Maryland lawmakers crack down on "super speeders" and vehicles registered in Virginia
Maryland lawmakers passed a pair of bills before the end of the 2026 legislative session aimed at cracking down on speeding and vehicles registered in Virginia.
Lawmakers say many out-of-state drivers are linked to unpaid speeding tickets and unsafe driving.
One bill states that super speeders who had licenses suspended or revoked would now be required to use a GPS device in their car to prevent speeding.
Another bill cracks down on Maryland drivers registering their vehicles in Virginia. State leaders claim some of the "super speeders" don't have a Maryland registration.
"It just seems like people do what they want to do," Baltimore resident Kenneth Persons said. "They drive the way they want to drive, and some need to be done."
A loophole in Virginia has allowed out-of-state drivers, many from Maryland, to register their vehicles in Virginia.
Bill focuses on Maryland drivers registered in Virginia
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration says more than 73,000 vehicles in Maryland were registered in the Commonwealth, and often those drivers don't have insurance.
State Senator Cory McCray, who sponsored the bill, said safety is the reason for the legislation.
"If you continue to make the bad decision of speeding, of running red lights, of driving without insurance, those bad decisions are going to lead up to an even worse decision that you're going to regret," McCray told CBS News Baltimore.
Baltimore City says drivers with Virginia tags often don't pay traffic citations. The city says more than 80% of camera citations issued to cars with Virginia tags in 2024 still haven't been paid.
As WJZ previously reported, a woman, going by Anna in this story, says she used to have two cars registered in Maryland. After one was repossessed and the other turned in to the dealer, her tags weren't returned. Now she says MVA is fining her for the missing plates, so she registered across state lines.
"I couldn't get tags here because they wanted their $7,000, so you do the next best thing. You go to Virginia [and] get your tags," Anna said.
MVA says it has issued letters to Maryland residents with Virginia registration. It sent 58,000 letters this year. If drivers are not in compliance within 60 days, the state says it can issue fines and even pursue legal action.
Maryland's effort to slow down "super speeders"
House Bill 107, also known as the Stop Super Speeders bill, is also awaiting the governor's signature.
The bill would establish the Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program by October 2027, which would be used for drivers who had their licenses suspended or revoked. Under the bill, certain drivers would be required to use a device designed to prevent speeding.
The Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology uses GPS and sensors to prevent drivers from exceeding the speed limit.
Some drivers say speeding is a major issue in Maryland, but they aren't sure this plan will work to prevent dangerous driving.
"I think it's wishful thinking that the people who are chronic abusers and breaking the law are going to put these devices into their car," Baltimore resident Ken Bates said.
The MVA told CBS News Baltimore it is serious about road safety and will continue to crack down on out-of-state drivers and super speeders.
"Our efforts include an ongoing social media campaign, sharing relevant information on our website, and mailing thousands of letters to educate drivers about the registration requirements and encourage them to take steps toward compliance.
Meanwhile, we look forward to implementing the Intelligence Speed Assistance (ISA) pilot program, which targets the most serious and dangerous drivers on Maryland roadways. Speeding contributes to one in three crashes, and ISA shows promise to reduce crashes and fatal injuries."
No driverless vehicles in Maryland
Maryland lawmakers pumped the brakes on authorizing autonomous vehicles to drive in the state.
In 2025, Waymo announced plans to bring its driverless ride-share vehicle to 15 more cities, including Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Manual driving tests of Waymo vehicles started last December.
Waymo and other driverless vehicles in Maryland require special permits to operate fully autonomously and carry passengers.
Some neighbors said they aren't sure about the autonomous cars, saying improvements to public transportation may be a better long term solution.
"I don't think more cars, whether they're driverless or not, is a good idea. Plus, I think that, you know, it takes jobs away from people," said Baltimore resident Callen Silver.
Supporters last month told CBS News Baltimore that autonomous vehicles, including Waymo, could make roads safer.
"The human driver — we love them — but they are not the best behind the wheel of a vehicle in the state of Maryland or in the U.S.," John Seng, the founder and chair of SafeRoadsMD, previously. "It is a lot easier to tweak the engineering of an autonomous vehicle than it is to tweak the behavior of one human being who just can't put that cell phone down."
