Maryland planning to crack down on drivers improperly registering vehicles in Virginia

Maryland is putting the brakes on drivers who register their cars in Virginia. A crackdown like this has been talked about for years and is finally making some headway in the Maryland General Assembly.

This comes as the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) says it has issued 58,000 warning letters to Maryland drivers with Virginia tags so far this year. It says that as of last year, more than 73,000 vehicles were improperly registered.

A loophole in Virginia has allowed out-of-state drivers, many from Maryland, to register their vehicles in the Commonwealth. Maryland law requires vehicles to be registered in the state within 60 days of living here. Two common exceptions to this rule are for veterans and students.

"We have to condition the behavior that's taking place, and we do not do that when we're letting loopholes stay in place," State Sen. Cory McCray told WJZ.

The state, and even Baltimore City, say they are losing money because of the loophole, and it is causing a safety issue with many of these vehicles behind on inspections, and the drivers are uninsured.

MVA shifting gears

MVA says many of these drivers don't have insurance, aren't inspected properly, and don't pay traffic fines.

Registration and other vehicle fees also make up 17% of the Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for road projects, according to MVA.

According to a letter filed by MVA to the judicial proceedings committee about the proposed legislation, MVA says it already issues warnings to vehicle owners and imposes a 60-day notice to register in Maryland.

The agency says it filed a Freedom of Information Request with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to discover how many cars were improperly registered there. 

MVA says the data shows 28,003 vehicles were previously registered in Maryland and switched to Virginia. More than 50% of those vehicles would not be allowed to register in Maryland because of indicators on their record and nearly all were out of compliance with Virginia safety inspections.

Baltimore City says drivers with Virginia tags often don't pay traffic citations. About 63% of camera citations issued to Virginia tags are outstanding from 2025. More than 80% of camera citations issued to cars with Virginia tags in 2024 still haven't been paid.

Testimony from Baltimore Police obtained by WJZ says the state loses up to $12 million annually in registration revenue. Additionally, the state loses unpaid violations and toll revenue.

Between 2023 and 2025, police say there were 14 fatal crashes involving Virginia-registered cars, which makes up 10% of all fatal crashes during that time frame. It also says 47% of non-fatal crashes involved a Virginia vehicle.

Pedal to the metal in Annapolis

Maryland says it wants to be in the driver's seat and crack down on Maryland drivers registering their cars in Virginia.

A pair of bills in Annapolis tries to eliminate the loophole and increase penalties for drivers, including fines or even civil action. It also calls for more data sharing between Maryland and Virginia.

"We will be taking action because Marylanders, as I said, who are doing the right thing, who have insurance, find themselves still being penalized," said McCray, who proposed a bill in the State Senate.

The bills both passed out of committee and are now being reviewed by the opposite chamber. 

After years of discussion about a bill like this, McCray says this is the first time it has made it out of committee. He adds that one or both could make it to Gov. Wes Moore's desk for signature.

Keeping Virginia tags

WJZ spoke with one woman, who says she used to have two cars registered in Maryland. 

After one was repossessed and the other turned into the dealer, her tags weren't returned. Now she says MVA is charging her for the missing plates, so she registered in Virginia.

She is going by Anna in this story.

"They're after the ones that have Virginia tags and don't have no insurance. I got insurance," Anna explained. "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?"

Anna says she received a letter from MVA this year telling her to change her registration, but she doesn't plan on making 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."