Maryland cracking down on drivers with out-of-state tags as new law takes effect

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration is cracking down on out-of-state license plates, with a particular focus on vehicles registered in Virginia.

A new law taking effect Thursday, Oct. 1, creates additional enforcement measures for Maryland residents who register their vehicles out of state to avoid Maryland's vehicle registration requirements.

Under the new law, Maryland residents with vehicles registered in another state will receive a notice from the MVA and have 60 days to bring their vehicle into compliance, obtain a nonresident permit or provide documentation showing they are exempt.

After those 60 days, drivers who remain out of compliance could face a $7-per-day fine for up to 60 days, for a maximum penalty of $420. If the vehicle remains unregistered in Maryland after that, the case can be referred for additional civil action, including possible booting, towing or impoundment.

Virginia does not require residency to register a vehicle. Virginia registration fees for passenger vehicles are lower than Maryland's, which has prompted some Maryland drivers to register their vehicles across state lines.

The state filed a Freedom of Information Act request with Virginia to obtain data about drivers who provided a Maryland address when registering their vehicles in the Commonwealth.

According to written testimony before the Maryland General Assembly, tens of thousands of vehicles were flagged. Some had indicators placed on their Maryland records that prevented registration.

Making Maryland's roads safer

MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer said the effort is about more than collecting registration fees. She said the goal is to make sure vehicles on Maryland roads meet the state's safety and insurance requirements.

Nearly 100% of the vehicles identified by the MVA as illegally registered out of state were not in compliance with Maryland's safety inspection requirements, according to the agency.

"If that driver is not insured, if that driver's vehicle is unsafe, these things can have profound impacts on us," Nizer said. "Our mission is zero deaths on our roadways. That is something we take very seriously at the Maryland Department of Transportation, and so that is where it starts, and that is critical to everybody I think that resides in Maryland."

Earlier this summer, the state sent about 79,000 letters to drivers suspected of having vehicles registered in Virginia. That was in addition to 58,000 letters sent earlier this year.

After those efforts, approximately 10,000 vehicles were registered in Maryland.

Most of the letters were sent to drivers in Prince George's and Baltimore counties, as well as Baltimore City.

The state also loses up to $12 million annually because vehicles are registered in other states, according to a state analysis. Registration fees help fund the Transportation Trust Fund, which supports roadwork and other transportation needs, as well as Emergency Medical Services.

Additionally, drivers with out-of-state plates can be more difficult for Maryland to pursue for unpaid speed enforcement and red-light camera tickets, as well as tolls.

A state audit found that out-of-state vehicles had accumulated $818.1 million in unpaid tolls as of Jan. 1. Virginia vehicles accounted for $234.7 million of that total.

The audit found the Maryland Transportation Authority had not taken available action to collect some of the money owed.

In response, MDTA said it intercepts state tax refunds from in-state violators, but there is no equivalent system for out-of-state drivers. The agency said it is working on a pilot program with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to collect unpaid tolls.

Drivers say Maryland is too expensive

With registration rates lower in Virginia, some drivers say they prefer registering their vehicles there, particularly as vehicle-related costs rise.

"I just think Maryland is greedy for money because they are not getting the revenue that Virginia is getting for registrations and titles," said Octavia of Loch Raven.

Octavia owns two vehicles, one registered in Maryland and the other in Virginia. She said Maryland should lower its rates to encourage more drivers to register their vehicles in the state.

"When I bought my first car here in Maryland, I paid $680 for registration and title transfer. That's ridiculous," Octavia said. "Then you have to pay for an inspection, other things of that nature just to get a year's sticker and more. In Virginia, you don't have to do all of that and you still can live."

In March, WJZ spoke with a woman who said she previously had two vehicles registered in Maryland.

After one vehicle was repossessed and the other was returned to the dealer, she said the license plates were not returned. The woman, who asked that her name not be used, said the MVA is now charging her for the missing plates, so she registered her vehicle in Virginia.

"They're after the ones that have Virginia tags and don't have no insurance. I got insurance," she said. "I don't have $7,000 to dish out to people like that … If they don't have insurance, then you need to go after them, but if they comply, and if the insurance is not worried about it, why should y'all?"

The woman said she received a letter from the MVA this year telling her to change her registration, but she does not plan to make the switch.

"I called the person that helped me get my tag," she said. "He said, as long as you got insurance, they really can't do nothing to you. Throw it away, and that's what I did."

Other drivers said everyone should pay their fair share to use Maryland's roads.

"I don't think it's fair at all. You should abide by the laws of the state that you live in and not try to go around it to try to get something cheaper," said Kathy Sibol of Columbia.