Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 21, as appearing in the 1984 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:- Section 21. Any officer authorized to make arrests may arrest without a warrant and keep in custody for not more than twenty-four hours, unless a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday intervenes, any person who, while operating a motor vehicle on any way, as defined in section one, violates the provisions of the first paragraph of section ten of chapter ninety and relating to a license to operate a motor vehicle also violates any statute, by-law, ordinance or regulation relating to the operation or control of motor vehicles as defined in section one of chapter ninety C, whether such violation is capable of being judicially heard and determined as a civil motor vehicle infraction or a criminal offense. Any arrest made pursuant to this paragraph shall be deemed an arrest for the criminal offense or offenses involved and not for any civil motor vehicle infraction arising out of the same incident.

Any officer authorized to make arrests, provided such officer is in uniform or conspicuously displaying his badge of office, may arrest without a warrant and keep in custody for not more than twenty-four hours, unless Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday intervenes, any person, regardless of whether or not such person has in his possession a license to operate motor vehicles issued by the registrar, if such person upon any way or in any place to which the public has the right of access, or upon any way or in any place to which members of the public have access as invitees, operates a motor vehicle after his license or right to operate motor vehicles in this state has been suspended or revoked by the registrar, or whoever upon any way or place to which the public has the right of access, or upon any way or in any place to which members of the public have access as invitees, or who the officer has probable cause to believe has operated or is operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, marihuana or narcotic drugs, or depressant or stimulant substances, all as defined in section one of chapter ninety-four C, or under the influence of the vapors of glue, carbon tetrachloride, acetone, ethylene, dichloride, toluene, chloroform, xylene or any combination thereof, or whoever uses a motor vehicle without authority knowing that such use is unauthorized, or any person who, while operating or in charge of a motor vehicle, violates the provisions of section twenty-five of chapter ninety, or whoever operates a motor vehicle upon any way or in any place to which members of the public have a right of access as invitees or licensees and without stopping and making known his name, residence and the register number of his motor vehicle goes away after knowingly colliding with or otherwise causing injury to any person.

Any person who is arrested pursuant to this section shall, at or before the expiration of the time period prescribed, be brought before the appropriate district court and proceeded against according to the law in criminal or juvenile cases, as the case may be, provided, however, that any violation otherwise cognizable as a civil infraction shall retain its character as, and be treated as, a civil infraction notwithstanding that the violator is arrested pursuant to this section for a criminal offense in conjunction with said civil infraction.

An investigator or examiner appointed under section twenty-nine may arrest without a warrant, keep in custody for a like period, bring before a magistrate and proceed against in like manner, any person operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or marihuana, narcotic drugs, depressants or stimulant substances, all as defined in section one of chapter ninety-four C, irrespective of his possession of a license to operate motor vehicles issued by the registrar.

SECTION 2. The definition of "Automobile law violation" in section 1 of chapter 90C of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following two sentences:- A recreation vehicle, as defined in section twenty of chapter ninety B, and a motorized bicycle shall be considered a motor vehicle for purposes of this chapter. A motor boat, as defined in section one of chapter ninety B, shall not be considered a motor vehicle for purposes of this chapter.

SECTION 3. Said chapter 90C is hereby further amended by striking out sections 2 to 4, inclusive, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following three sections:-

Section 2. Each police chief shall issue citation books to each permanent full-time police officer of his department whose duties may or will include traffic duty or traffic law enforcement, or directing or controlling traffic, and to such other officers as he at his discretion may determine. Each police chief shall obtain a receipt on a form approved by the registrar from such officer to whom a citation book has been issued. Each police chief shall also maintain citation books at police headquarters for the recording of automobile law violations by police officers to whom citation books have not been issued.

Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law, other than a provision of this chapter, to the contrary, any police officer assigned to traffic enforcement duty shall, whether or not the offense occurs within his presence, record the occurrence of automobile law violations upon a citation, filling out the citation and each copy thereof as soon as possible and as completely as possible and indicating thereon for each such violation whether the citation shall constitute a written warning and, if not, whether the violation is a criminal offense for which an application for a complaint as provided by subsection B of section three shall be made, whether the violation is a civil motor vehicle infraction which may be disposed of in accordance with subsection (A) of said section three, or whether the violator has been arrested in accordance with section twenty-one of chapter ninety. Said police officer shall inform the violator of the violation and shall give a copy of the citation to the violator. Such citation shall be signed by said police officer and by the violator, and whenever a citation is given to the violator in person that fact shall be so certified by the police officer. The violator shall be requested to sign the citation in order to acknowledge that is has been received. If a written warning is indicated, no further action need be taken by the violator. No other form of notice, except as provided in this section, need be given to the violator.

A failure to give a copy of the citation to the violator at the time and place of the violation shall constitute a defense in any court proceeding for such violation, except where the violator could not have been stopped or where additional time was reasonably necessary to determine the nature of the violation or the identity of the violator, or where the court finds that a circumstance, not inconsistent with the purpose of this section to create a uniform, simplified and non-criminal method for disposing of automobile law violations, justifies the failure. In such case the violation shall be recorded upon a citation as soon as possible after such violation and the citation shall be delivered to the violator or mailed to him at his residential or mail address or to the address appearing on his license or registration as appearing in registry of motor vehicles records.

At or before the completion of his tour of duty, a police officer to whom a citation book has been issued and who has recorded the occurrence of an automobile law violation upon a citation shall deliver to his police chief or to the person duly authorized by said chief all remaining copies of such citation, duly signed, except the police officer's copy which shall be retained by him. If the police officer has directed that a written warning be issued, the part of the citation designated as the registry of motor vehicles record shall be forwarded forthwith by the police chief or person authorized by him to the registrar and shall be kept by the registrar in his main office. If the registrar receives three such written warnings to the same offender within any twelve-month period, starting with the date of the first violation, the registrar shall, after due hearing pursuant to section twenty-two of chapter ninety, forthwith suspend the license or right to operate of such person for a period of seven days.

If the police officer has not directed that a written warning be issued and has not arrested the violator, said police chief or person duly authorized by him shall retain one copy of the citation for department use and shall at a time not later than the end of the fourth court day after the date of the violation cause to have delivered all remaining copies to the clerk-magistrate of the appropriate district court. The clerk-magistrate of each district court shall maintain a record of all such citations in the form prescribed by the chief justice of the district court department for said department and by the chief justice of the Boston municipal court department for said department, and shall, following payment or adjudication of such citation, forward forthwith one copy of such citation with the court abstract thereon to the registrar, which shall constitute compliance with the provisions of section twenty-seven of chapter ninety with regard to said citation.

If a citation is spoiled, mutilated or voided, it shall be endorsed with a full explanation thereof by the police officer voiding such citation, and shall be returned to the registrar forthwith and shall be duly accounted for upon the audit sheet for the citation book from which said citation was removed.

Section 3. (A) If a police officer records the occurrence of an automobile law violation as defined in section one for which the maximum penalty or fine, does not exceed one hundred dollars for the first offense and does not provide for a penalty of imprisonment, excepting operation of a motor vehicle in violation of the first paragraph of section ten of chapter ninety, or violation of section twenty-five of chapter ninety, the police officer may direct that a written warning be issued or may cite the violator for a civil motor vehicle infraction in accordance with this subsection.

If the police officer cites the violator for a civil motor vehicle infraction, the citation shall notify the violator that he may, whether he is an adult or a juvenile, contest the violation at a non-criminal hearing before a clerk-magistrate of the district court of the judicial district in which the violation occurred, or that, in the alternative, he may waive said hearing and pay the assessment for the violation as established by schedules of assessments promulgated by the chief justice of the district court department for said department and by the chief justice of the Boston municipal court department for said department; provided, however, that these shall be the only alternatives available to the violator, and provided further that if a criminal violation cognizable under subsection (B) is recorded in conjunction with and arising from the same occurrence as the civil infraction, the provisions of the third paragraph of subsection B shall govern. The scheduled assessments shall not exceed the maximum assessments, heretofore considered penalties or fines, established by law for the particular violation. A copy of such schedule of assessments shall be so posted in the office of the clerk-magistrate of each district court so as to be plainly visible to the public. The total amount of the assessment payable by the violator in accordance with such schedule shall be indicated by the police officer on the citation.

If the violator elects to waive the hearing before the clerk-magistrate and pay the scheduled assessment, he must, not later than twenty days after the date of said violation, appear before the clerk-magistrate of the appropriate district court, either personally or through an agent duly authorized in writing, with the citation appropriately marked, or within said time mail to said clerk-magistrate, with the citation appropriately marked, the scheduled assessment provided therein. Such payment, when made by mail, shall be made only by postal note, money order, or check. The payment of such assessment shall operate as a final disposition of the case.

Section 4. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a person other than a police officer from applying for a criminal complaint for an automobile law violation capable of being judicially heard and determined under subsection B of section three, and such person need not show that the alleged violator has been issued a citation in connection with such violation.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a police officer from arresting any person without a warrant pursuant to the provisions of section twenty-one of chapter ninety for such criminal offenses and in such circumstances as are specified in said section. If any such arrest is made, it shall be noted on the citation and all copies of the citation except the police officer's copy and the police department copy shall be forwarded to the clerk-magistrate of the appropriate district court and one copy of same shall serve as the application for complaint. The police chief may from time to time designate one person to sign all such complaints. If such arrest is made in good faith, the arresting officer shall not be liable in civil proceedings arising from such arrest.

Any provision of this chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, any payment of a penalty, fine or assessment made pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, including the payment of an assessment for a civil motor vehicle infraction, shall operate as a conviction for purposes of registry of motor vehicles action pursuant to chapter ninety and for purposes of the safe driver insurance plan established pursuant to section one hundred and thirteen B of chapter one hundred and seventy-five.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent access by probation officers to driving records of offenders maintained by the registrar or by the motor vehicle insurance merit rating board.

SECTION 4. Said chapter 90C is hereby further amended by striking out section 7, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 7. The clerk-magistrate of a district court or his designee shall accept waiver of trial, plea of guilty, and payment of fine from any person summoned to appear before such court on a complaint alleging violation of any law relating to the operation, parking or control of bicycles, or on a complaint alleging violation of the weight limits provided in section nineteen A of chapter ninety. Judgment shall be entered against any person filing such waiver of trial and plea of guilty. Such waivers and pleas shall be made in writing on forms which shall be established by the chief justice of the district court department for said department and the chief justice of the Boston municipal court department for said department. Such forms shall contain instructions to offenders as to procedure under this section and shall not contain information for the use of probation officers.

Fines under this section shall be in accordance with the schedule of fines which shall be established by the chief justice of the district court department for said department and the chief justice of the Boston municipal court department for said department. A copy of such schedule of fines shall be posted in the office of the clerk-magistrate of each district court and shall be plainly visible to the public. The fines listed on said schedule shall not exceed the maximum fines established by law for the particular type of violation.

No such waiver, plea and payment of fine shall be accepted under this section unless made before said clerk-magistrate, either personally or by an agent duly authorized in writing, or by mailing to such clerk-magistrate such payment. If by mail, payment should be made only by postal note, money order, or check made out to the clerk-magistrate of the court.

SECTION 5. Chapter 119 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 74, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 74. Except as hereinafter provided, no criminal proceeding shall be begun against any person who prior to his seventeenth birthday commits an offense against the law of the commonwealth or who violates any city ordinance or town by-law, unless proceedings against him as a delinquent child have been begun and dismissed as required by section sixty-one or seventy-two A; provided, however, that a criminal complaint alleging violation of any city ordinance or town by-law regulating the operation of motor vehicles, which is not capable of being judicially heard and determined as a civil motor vehicle infraction pursuant to the provisions of chapter ninety C may issue against a child between sixteen and seventeen years of age without first proceeding against him as a delinquent child.

SECTION 6. Section 62C of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out clause (e) and inserting in place thereof the following clause:-

(e) receive citations and hold hearings pursuant to subsection A of section three of chapter ninety C.

SECTION 7. Section 108 of chapter 231 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- There shall be an appellate division of each district court for the rehearing of matters of law arising in civil cases therein, in claims for compensation of victims of violent crimes, and in civil motor vehicle infractions.

SECTION 8. Section 1 of chapter 258B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the definition of "Court" and inserting in place thereof the following definition:-

"Court", a forum established under the General Laws for the adjudication of criminal complaints, indictments and civil motor vehicle infractions.

SECTION 9. Section 8 of said chapter 258B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the fourth and fifth sentences and inserting in place thereof the following three sentences:- The court, including the clerk-magistrate, shall impose an assessment of fifteen dollars against any person who fails to pay the scheduled civil assessment for a civil motor vehicle infraction or request a hearing within the twenty-day period provided for in subsection (A) of section three of chapter ninety C, except where the person is required by law to exercise the right to pay before a justice. When multiple criminal offenses arising from a single incident are charged or when multiple civil motor vehicle infractions arising from a single incident are charged or when one or more criminal offenses and one or more civil motor vehicle infractions arising from a single incident are charged, the total assessment shall not exceed twenty-five dollars; provided, however, that the total assessment against a person who has not attained seventeen years shall not exceed fifteen dollars. In the discretion of the court, including the clerk-magistrate in the case of a civil motor vehicle infraction that has not been heard by or brought before a justice, any assessment imposed pursuant to this section which would cause the person against whom the assessment is imposed severe financial hardship, may be reduced or waived.

SECTION 10. Chapter 279 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 42, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 42. If judgment is rendered against a corporation upon an indictment or complaint under the laws of the commonwealth, or if in the case of a civil motor vehicle infraction a corporation has defaulted or has failed or refused to pay an assessment, the court may issue a warrant of distress to compel payment of the amount prescribed by law, with interest. Such warrant may be served by any officer authorized to serve criminal process.

SECTION 11. Section 2 of chapter 280 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the second paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

Fines imposed under the provisions of chapters eighty-nine and ninety, including fines, penalties and assessments imposed under the provisions of chapter ninety C for the violation of the provisions of chapters eighty-nine and ninety, fines assessed by a hearing officer of a city or town as defined in sections twenty A and twenty A? of chapter ninety and forfeitures imposed under the provisions of section one hundred and forty-one of chapter one hundred and forty, shall be paid over to the treasury of the city or town wherein the offense was committed; provided, however, that any increase in the amount of fines, penalties and assessments collected pursuant to violations of section seventeen of chapter ninety or of a special speed regulation lawfully made under the authority of section eighteen of said chapter ninety over the amount collected in fiscal year nineteen hundred and eighty-three which is attributable solely to an increase in the authorized levels of such fines, penalties and assessments over the levels existing in fiscal year nineteen hundred and eighty-three shall be paid over to the state treasurer and credited to the Highway Fund.

SECTION 12. Upon the effective date of this act, all automobile law violations, as defined in section one, for which the assessment, heretofore considered a penalty or fine, does not exceed one hundred dollars for the first offense and does not provide for a penalty of imprisonment, excepting operation of a motor vehicle in violation of the first paragraph of section ten of chapter ninety, or violation of section twenty-five of chapter ninety, shall be deemed civil motor vehicle infractions and not criminal offenses, and all statutes, ordinances, by-laws or regulations heretofore providing for such automobile law violations shall be so interpreted. Appearances and proceedings pursuant to this subsection shall not be deemed criminal, and payments, heretofore considered penalties or fines, made, whether after hearing or otherwise, shall be deemed civil assessments and not criminal penalties or fines. The violator shall not be required to report to a probation officer and no record of the case shall be entered in any probation records except as prescribed by the commissioner of probation.

If any person notified to appear hereunder indicates by return of the citation, appropriately marked, within twenty days after the date of the violation, that he requests a hearing on the violation charged, the clerk-magistrate shall as soon as practicable, unless a hearing date was entered on the citation at the time of its issuance pursuant to procedures established or approved by the chief justice of the district court department for one or more divisions of said department or by the chief justice of the Boston municipal court department for said department, notify the officer concerned and the violator of the date on which they shall appear ready for hearing before the clerk-magistrate or the date on which they shall appear ready for a combined hearing and trial before a justice if the violator has been cited for a violation cognizable under subsection B in conjunction with and arising from the same occurrence as a violation capable of being judicially heard and determined under this subsection. A person who does not request a hearing on the violation charged within said twenty days shall not be entitled to a hearing thereafter.

Clerk-magistrates shall exercise their authority to conduct civil motor vehicle infraction hearings and all other authority hereunder subject to the limitations of section sixty-two C of chapter two hundred and twenty-one. Either party may appeal the decision of the clerk-magistrate to a justice, who shall hear the case de novo. There shall be no right of jury trial for civil motor vehicle infractions. The clerk-magistrate or justice shall, after hearing, and the justice shall, after hearing on an appeal de novo, find the violator responsible if he determines by a preponderance of the credible evidence that the alleged violator committed the violation charged; otherwise the clerk-magistrate or justice shall find the violator not responsible. If the violator is found responsible, the clerk-magistrate or justice shall impose an assessment which shall be within the range permitted by law; provided, however, that the chief justice of the district court department for said department and the chief justice of the Boston municipal court department for said department shall be authorized to issue guidelines for the imposition of assessments in civil motor vehicle infractions to the end that said assessments are made as uniformly as possible, which guidelines shall be binding on justices and clerk-magistrates; and provided, further, that, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, said guidelines may include provisions requiring that a prescribed assessment, or minimum assessment, within the range permitted by law, be made by all clerk-magistrates or all justices or both in the case of any specified civil motor vehicle infraction for which a violator is found responsible. The clerk-magistrate or justice may allow the violator a reasonable time to pay any assessment imposed.

Appeal on matters of law from the decision of a justice in the case of a civil motor vehicle infraction shall be to the appellate division, and shall be governed by rules promulgated by the chief justice of the district court department for said department and by the chief justice of the Boston municipal court department for said department, which rules shall provide for a simplified method of appeal. Appeals from the Boston division of the juvenile court department shall be to the appellate division of the juvenile court of the city of Boston, and appeals from any other division of the juvenile court department shall be heard by the justices assigned to the appellate division district of the juvenile court department within the territorial jurisdiction of which said division is located.

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit the availability of any remedies which may be available to the court in the case of a violator who has failed within twenty days of the date of the violation either to pay the scheduled assessment or notify the clerk-magistrate that he wishes to contest the violation, failed or refused to pay an assessment within the time allowed or failed without good cause to appear for a hearing. Issuance of a summons or warrant, including a warrant of distress as provided in section forty-two of chapter two hundred and seventy-nine, and issuance of notices as the court deems necessary, shall specifically be allowed. Proceedings for civil contempt, including incarceration therefor, also shall specifically be allowed, and shall be prosecuted by the district attorney or police prosecutor and heard by a justice pursuant to rules of court. Any summons or warrant issued pursuant to this section may be served by any officer authorized to serve criminal process.

(B) If a police officer records the occurrence of an automobile law violation as defined in section one for which the maximum penalty or fine for the first offense exceeds one hundred dollars or provides for a penalty of imprisonment, or operation of a motor vehicle in violation of the first paragraph of section ten of chapter ninety, or violation of section twenty-five of chapter ninety, the police officer may direct that a written warning be issued, may arrest the violator without a warrant in accordance with the provisions and limitations of section twenty-one of chapter ninety, for such offenses as specified in said section or may direct that an application for a complaint be filed.

If the police officer directs that an application for a complaint be filed, he shall so indicate on the citation. If he so indicates, the citation given to the violator shall have printed thereon a statement that the violator shall, if he so requests in writing to the appropriate district court within four days of the alleged violation, be granted a hearing on said violation before any process shall issue, as provided in section thirty-five A of chapter two hundred and eighteen, and such printed statement shall be deemed to satisfy the notice requirements of said section thirty-five A of chapter two hundred and eighteen. If an application for a complaint is so indicated and a complaint is issued, with or without the above-mentioned hearing, the procedure established for criminal cases shall then be followed. If the police officer directs that an application for a complaint be filed, the citation shall serve as the application and the police chief or person authorized by him shall deposit all parts of the citation, except the police officer's copy and the police department copy, with the clerk-magistrate of the appropriate district court at a time no later than the end of the second court day after the date of the violation. The police chief may, from time to time, designate one person to sign all such complaints.

If a criminal violation capable of being judicially heard and determined under this subsection is recorded by a police officer, the violator shall not have the option to dispose of the violation as provided in subsection (A). If a criminal violation capable of being judicially heard and determined under this subsection is recorded by a police officer in conjunction with and arising from the same occurrence as a civil motor vehicle infraction cognizable under the provisions of subsection (A), the criminal violation and the civil motor vehicle infraction shall be recorded on the same citation whenever feasible; any hearing on the civil motor vehicle infraction shall be heard by a justice and shall be heard at the same time as the related criminal or delinquency proceeding, provided that in such a case the civil motor vehicle infraction shall retain its character as such and shall be decided and disposed of by the justice under the same general procedures and with the same provisions as to disposition and assessments that would be applicable in the absence of a related criminal or delinquency proceeding; and the violator shall retain the right to dispose of the civil motor vehicle infraction by payment of the same scheduled assessment that would be applicable in the absence of a related criminal or delinquency proceeding, but the right to pay said scheduled assessment shall be exercised only before a justice and in open court and at such time as the justice prescribes. If the violator exercises his right to trial by jury in the first instance with respect to the criminal violation, the civil motor vehicle infraction shall be heard by the justice presiding over such trial. The justice may conduct such hearing simultaneously with the criminal trial, or may sever the hearing of the civil motor vehicle infraction from the trial of the criminal violation if justice so requires. The several divisions of the juvenile court department shall have jurisdiction over civil motor vehicle infractions that are recorded in conjunction with and that arise from the same occurrence as a violation that is treated as a delinquency matter in said divisions.

(C) If a violator in the case of a civil motor vehicle infraction cognizable under subsection (A) fails within twenty days of the date of the violation either to pay the scheduled assessment or notify the clerk-magistrate that he wishes to contest the violation, or if a violator in the case of any automobile law violation, whether capable of being judicially heard and determined under subsection (A) or subsection (B), fails without good cause to appear for a hearing before the clerk-magistrate or a justice at the time required, said defendant having been summoned or notice of such hearing having been given either personally or by mail to the address shown on registry of motor vehicles records unless another address is indicated on the citation or on the request for hearing, or fails to pay a fine, penalty, assessment, or other lawful amount within the time allowed, the clerk-magistrate shall notify the registrar. Such notice to the registrar may be given more than once in the same case if necessary. Nothing herein shall be deemed to prevent, in addition to notice to the registrar, the sending of such additional written notices or court process to the violator as may be deemed necessary.

Upon receipt of said notice, the registrar shall give such person written notice by first class mail directed to his residential or mail address, as reported to the registrar pursuant to section twenty-six A of chapter ninety, or to such person's last known address as furnished by such person to the citing officer or to the court, that his operator's license, learner's permit or right to operate will be suspended by operation of law and without further notice or hearing at the expiration of thirty days from the date of the mailing of such written notice, which expiration date shall be specifically indicated by the registrar in said notice, and that any license to operate a motor vehicle or any registration of a motor vehicle issued to said violator by the registrar will not be renewed upon or after the expiration date of said license or registration, unless and until the violator presents the registrar with a certificate of the justice or clerk-magistrate of the court that the violation has been disposed of in accordance with law or that the violator is attending to the matter to the satisfaction of the court. The court shall not unreasonably withhold such certificate.

If any person fails to present the certificate provided above in the time provided above, his operator's license, learner's permit or right to operate shall be deemed suspended by operation of law on the date indicated on the notice mailed to him by the registrar. The registrar shall place such suspension on record and shall not reinstate such license, learner's permit or right to operate, nor renew any operator's license or motor vehicle registration issued to said violator, until the certificate referred to above is presented; provided, however, that the registrar shall be authorized to revoke the notice to the violator provided for in the preceding paragraph if he is satisfied that said notice was issued through error of the registrar or the court; and provided, further, that the court shall be notified of any such revocation by the registrar.

The registrar is hereby authorized to enter into reciprocal and mutual agreements with other states with regard to the interstate enforcement of motor vehicle violations and all other matters relating to motorists and motor vehicles, upon approval by the secretary of public safety.

SECTION 13. Any citation issued pursuant to chapter ninety C of the General Laws prior to the effective date of this act shall be processed and heard in all respects in accordance with the provisions of said chapter existing prior to the effective date of this act, notwithstanding that all or part of said processing and hearing takes place on or after said effective date.

SECTION 14. This act shall take effect on July first, nineteen hundred and eighty-six.