Moving to Maryland

[kulangot]

Looks like I'm moving again, this time to Potomac Maryland.

To you MD residents, what is the deal with Hot Rod tags in MD?

We have no such thing here in VA.

Do you have the "reconstructed vehicle" debacle there for cobbled together cars?

How often do you have to get an inspection or smog? On what years?

Educate me please.

 

[tennesseejed]

Historic Tags are the way to go. No inspection and the vehicle must be 20 years or older. You can go to the MVA with proof of insurance and the title and get tags right there. According to the MVA, the vehicle cannot be used as a daily driver, but I have never heard of any issues with this. To obtain Hot Rod tags, the MVA states that the vehicle must be "severely altered" from its original condition. There are no emissions tests for either tags. Certain counties in Maryland on the eastern shore are also emissions exempt for any year vehicle.

 

[greytandy]

Jed summed it up well. I have Historic tags, but I purposely keep the vehicle in a state where it certainly would pass inspection (save for a reverse light I have yet to install). John Smith has Hot Rod tags because his 40 is highly modified from stock. No emissions required for either. The rules for both categories are on MVA's website. As Jed said, it can't be a DD, but I've seen many pieces of sh1t on the road with historic tags that clearly were DDs.

The biggest problem I had was MD requires a title from another state (GA in my case) to title and register it in MD. Many states don't need a title to re-title because stuff gets lost or was never required when a 40-year old vehicle was new.

Oh yeah, there are certain MVA's to avoid like, Beltsville. I have stories that just make my blood boil. If you need any help, just let me know.

Why are you moving just across the river?

 

[kulangot]

Wife is not a fan of a long commute and she works in MD now

 

[greytandy]

Wife is not a fan of a long commute and she works in MD now

Jebus, and all that work you've been putting into the new digs.

At least you'll be on the right side of the river now. Will they let us folks driving 40s into your new gated subdivision in Potomac?

 

[Blue77FJ40]

Sorry about the move, John. You had a really nice place in VA. Hope you find a commensurate deal in MD.

By the way, they're called Street Rod tags. I got them because I will eventually fall victim to MIBs and would fall into the sustantially altered from stock aspect.

 

[John Smith]

Looks like I'm moving again, this time to Potomac Maryland.

To you MD residents, what is the deal with Hot Rod tags in MD?

We have no such thing here in VA.

Do you have the "reconstructed vehicle" debacle there for cobbled together cars?

How often do you have to get an inspection or smog? On what years?

Educate me please.

I will add, if you have any intention of daily driving a vehicle in MD you should get regular plates and not Historic or Street Rod, regardless of vehicle age. We have a one time inspection for regular tagged vehicles. After that, you must pass a smog check every two years, age does not matter, the smog check never goes away. The test they perform depends on the age of the vehicle.

If you plate a vehicle with Historic or Street Rod plates there is no one time inspection or smog check ever. The registration fees are also a fraction of the cost of regular plates. Most of the same restrictions as other places. Can't daily drive it, should only be used to attend events, parades, exercise the vehicle, make parts runs, etc.

This is a good link to start with. New to Maryland Titling and Registering Your Vehicle Information