What is a Maryland License Plate?
The Maryland Vehicle Administration (MVA), a division of the Maryland Department of Transportation, issues all registration plates and manages the vehicle titling process statewide. Residents register at MVA branches or through licensed tag and title services that handle most personal transactions.
The current standard Maryland license plate features a white background with the state flag in the central stripe and the word “Maryland” at the top. All registration fees include an annual EMS fee of $40, which funds the state’s emergency medical services system.
Types of License Plates in Maryland
- Standard plates are assigned at registration and feature a graphic of the state flag. Replacing lost or damaged plates requires paying a replacement fee through the MVA.
- Special designs include Chesapeake Bay and Agricultural plates, each with an initial fee of $20 and an annual renewal of $15 in addition to standard registration. The 1910 Vintage Reproduction plate and the Amateur Radio Operator plate have a similar structure.
- Personalized plates allow for 2 to 7 characters and are ordered through myMVA online services or at a branch. An initial fee and annual renewal apply.
- Maryland issues over 100 military and veteran plates. Disabled veteran plates (100% rating) have no registration or plate fee. Veterans with a rating from 50 to 99% receive free plates but still pay annual registration. Medal of Honor, Gold Star Family, Purple Heart, and Former POW plates are also available with a $25 plate fee.
The full catalog is available on the MVA license plates page.
What Vehicles Require License Plates in Maryland?
Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer driven on Maryland highways must be registered according to Transportation Article § 13-402. New residents have 60 days to register while displaying valid plates from their former state.
- Passenger cars weighing up to 3,500 pounds require two plates and pay $120.50 annually. Cars weighing from 3,500 to 3,700 pounds pay $125.50, and those over 3,700 pounds pay $191.50.
- One rear plate for motorcycles, costing $105 annually.
- Trailers up to 3,000 pounds have one rear plate costing $12.75 annually (no EMS fee). Trailers from 3,001 to 5,000 pounds cost $25.50; heavier trailers are rated by weight at $16 per 1,000 pounds plus a $40 fee.
- Zero-emission electric vehicles add an annual fee of $125 in addition to standard registration. Plug-in hybrids add $100 annually (MVA bulletin on electric vehicle fee).
License Plate Rules in Maryland
- Passenger vehicles require two plates, one front and one rear. Class F tractors mount one plate on the front; motorcycles, trailers, and semitrailers have only one rear plate. Transportation Article § 13-411(a) and (b) set these requirements.
- Plates must remain free from foreign materials, securely fastened in a horizontal position, and clearly visible at all times per § 13-411(c). Tinted, colored, or illuminated plate covers are prohibited under § 13-411.1, which also bans the sale or advertisement of covers. Enforcement of violations related to frames or borders that merely frame the plate is limited to secondary actions during another traffic stop.
Is Driving Around with No License Plate in Maryland Illegal?
Operating a vehicle on Maryland highways without valid registration plates and validation tabs violates Transportation Article § 13-411(d). The vehicle owner faces a parallel violation under § 13-411(e) for permitting the operation of a vehicle without plates.
Displaying a plate issued for another vehicle or person is a separate offense under § 13-411(g). Maryland also considers operating an unregistered vehicle as a separate violation under § 13-401, distinct from the above display rules.
What is the Penalty for Driving Without a License Plate in Maryland?
Penalties for plate and registration violations fall under Transportation Article Title 13 and the general misdemeanor provision in § 27-101. Below registration lapse fines are modest; above them, the article moves into misdemeanor territory with a cap of $500.
- Lack of plates on a registered vehicle: $70 preset fine according to the district court fine schedule for violating § 13-411(a).
- Operating an unregistered vehicle carries a preset fine of $290 under § 13-401(c). The same $290 applies to operating on canceled or revoked registration.
- Displaying plates issued for another vehicle or person: $70 preset fine under § 13-411(g). Any violation of the Maryland Vehicle Law is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500 under § 27-101(b) if contested in court.
- Unreadable or covered plates incur a $70 fine under § 13-411(c). Selling plate covers incurs a separate $70 fine, while falsely advertising covers as legal in Maryland rises to $250 under § 13-411.1(c)(2).
- Suspended registration violations under § 13-401(h) and (i) are set at $150, lower than the $290 for operating unregistered or with revoked registration.