failure to enroll within the RMV's notification window triggers an automatic license suspension until completion.

The 3-incident "Reckless Operator" review

Drivers who accumulate three surchargeable incidents in any 12-month window get reviewed by the Mass RMV's Driver Control Unit. The review may result in:

A warning letter and probationary status (most common).
A 30-day to 1-year license suspension on the second review.
Habitual Traffic Offender status if multiple major incidents are involved.

Disputing a surcharge

If an at-fault determination is wrong, you have 30 days from the surcharge notice to appeal to the Board of Appeal on Motor Vehicle Liability Policies and Bonds. Filing fee: $50. The appeal is on a transcripted record at one of seven hearing locations (Boston, Brockton, Lawrence, Pittsfield, Springfield, Wilmington, Worcester). The Board reviews the police report, photos, and any witness statements. A successful appeal removes the surcharge from your Mass RMV record and instructs your insurer to credit any surcharge already applied.

How surcharges interact with insurance shopping

Insurers in Massachusetts pull the SDIP record at every renewal and every new-policy quote. Because the SDIP framework is uniform across carriers, a surcharge from carrier A follows you to carrier B at the same rate effect. Drivers who want to escape a high SDIP record sometimes try to register with a co-owner or in another state — neither approach works in Massachusetts. The SDIP record attaches to the operator, not the policy or the vehicle.

Comparing Massachusetts to other states

Massachusetts is unusual:

No DMV point chart — only surchargeable incidents.
No threshold like "12 points = suspension."
Insurance rate effects are regulated, not set by carrier discretion.
Drivers can directly verify the surchargeable record through myRMV — the standard driving record shows every surcharge with its date, code, and reason.

For most drivers, the practical implication is the same: drive cleanly, check your record annually, and dispute any incident that's not yours. The SDIP system is rigorous but transparent, and the insurance-rate effect is the lever that matters most. See Massachusetts insurance for the rate-band mechanics that surcharges feed into.