How to Get a Cinderella License in Massachusetts

To get a Cinderella license in Massachusetts, you confirm your suspension type qualifies, assemble documentation proving you need to drive during a specific 12-hour window, and bring it all to an in-person hearing at one of eight Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Service Centers along with your reinstatement fee. The RMV grants these hardship licenses at its discretion, so meeting every requirement on paper is the floor, not a guarantee.¹

What the License Actually Lets You Do

A Cinderella license gives you one continuous 12-hour block of driving time, seven days a week, chosen to cover your commute, work shift, class schedule, or medical appointments with reasonable buffer on either side.² The name comes from the time limit: drive outside those hours and your privileges turn back into a pumpkin.

Within your window, the RMV doesn’t police what you do. If your approved hours run 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., stopping at the grocery store after work is fine. There are no geographic limits inside Massachusetts. The hours themselves are the whole restriction, and they are strict.

Confirm You’re Eligible

Eligibility depends on why your license was suspended and how much of the suspension you’ve already served.

First OUI With a 24D Disposition

A first OUI handled under 24D carries a suspension of 45 to 90 days.³ You can apply for a hardship license once you’ve enrolled in the Driver Alcohol Education Program and have confirmation on program letterhead. Any other active suspensions on your record must already be cleared, with the exception of a chemical test refusal suspension or a Youth Alcohol Program suspension.²

Second or Subsequent OUI

For multiple OUI offenses, you must serve a minimum portion of your suspension first, and the wait depends on whether you’re seeking a work or education hardship (shorter wait, because the need is specific) or a general hardship (longer wait).⁴

One-year suspension: 3 months served for work/education hardship, 6 months for general hardship.
Two-year suspension: 1 year served for work/education hardship, 18 months for general hardship.

Second-offense OUI convictions carry a two-year suspension; third offenses carry an eight-year revocation.⁵

Habitual Traffic Offender

Habitual traffic offender status brings a four-year revocation. You must serve at least one year before applying, and you must complete the National Safety Council Driver Retraining Course (an 8-hour program called “ABCs in Driving”) within three years of your hardship request.⁶

Drug Offense Under Chapter 94C

Suspensions under Chapter 94C have their own criteria sheet, separate from OUI suspensions.¹ Download it from mass.gov or request it from the RMV before preparing your paperwork, because the timeline and documentation differ.

Chemical Test Refusal

A refusal suspension runs independently of any OUI conviction. The first-offense 24D criteria confirm a refusal does not block an OUI-related hardship application, but the refusal suspension itself generally keeps running on its own track.² You may receive a hardship license tied to your OUI suspension while the refusal suspension continues underneath it.

Gather Your Documentation

The hearings officer decides based on what’s in front of them, and weak paperwork is one of the easiest ways to get denied. Everything you bring should answer two questions: what are your hours, and why can’t you use public transportation or another alternative?

For an employment hardship, bring a letter from your employer on company letterhead dated within 30 days of the hearing, stating your work hours, your job title, and why driving is necessary for the position.⁴ If you’re self-employed, bring proof of the business (a business certificate or recent tax returns) and a letter explaining your schedule and driving needs.

For a medical hardship, bring a letter from your treating physician describing your condition, the appointment schedule, and why you need to drive yourself. Students should bring proof of enrollment and a class schedule. In every case, the RMV wants third-party documentation, not just your own account.

If your suspension is OUI-related, add proof of enrollment in or completion of the required alcohol education program. For a first-offense 24D case, that means a letter from the Driver Alcohol Education Program on program letterhead.² Hearings officers can ask for more after reviewing your file, so bring supporting material even if it’s not on the official list.

Schedule and Attend the Hearing

Hardship applications are handled only through in-person hearings at designated RMV Service Centers. No online option, no mail. The eight current locations:⁷

Boston (Haymarket), 136 Blackstone St.
Brockton, 490 Forest Ave.
Fall River, 1794 North Main St.
Lawrence, 73 Winthrop Ave.
Pittsfield, 333 East St.
South Yarmouth, 1084 Route 28
Springfield, 1250 St. James Ave.
Worcester, 50 Southwest Cutoff

At the hearing, the officer reviews your documents, asks about your driving need, and decides. If approved, you surrender your physical license on the spot (if the court or police haven’t already taken it) and an “H” restriction is added to your driving record.¹ If an ignition interlock device applies to you, the code becomes “HT” instead, flagging both the hardship hours and the interlock.⁸

Pay the Reinstatement Fee

You pay before the license activates. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 33 sets the amount by the underlying offense:⁹

First OUI offense, including 24D dispositions: $500
Second OUI offense: $700
Third or subsequent OUI offense: $1,200
Other suspensions or revocations: $100

The same amounts apply whether you’re getting a hardship license or full reinstatement later.¹⁰

If You Have Two or More OUIs: The Interlock Requirement

With two or more OUI convictions on your record, an ignition interlock device must be installed on every vehicle you own, lease, or operate as a condition of the hardship license.¹¹ Some first-time offenders may also be required to use one.⁸

You pay all costs: installation by a certified vendor, a $30 monthly administration fee to the vendor on behalf of the RMV, and maintenance visits every 25 to 30 days for calibration and data uploads.⁸ The device stays on through the entire hardship period and for two additional years after you receive full reinstatement.¹²

The RMV runs an Indigency Program that can waive fees for the device, installation, removal, monitoring, and service. Lockout costs from failed tests or tampering are not covered.⁸ Removing the IID before you complete the program sends your license straight back to suspended or revoked.¹¹

Protect the License Once You Have It

Driving outside your approved 12-hour window costs you the hardship license and re-suspends your driving privileges for the full remaining period of the original suspension. You can also be charged criminally with operating without a license, which can trigger habitual traffic offender classification and a four-year revocation on top of what you already owed. One late-night trip can turn a one-year suspension into a multi-year problem.

If you have an IID, tampering with it, trying to circumvent it, or having someone else blow into it carries additional penalties and returns your license to suspended status.¹¹ The device reports to the RMV at every maintenance visit, so failed tests and missed appointments surface automatically.

1
Mass.gov. Apply for a Hardship Driver’s License
2
Mass.gov. First Offense 24D OUI Hardship License Criteria
3
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 24D
4
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Multiple Offense OUI Hardship License Criteria
5
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 24
6
Mass.gov. Habitual Traffic Offender Hardship License Criteria
7
Mass.gov. Suspension Hearings Locations
8
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Ignition Interlock Device Program
9
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 33
10
Mass.gov. Reinstate Your Driver’s License
11
Legal Information Institute. 540 CMR 25.07 – Conditions of Hardship Licenses and License Reinstatements
12
Mass.gov. Alcohol and Drug Suspensions for Over 21 Years of Age