Massachusetts auto quote comparison

Massachusetts auto quote comparison Are you looking for a Massachusetts auto insurance quote comparison? Let’s face it, auto insurance is a big expense. According to the Independent Agent Association, the average annual cost of Massachusetts auto insurance is $1,460.00.

Rates vary wildly depending on what kind of coverage you carry, what town you live in, what kind of car you drive and what your driving record looks like.

If you’re looking for a Massachusetts auto quote comparison, you’ve come to the right place.

Powered by Independent Agents, MassAutoQuote has been quoting auto insurance online since 1999. That was last century folks.

When it comes to Massachusetts auto insurance, we know what we’re doing.

Insurance companies have different appetites for business. Some offer ridiculously huge discounts if you have an apartment, home or condo insurance. Others have discounts if you’re a doctor, lawyer or graduate of a specific college or university. Still more might have an appetite for drivers with a few speeding tickets, or newer drivers.

Get a Massachusetts auto quote comparison from MassAutoQuote.

Our insurance agents live in Massachusetts. We pay our excise taxes and our insurance bills. We feel your pain.

To get you the most competitive quote, just give us your Massachusetts driver’s license number, town you live in, and year, make & model. We’ll be off and running.

We’ll shop your auto insurance with 7 companies and give you a side by side quote comparison.

Call, click or stop by.

Driving Tip of the Day

Driving Tip of the Day. The best, most experienced drivers get the best auto insurance rates in Massachusetts.

It’s important to have a good driving record. If you have no at-fault accidents and no moving violations over a 6 year period of time, then you should be rated as a state best, “99” driver.

Driving Tip of the Day:

Use the “three-second rule” to help prevent rear-end accidents!

The “three-second rule” accounts for your reaction time to the movements of the vehicle ahead and your vehicle’s stopping distance.

You should add more time if the road is slippery, if you’re being crowded by a tailgater, if you’re towing a trailer or if you’re driving a large truck.

The three-second rule:

When the vehicle ahead of you passes a stationary object, start counting: 1,001 … 1,002 …

The first second is your reaction time; the next two seconds account for your braking distance

You should not reach the object before you count to … 1,003. If you do, you are following too closely.

At a vehicle speed of 55 mph, the three-second rule creates a gap of 243 feet between cars.

For additional driving tips: click here.

Massachusetts Inspection Sticker Blues

Massachusetts Inspection Sticker

Do you have the Massachusetts Inspection Sticker Blues?

The cruelest of all surcharge points, from a Massachusetts auto insurance perspective, is the one for an ”expired inspection sticker” citation.

Don’t let your MA inspection sticker lapse.

In Massachusetts, a ticket for an expired vehicle inspection sticker is the equivalent, in auto insurance citation points, of a moving violation.

According to the MA Division of Insurance, surcharge points are incurred if you:

cause an at-fault accident
are convicted of or pay a fine for a traffic law violation
are assigned to an alcohol education program

An expired inspection sticker is considered “pay(ing) a fine for a traffic law violation.”

A $40 ticket results increased insurance costs for 6 years! If you have/ had a perfect driving record, that can amount to about a 20% increase (!!) the first three years, diminishing the following three.

So here’s your warning:

Check your windshield and Don’t let your MA inspection sticker lapse!

MA Inspection Station information and locator link: Click Here.

If you already received your ticket, we recommend appealing the citation. It might be a long shot, but if you succeed, it will save you years of citations.

Need help with your Massachusetts auto insurance? Click Here.

Massachusetts Hands-Free Distracted Driving Law

Hands-Free Electronics While Driving – It’s the Law

The new Massachusetts hands-free distracted driving law takes effect on Sunday, February 23.

This law is a significant change for drivers 18 and over and traffic enforcement as well. The new law (Chapter 122 of the Acts of 2019) prohibits operators of motor vehicles from using any mobile electronic device, including a cell phone, unless the device is used in hands-free mode.

Drivers 18 and over are:

Not permitted to hold or support any electronic device
Only permitted to touch devices to activate the hands-free mode, and can only enable when the device is installed or properly mounted to the windshield, dashboard, or center console
Not permitted to read or view text, images, or video displayed on a mobile electronic device; however, a driver may view a map generated by a navigation system or application on a mobile electronic device that is properly mounted

Drivers under 18 are not allowed to use any electronic devices. All device/phone use while driving is illegal, including use in hands-free mode.

Penalties for Violating the Hands-Free Law

1st offense – $100 fine
2nd offense – $250 fine, plus mandatory completion of a distracted driving educational program
3rd and subsequent offenses – $500 fine, plus insurance surcharge and mandatory completion of distracted driving educational program

Operators may use a cell phone to call 911 to report an emergency. If possible, the operator should safely pull over and stop before calling 911.

More Info
Please visit our website for more details. We’ve also included a link to an informational brochure below, that we ask you to review, post, and share with your customers and colleagues.

Questions About Massachusetts Hands-Free Distracted Driving Law?
Contact us at RMVATLASSupport@dot.state.ma.us with any questions you may have.

Questions about your Massachusetts Auto Insurance? Contact us at: MassAutoQuote.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Are you the owner of a small business? Are you paying too much for your commercial auto insurance? We think so too.

MassAutoQuote.com is fueled by the shopping power of the independent agent.

We shop with top Massachusetts commercial auto insurance carriers such as: Safety Insurance, Progressive and The Travelers.

Auto rates for businesses are all over the map. Companies appetites change from year to year depending on results and appetite for new business. If you haven’t shopped your commercial auto insurance in over 3 years, you owe it to your business to let us shop it right now.

Take a few minutes and submit an quote request.

You’ll be glad you did.

We also offer the most competitive businessowner, workers compensation and professional liability coverage.

When requesting a commercial auto quote from us we will be looking for: year, make & model of vehicle(s), names & dates of birth of all drivers.

We will have multiple commercial auto carriers compete against one another to find you the best rates.

Johnson & Rohan Insurance: We love small business owners because we are small business owners.

Parents Supervised Driving Program

@safetyinsurance and @MassAutoQuote are proud to sponsor The Parents Supervised Driving Program in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The contains information and lessons on driving basics, parental pointers, and licensing qualifications that are helpful to parents of new drivers. https://bit.ly/2N8gUdN #ManageLifesStorms

Auto Insurance Rates

Auto Insurance rates

Auto insurance rates, to put it bluntly, are all over the map.

Let’s clarify: I am a Massachusetts auto insurance agent. I have been for over 25 years. Same office. In 1994 the auto insurance rates landscape was very different.

There was one, state-set, rate.

That’s right folks. You read that right: there was one, state-set, rate. There was no competitive rating.

How did we get that way? Massachusetts didn’t, couldn’t trust the insurance companies to charge an honest rate. The citizens of The Commonwealth were taking a flogging. The state set the rate in order to protect the consumer.

Companies then had to figure out how to make a profit. And they did.

Thankfully (I think), 2008 came around and Massachusetts welcomed competitive auto insurance rating.

Our independent insurance Agency rates with 7 auto insurance companies.

Within these companies, we find auto insurance rates all over the map, from year to year.

So, you ask, why the article about auto insurance rates?

It’s because it’s important to have your agent shop your insurance from year to year.

Agencies don’t like to do it. More work, less money. However, I suggest — as an insurance agent — we must do it.

Our Agency lives by the philosophy of do what’s right for the client.

I spend some of my work time contacting clients about unpleasant insurance things like rate hikes, cancellations or claims.

People want to talk to their insurance agent like they want to talk to their dentist.

However, when I call a client to explain we can save them money on their renewal by transferring coverage to another company, it becomes a jubilant phone call.

They picked up the phone and someone saved them money.

The client is always happy. So am I.

Call, click or stop by.

Massachusetts Auto Insurance in Florida

Are you lucky enough to spend the month of March in Naples, FLA? Have you thought about your Massachusetts Auto insurance in Florida?

Before relaxing on a long vacation, there are many things to think about: airline tickets, hotel reservations, and car rental … but what about your auto insurance coverage?

Massachusetts Auto Insurance in Florida

If you have your own MA personal auto insurance policy then your coverage will follow you in the United States, U.S. Territories, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

If you travel to Bermuda, Europe, Mexico or other international destinations, you MA personal auto insurance coverage will NOT follow you and you will want to purchase coverage from the rental company.

In Massachusetts, our Registrations ARE proof of insurance. Generally, we don’t carry insurance cards like most of the rest of the nation.

Instead, if pulled over in Massachusetts, it’s: “License & registration.”

However, many of our MassAutoQuote snowbird clients, are now looking for proof of Massachusetts coverage when they rent a vehicle in Florida.

Do yourself a favor and contact your insurance agent before you travel and request a Massachusetts Auto Insurance card as proof of coverage. Also request a copy of your Massachusetts Auto Insurance Coverage Selections Page.

Call, click MassAutoQuote if your want the best coverage, service and value.

NH Speeding Ticket Show Up on MA License?

Will NH speeding ticket show up on my MA license?

Will NH Speeding ticket show up on my MA license?

So you like to drive fast, do you?

I have a confession to make: I do, too.

This past summer, on my way up to York Beach, ME, I got pulled over on Route 1 North in Portsmouth, NH.

Whether or not I was actually speeding is a blog article for another time.

The officer handed me a speeding ticket and suggested I slow it down and enjoy the summer.

I pulled back onto the highway slowly and, noticing the cost of the ticket ($248.00), I was no longer enjoying my summer.

A few minutes up the road, I turned up Katrina & the Waves, gave the finger to the state of NH, stepped on the accelerator and crossed into Maine.

The Walking on Sunshine feeling lasted only a few seconds before I noticed the all too familiar, neon blue lights flashing in my rear-view mirror.

Yep. Another speeding ticket. This time in the state of Maine.

I grimaced as I accepted the speeding ticket but felt somehow, somewhat vindicated when I noticed the amount ($185.00) was lower than the NH speeding ticket.

The happy ending to this sad tale is that these tickets have not shown up on my Massachusetts driving record/ auto insurance premium.

So, will a NH speeding ticket show up on my MA license?

Apparently, Massachusetts is not a member of the DLC (Drivers License Compact) which is a driving information reciprocity agreement between states. As a result, often times, when MA residents get moving violations in other states, the ticket never haunts the MA driving record.

Caution: Although MA is not a member of the DLC, they still have informal agreements and, sometimes, out-of-state incidents are reported and do show up. Sometimes years after the incident.

Massachusetts REAL ID

After October 1, 2020, you will need a Massachusetts REAL ID or a passport to fly within the United States or enter federal buildings.

A MASSACHUSETTS REAL ID:

Is a valid driver’s license or identification card
Is valid as a form of federal ID
Requires an in-person visit
Has a star displayed on the document to indicate that is a federally compliant card

Once you’ve decided if you want a MA REAL ID, get the right documents together. You’ll need to prove your:

U.S. citizenship or lawful presence
Social Security number
Massachusetts residency

All documents must be originals, photocopies and laminated documents will not be accepted.

A document cannot be used to prove more than one requirement.

U.S. Citizenship or Lawful presence documents

1 document from this group for either REAL ID or a Standard driver’s license/ID.

Lawful presence means that you’re legally living in the United States according to federal immigration laws. All U.S. citizens and lawfully permanent residents have permanent lawful presence in the U.S.

Non-U.S. citizens who are studying, working, or living temporarily in the U.S. may have temporary lawful presence that may vary in length.

For U.S. citizens, a valid, unexpired U.S. passport is sufficient proof of lawful presence. U.S. citizens may also provide a certified copy of their U.S. birth certificate.

For permanent residents, a valid permanent resident card (green card) is enough.

For non-U.S. citizens, you need to provide valid, verifiable immigration documents as well as proof that you’ve been granted a legal stay in the U.S. for at least 12 months. Your license or ID will expire when your legal stay is over.

Whether you’re getting a Massachusetts REAL ID or a Standard driver’s license/ID, you’ll need one of these:

Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
- If your U.S. passport was issued within the last six months, bring your certified copy of your U.S. birth certificate
Certified copy of a birth certificate filed with a State Office of Vital Statistics or equivalent agency in the individual’s state of birth
- A Puerto Rican birth certificate will only be accepted if it was issued on or after July 1, 2010. For more information on the Puerto Rican birth certificate law, visit the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration website.
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) issued by the U.S. Department of State, Form FS-240, DS-1350, or FS-545
Valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) issued by DHS or INS
Temporary I-551 stamp in foreign passport
Unexpired employment authorization document (EAD) issued by DHS, Form I-766, or Form I-688B
Unexpired foreign passport with a valid, unexpired U.S. visa affixed
- A non-US passport must contain a current visa and be presented with an I-94 Record of Arrival and Departure, unless you have a Permanent Resident Card or other change in status. The I-94 can be either a paper version from U.S. Customs and Border Protection or a printout of an electronic version downloaded from their website.
- For applicable customers who have a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) or Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (DS-2019) documentation verifying the applicant’s most recent admittance into the United States must be shown
Certificate of Citizenship, Form N-560, or Form N-561, issued by DHS
Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
Re-Entry Permit (I-327) – accepted for Standard credential only
Refugee Travel Document (I-571) – accepted for Standard credential only

Note: The federal government allows for some exceptions to those in temporary protected status (TPS). See Department of Homeland Security’s website for current countries designated for TPS.

Social Security Number (SSN) documents

1 document from this group for either REAL ID or a Standard driver’s license/ID.

You must have a valid Social Security Number (SSN) to apply for any learner’s permit, driver’s license, or ID card. The RMV will validate the SSN you provide against computer records at the Social Security Administration (SSA). If you do not have an SSN, you may request an application for one by calling (800) 772-1213.

If you’re getting a Standard driver’s license/ID, you’ll only need to provide your valid SSN.

If you’re getting a REAL ID, you’ll need to bring 1 of the following documents displaying your 9-digit SSN:

SSN Card (cannot be laminated)
W-2 Form*
SSA-1099 Form
Non-SSA-1099 Form
A pay stub with the applicant’s name and full SSN on it*
SSN Denial Notice with passport, visa, and I-94

*One (W-2/paystub) cannot be used for both the Massachusetts residency and SSN requirements. Two different (W-2s/paystubs) from different employers can be used for both requirements.

If you do not have an SSN, you should apply for one at a Social Security office as soon as possible. If you are denied an SSN, you may still qualify for a Massachusetts driver’s license or ID card if you can meet other identification requirements. However, to prove that you applied for an SSN, you must present the written denial notice the SSA provided you. The RMV requires your SSN or denial notice to confirm your identity and to maintain your license and driving records.

Note: All CDL applicants must have an SSN.

Massachusetts residency documents

1 or 2 1 for a Standard driver’s license/ID, 2 for a REAL ID

To prove Massachusetts residency, you’ll need a document showing your current residential address. A P.O. Box isn’t acceptable. Neither is a document mailed “in care of.”

You’ll need 2 of these documents for a REAL ID. Standard driver’s license/ID applicants need 1 of the following:

Massachusetts RMV-issued documents (can use one from the options below)
- Current license, Massachusetts ID card, or learner’s permit (liquor ID not accepted)
- RMV-issued correspondence dated within 60 days and received via U.S. mail (including license/registration reminders)
State/federal/municipal/city/town/county agency-issued documents
- 1st class, government-issued mail dated within 60 days
- Current MA-issued professional license with photograph
- Medicaid statement dated within 60 days
- Current firearms card
- Jury duty summons dated within 60 days
- Court correspondence dated within 60 days
- Property tax for current year
- Excise tax for current year
Bills
- Utility bill (electric, telephone, water, sewer, cable, satellite, heating) dated within 60 days
- Credit card statement dated within 60 days
- Medical/hospital statement dated within 60 days
- Cell phone bill dated within 60 days
Lease or Mortgage
- Current lease/mortgage or similar rental contract
Financial-related documents
- Bank statement that contains images of cancelled personal checks dated within 60 days
- W-2 wage and tax statement from immediate prior year*
- Current pension statement (401k, 457, SEP, etc.)
- Current retirement statement
- Pay stub dated within 60 days*
- Current SSA statement
- Current installment loan contract (car loan)
School-issued documents
- Official school transcript for current year
- Official letter from school (proof of enrollment) dated within 60 days
- Tuition bill for current year
- Certified school record for current year
Insurance-related documents
- Auto insurance policy for current year
- Renter’s insurance policy for current year
- Homeowner’s insurance policy for current year
Alternative Residency Affidavit
- For applicants under 18 only

*One (W-2/paystub) cannot be used for both the Massachusetts residency and SSN requirements. Two different (W-2s/paystubs) from different employers can be used for both requirements.

NAME MUST MATCH for REAL ID

If your current name doesn’t match the one that appears on your lawful presence document(s), you must prove your legal name change in order to qualify for a REAL ID driver’s license/ID card. If multiple name changes, documentation for each name change must be provided. You will need to provide one of the following:

Marriage Certificate (must be issued from the municipality)
Divorce Decree
Court Document

Formulated in the wake of September 11 and passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act was passed to “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.”

The act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards, and it prohibits federal agencies from accepting licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards for official purposes.

It was aimed at eliminating airline terrorism by increasing requirements to obtain documents granting access to domestic planes.

You can start your Massachusetts REAL ID application online by clicking HERE.