Maryland Expired Tags Fine
Maryland has many registered drivers. In 2020, according to Statista, Maryland had over 4.4 million registered drivers. The Maryland motor vehicle administration (MVA) is responsible for vehicle registration and providing a driver's license. They are also in charge of managing drivers and accidents, as well as the MVA flag placement on vehicles with a driving or vehicle violation. Several road laws were introduced to reduce accidents and protect their citizens, including fines for unregistered vehicles, vehicles with expired tags, and drivers with expired license plate numbers.
Maryland Vehicle Registration: Key Facts
The registration and titling of new vehicles are usually done by the car dealer in Maryland, unless they are out-of-state dealers. Registering a car in MD from out-of-state is a bit different. However, you must provide the required documents for used vehicles and go through the registration process yourself. In Maryland, driving an unregistered vehicle is a violation and attracts penalties.
Maryland motor vehicle administration (MVA) is responsible for vehicle registration. Documents required for registration include proof of ownership, application form (form #VR-005), insurance information, Maryland safety inspection certificate, and proof of vehicle's value. Depending on the situation surrounding the registration, you may need to provide an excise tax credit, Maryland excise titling tax, Lien information, and power of attorney documents.
How Often Do You Have To Register Your Car In Maryland?
A typical vehicle registration in Maryland lasts for two years, after which the owner must renew it before they can drive it. You must settle outstanding issues like insurance, parking tickets, and other problems with the MVA before the authorities can complete your next registration.
Is There a Fine for Expired Tags in Maryland?
In the eyes of the law, driving with expired tags is a criminal misdemeanor and is punishable by fines. If you get pulled over in Maryland with an unregistered vehicle, revoked or suspended registration, or an expired plate number, you are at risk of a fine. The crime is punishable by a maximum fine of $500. It can negatively impact your driving record, depending on the severity of the case. The state does not give points for driving with expired tags. All vehicles must pass the emissions test and be registered before driving on Marylands' roads legally.
What Is the Fine for Expired Tags With No Insurance in Maryland?
Driving with expired tags and no insurance is typical in non-registered vehicles. Driving with an expired tag is terrible enough and attracts a fine; however, driving without insurance increases the fine. Driving with an expired tag and no insurance can attract a fine of up to $1000, points off your license, and jail for up to one year. The penalty for driving without insurance depends on how long your insurance has expired. For the first month, after it expires, you are liable to pay $150 and $7 for each day that passes. Other penalties include losing your Maryland driver's license, confiscating license plates, and prohibiting registering new vehicles.
The Maryland law against traffic offenders is stringent so that the authorities can reduce the rate of accidents in the state. With over four million registered drivers, the law is the only potent way of keeping their citizens safe.
What Happens if You Get Pulled Over While Driving With Expired Registration?
If a police vehicle drives closely behind you with its emergency light on or siren blaring, you should pull over safely to the right as soon as possible and stay calm. Roll your window down and place your hands on the steering wheel. If it is dark, put on your inner light and wait for instructions from the police officer.
The officer usually walks up to your window and requests your registration and license, after which they would check for its validity. The officer will give you a ticket if your registration and license have expired. The ticket may require you to show up in court or fines to pay relative to how long ago your Maryland registration expired.
Can You Have An Unregistered Car In Your Driveway In MD?
The vehicle laws in Maryland prohibit unregistered and inoperable vehicles from parking in your driveway. You may also not park such a vehicle on a public alley, highway, or a public property generally used by the public, such as apartment parking lots, condominiums, townhouse developments, and shopping centers. Every car parked must not be inoperable; you can store only cars without tags. A car is deemed inoperable if any major part vital to the vehicle's operation is absent from the vehicle for more than 15 days.
You must park the untagged car on an erosion-proof hard surface like asphalt, concrete, gravel, and bluestone. Except when the car is undergoing an active maintenance schedule, you must cover it with a vehicle cover.
Is There a Notice That Your Car Registration Is About to Expire?
The Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) in Maryland is responsible for the registration and motor car tag renewal. About 60 days or two months before the expiration date, the MVA sends a renewal notice via mail to the address in your registration. If you want to renew directly with the MVA, you can complete the renewal form in the notice and return it via mail. You can also request the MVA renewal via phone, the internet, or any MVA kiosk. The system requires you to pay the fees and wait for your new registration and tags to arrive in the mail.
Third-party bodies like Swifttags can also handle your registration and renew it once it is due. They protect you from a chance of license suspension for driving an unregistered vehicle because they send you regular reminders to renew your registration before your current registration expires. Renewal with these third-party services is easy because most are done without physical contact, only online through the website.
Renew Your Car Registration Timely and Avoid Expired Tags Fine in MD
There is no grace period in MD for expired tags; if caught driving an expired vehicle, it may negatively affect your driving record. The MVA sends out a reminder two months after your registration expires, during which you are expected to renew the registration, which may serve as a grace period.
You should renew your vehicle's registration as soon as possible to avoid Maryland's expired tags fine. Third-party platforms like Swifttags make the process faster and easier. Swifttgas provides regular reminders and the possibility of renewing your tags online if you do not have any outstanding issues with the MVA. The website is user-friendly, with intuitive navigation for easy accessibility. You can easily log onto it, register, and renew your car registration hassle-free.
Fine for Expired Tags Maryland: FAQs
1. Is there a fine for expired tags in Maryland?
Driving a car with expired tags in Maryland is regarded by the law as a criminal misdemeanor punishable by fines. A guilty driver is subject to pay fines of up to $500. The fines hold regardless of the state of the car, as previously registered, never registered, or a suspended or revoked registration.
2. How long can you ride around with expired tags?
If you are driving an unregistered vehicle one second after midnight your tag expires, you will be fined if you get caught. There is no grace period to drive with expired tags in MD. However, if you renew it via the internet, the platform will provide you with a temporary tag you can drive around with for a maximum of 15 days. Your permanent tags should arrive in the mail within 10 days.
3. How long do you have to renew your tags in Maryland?
The MVA advises that you send in your request for renewal by mail at least 15 days before the current tag you have expired. The time requirement is to allow the MVA to process your new tags before the ones you have on expire. If you allow the ones you have on to expire before requesting a new one, you must wait to drive the car until the new ones arrive to avoid being fined.
4. How much is the penalty for late registration of a vehicle?
The MVA in Maryland does not charge late registration fees after your previous tag expires. You will only get fined if you drive around with expired tags.
