If you moved to Maryland and haven’t re-registered your vehicle here, or if you’ve been registering your car in Virginia or another neighboring state to save money on fees, this is your warning. Starting October 1st, Maryland is rolling out a serious enforcement program, and the fines are steep enough to wipe out whatever you’ve been saving.
Why Maryland Residents Are Registering Cars Out of State
Maryland vehicle registration fees have increased significantly in recent years, and for drivers of SUVs, trucks, or heavier vehicles, those increases have been especially noticeable under newer state law. With household budgets stretched thin, many Maryland residents, particularly those near the DC metro area, have been registering their vehicles in Virginia where fees appear to be considerably lower. The intent is understandable, but the consequences are about to become far more expensive than the savings.
The Law Has Always Been There. Now It’s Being Enforced
Maryland law has long required that if you move to the state, or even just change your address within Maryland, you have 60 days to update your vehicle registration and driver’s license. This isn’t a new law. What is new is the state’s plan to actively enforce it through a program called Plate Where You Live, which launches on October 1st.
If you’re a Maryland resident driving a vehicle registered in any other state, here is what to expect. First, you’ll receive a warning. If you don’t comply after that warning, you’ll receive a citation, and the clock restarts, giving you another 60 days to fix it. If you still haven’t registered the vehicle in Maryland, fines begin at $7 per day for the first 60 days, totaling $420. After 120 days, local jurisdictions can pursue civil action, including towing, booting, or impoundment.
The Math on the Fines
Seven dollars a day doesn’t sound catastrophic until you do the math. Sixty days at $7 a day is $420 in fines before anyone touches your car. That’s already steeper than the increase in registration fees that prompted people to register out of state in the first place. And if it escalates to impoundment or a boot? The costs to recover your vehicle aren’t detailed yet in the program materials, but they are expected to be significantly higher. It is almost certainly less expensive to register your vehicle properly now than to deal with fines, towing fees, and the hassle of tracking down where your car ended up.
What to Do Before October 1st
We’re in mid-July, which means there’s still time to get ahead of this — but don’t wait. If you live in Maryland and your vehicle is plated in another state, get it registered here now. Update your driver’s license if you haven’t done so within 60 days of your move. And when you re-register in Maryland, make sure your auto insurance policy reflects your Maryland address and meets Maryland coverage requirements.
Have Questions? Bowers Law Can Help.
At Bowers Law, we help Maryland residents navigate accidents, injuries, and the insurance questions that come with them. If you’re switching your registration to Maryland and want a free review of your auto insurance policy to make sure you’re properly covered, call us today. Don’t get caught by this enforcement program, fix it now and save yourself the headache.
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