Maryland
Vehicle Resource Center
Owning a vehicle in Maryland can be complicated and requires annual maintenance, including continual liability insurance and registration renewals. Drivers must take time to learn the proper procedures for vehicle registration, insurance, ownership transfer, road laws, and more.
Ownership and Maintenance
In Maryland, effective vehicle maintenance means completing annual registration renewals, maintaining proper vehicle insurance, and going through inspections when required.
Residents of any of the Maryland counties below must have their vehicles' emissions tested via regular emissions inspections.
The 14 counties below in Maryland all demand emissions tests.
- Anne Arundel
- Baltimore
- Calvert
- Carroll
- Cecil
- Charles
- Federick
- Harford
- Howard
- Montgomery
- Prince George
- Queen Anne
- Washington
Residents from these counties should take their vehicles to one of the VEIP testing stations to have them inspected. Once an emissions test is complete, the receipt will provide the next test date. Continue to have the vehicle tested regularly to keep it legal to drive.
Maryland does not require vehicle owners to get regular safety inspections for their vehicles. There are two conditions that require safety inspections, though: when vehicles are brought in from another state to be registered in Maryland and before a used vehicle can be sold in the state.
Safety inspections are obtained by visiting a safety inspection station in Maryland. There are approximately 1,600 different inspection stations available for use. Vehicle owners looking for inspection locations can use this inspection locator for help.
In Maryland, both liability insurance and uninsured motorist insurance are required. Insurance must be put on any vehicle before it can be registered for driving. Without adequate insurance coverage, the owner of the vehicle can be fined and will be liable for damages the vehicle causes during an accident.
Required Insurance Limits:
- $30,000 to cover individual injuries
- $60,000 for the injuries of multiple people
- $15,000 for property damage coverage
When these minimums are met for uninsured motorists and liability coverage, a vehicle is said to be insured in Maryland. Many owners opt to purchase greater coverage amounts for additional protection.
Visit the Maryland insurance information page from the state government for more relevant information.
Vehicle registrations are good for two years in Maryland. They must be renewed before their expiration to avoid fees and potential fines or tickets. Fortunately, there are many convenient ways to renew a registration, and vehicle owners can choose the option that is most desirable to them.
Registration Renewal Methods
- Online Through eMVA
- By Phone
- By Post
- At a County Treasurer's Location
- Through a Title Service Agent
Vehicle owners can renew their registration simply through each of the methods listed above. Online renewals, phone renewals, and by mail are the most convenient options, but they only work if all the registration information remains the same. If any information must be changed the renewal must happen at a local County Treasurer's office or at a Title Service Agent. Both in-person options come with additional fees that aren't present when renewing without help.
When renewing, owners must have their license plate number, vehicle title, and vehicle insurance information. With this data and a valid payment method, it should be easy to renew the vehicle's registration.
Registration Renewal Every Two Years
Registration renewals cost between $39 and $49 annually, and they may come with some additional small fees.
Driver's License Renewal
Class C driver's licenses cost $12 every four years or $18 every six years. There are different fees for other classes of licenses and identification cards. Get more information about these fees from the License Renewal Schedule page for Riley County.
Annual Property Taxes
Each year, property taxes for a vehicle shift. Owners must talk with their County Treasurer's Office to get updated tax information, or they can wait for a tax renewal statement and use the amount provided on it.
Buying & Selling
When buying or selling a vehicle in Maryland, it's essential to adhere to best practices and file the appropriate paperwork to avoid potential legal problems.
Have the Original Title
Sellers must have the vehicle's original title to complete a sale. That title must be free from liens. If the original title is lost, the seller can file form MVT-8 and pay a $33 fee to obtain a replacement title.
Remove the License Plates
A license plate must be removed from the vehicle prior to allowing the buyer to take it away. The plates can be returned to the MVB or transferred to another vehicle. Interested sellers can have this Plate Cancellation Request form notarized and submit it to the MVB to officially cancel the plates.
Sign the Title
Provide the original title and sign the back, ensuring that all the required information is added to the form before handing it over to the buyer. This form is mandatory when the buyer goes to register the vehicle at the BMV.
Cancel the Vehicle's Insurance
Once the buyer leaves with the vehicle, it's time to cancel the insurance. Talk with the insurance company and cancel the policy to avoid paying any longer.
Research the Vehicle Carefully
This is the most important step of any vehicle purchase. The seller should spend time learning about the vehicle before deciding whether to purchase it or not. Conducting research is straightforward with a Vehicle History Search, or VIN Check from GoodCar. These reports include detailed specifications and feature information for the specific vehicle model. The reports also have owner history and car accident history, title brand information, as well as data about open recalls and odometer information.
Obtain a Bill of Sale
The buyer must print a Bill of Sale document and bring it to a vehicle purchase to ensure they have documentation proving the vehicle purchase is legitimate. The document should include relevant vehicle information, including an Odometer disclosure statement, and must have a signature from the seller.
Get the Original Title
The buyer must carefully verify the vehicle's title, ensuring it has a matching VIN and vehicle description. Work with the seller to verify all the required information is included on the title and sign the necessary locations to finalize the sale. For added protection, the title can be signed in front of a notary, but this step is not required for the sale to be legal.
Obtain Vehicle Insurance
Work with an insurance agent to begin an insurance policy on the new vehicle that offers the legal minimum amount of coverage or better. Keep proof of the insurance to provide to the MVB employee when registering the vehicle.
Title and Register the Vehicle
After getting all the documentation, it's time for the buyer to register the vehicle. The buyer must bring money to pay the sales taxes as well as any title and registration fees for the vehicle. Along with money, the buyer needs the Bill of Sale, proof of insurance, and the original vehicle title, as well as proper identification. With all these documents, registering and titling the vehicle will be straightforward. The final documents will be sent to the mailing address associated with the vehicle's registration.
The buyer must pay all the required fees to successfully title and register the purchased vehicle. This is a straightforward process, but it's essential for the buyer to plan for these costs.
Sales Tax
Maryland vehicle sales are charged a 5.5% tax rate. Buyers must pay 5.5% of the purchase price of the vehicle when titling and registering a purchased vehicle.
Registration
To register a purchased passenger vehicle, there is a flat fee of $35. It's likely the buyer will be subjected to several small miscellaneous fees as well as a sales tax requirement. For more unique registration fees, see the Maryland State registration fee page.
Title
Obtaining a title for a recently purchased vehicle comes with a $33.00 fee as long as there are no liens; for more title fees, see the Maryland state title fee page.
Laws and Regulations
Maryland drivers must understand the state's laws to avoid legal trouble during everyday operations.
Under Maryland seat belt regulations, all vehicle passengers must be properly restrained by a seat belt or child safety seat. All passengers over 18 years old are held personally responsible for failing to wear a seat belt and can be ticketed for $25. Passengers under 18 years of age are the responsibility of the driver, who can be ticketed for improperly buckled minors.
Along with basic seat belt regulations, Maryland has specific car seat regulations as well. All children under eight must be fastened into the appropriate child safety seat as outlined in the list below.
See more information about potential punishments and seat belt regulations on the Maryland Legislature seat belt legal page.
Many vehicle owners in Maryland choose to add tint to their windows for additional privacy and sun protection. Owners must be certain they are putting on tint that's allowed by the state's tint guidelines.
Aside from the windshield, all other windows on a Maryland vehicle can have tint as long as it allows 35% of all visible light or more into the vehicle. Owners who choose 35 VLT tint or higher should not have legal trouble.
Maryland has some of the strictest laws in the country regarding driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In Maryland, the offense is termed an OUI, which stands for operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Drivers who are caught breaking the state's OUI laws are sentenced to up to 364 days in jail, up to a 3-year license suspension, and fines as high as $2,000. These punishments are incredibly strict for first-time offenders compared to most other states.
What are the OUI Limits?
Drivers who exceed the OUI limits can be charged with an OUI and face strict punishments that become progressively worse on repeat offenses.
To better understand Maryland's OUI laws, view this legal OUI page.
Maryland protects consumers who purchase new vehicles registered in the state from significant factory defects. Under the Lemon law, personal-use vehicles are protected for 18,000 miles, the duration of the warranty, or the first three years of use, whichever term is met first.
If a vehicle suffers from a significant defect, the buyer can report the issue to the manufacturer, who must make adequate repairs to resolve the issue. If the issue is not resolved, the buyer can bring their case to the State Arbitrator for free. If the vehicle is declared a lemon, the manufacturer must replace it or offer a refund of the purchase price.
Get more information on lemon law from the Maryland Attorney General in this guide.
Useful Things to Know
Maryland BMV Vehicle Forms
Access the full selection of Maryland vehicle service forms from the BMV in one neat table. BMV Vehicle Forms
Locate Public EV Charging Stations
Maryland residents who own electric vehicles (EVs) need to know where public electric charging stations are located. This search tool makes discovering nearby locations simple. Maryland EV Charging Station Search Tool
Maryland Crash Trends
Maryland is safer than average, with 1.05 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles recorded by the IIHS in 2021. Even though the state is safer than most, there were 153 fatalities caused by 135 accidents in 2021. That's a significant amount and worth knowing more about. Build a complete understanding of state accidents using Maryland car crash statistics from GoodCar.
Find a Maryland Burea of Motor Vehicles
Maryland residents must visit a Burea of Motor Vehicles (BMV) location occasionally to obtain vehicle services. Use this BMV office directory to find the most convenient location. Maryland BMV Office Locations Directory
Get the Latest Maryland Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Maryland vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN Check and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.