How Much Are Tags and Title in Maryland? Excise Tax and Fees

Tags and title in Maryland typically cost between about $350 and $1,700 or more up front, and the number depends almost entirely on what the vehicle is worth. The 6.5% excise tax on the purchase price is the biggest single charge, followed by a flat $200 title fee and annual registration of $120.50 to $191.50 for a standard passenger car. A $25,000 car, for example, generates $1,625 in excise tax before anything else is added.

Excise Tax on the Purchase

Maryland charges 6.5% of the vehicle’s purchase price or fair market value, whichever is higher. The rate rose from 6% on July 1, 2025.¹ A few realistic examples:

$15,000 vehicle: $975
$25,000 vehicle: $1,625
$40,000 vehicle: $2,600

The MVA sets a floor of $640 on the taxable price even if you paid less, so the minimum excise tax is $41.60.¹

Trade-In Credit

Buy from a dealer and trade in your old car as part of the same deal, and the dealer subtracts the trade-in value before calculating excise tax. On a $30,000 purchase with a $10,000 trade-in, the tax is 6.5% of $20,000, or $1,300, rather than $1,950 on the full price. If the trade-in value equals or exceeds the purchase price, the excise tax drops to zero.² Private-party sales don’t get this credit.

Family Gift Exemption

A Maryland-titled vehicle given (not sold) to certain family members is fully exempt from excise tax. Qualifying recipients include a spouse, parent, child, grandchild, grandparent, sibling, or in-law. Nieces and nephews qualify if the giver is at least 65. No money or other valuable consideration can change hands.³

Title Fee and Lien Recording

Every Maryland title carries a flat $200 certificate fee, new or used, as of the 2025 fee schedule. If you finance the vehicle, a $40 security interest filing fee records the lender’s lien. A duplicate title, if you lose yours, is also $40.⁴

Registration (Tags) by Weight

Registration is what most people mean by “tags.” You can register for one, two, or three years at a time.⁵ The annual amounts below already include a $40 Emergency Medical Services surcharge:

Passenger car up to 3,500 lbs: $120.50
Passenger car 3,501–3,700 lbs: $125.50
Passenger car over 3,700 lbs: $191.50
Motorcycle: $105

The weight used is the manufacturer’s shipping weight, shown on the title or manufacturer’s label. Most SUVs and full-size trucks land in the over-3,700-pound bracket.⁴

Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Surcharges

Because these vehicles pay little or no gas tax, Maryland adds an annual surcharge on top of the standard registration fee: $125 for fully electric vehicles and $100 for plug-in hybrids. The surcharges apply to registrations expiring in January 2025 and later.⁴ A battery-electric car under 3,500 pounds therefore costs $245.50 a year to register.

Safety Inspection for Used Vehicles

Most used vehicles need a safety inspection before the MVA will title and register them. The seller is generally responsible for the inspection, though for heavier trucks and trailers either party can do it.⁶ Inspections must be done at a licensed Maryland station. State rules cap labor hours but not the hourly rate, so the price varies; expect roughly $65 to $125. Every station must display its inspection fee.⁷

Emissions Testing (VEIP)

Vehicles registered in 14 specific counties and Baltimore City need periodic emissions testing through Maryland’s Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program. If you’re in a rural Eastern Shore or Southern Maryland county outside that list, you don’t need a VEIP test.⁸

The test costs $30, or $26 at a self-serve kiosk.⁴ Missing your deadline adds a $30 late fee the next day, plus another $30 every four weeks you remain overdue.⁹ Motorcycles, diesel vehicles, fully electric vehicles, vehicles model year 1995 or older, and new vehicles in their first 72 months of ownership are exempt.⁸

Plates and Smaller Fees

Standard plates are included in your registration. Optional plates cost more:

Personalized (vanity) plates: $50 per year
Chesapeake Bay or Agriculture commemorative plates: $25 initial, $12.50 per year at renewal
Substitution fee when swapping onto a Bay or Agriculture plate: $40 on top of the $25 upgrade⁴

Other small charges that come up often:

Plate transfer to a new vehicle: $15
30-day temporary registration: $50⁴
Notary for title documents: capped at $8 per in-person signature, $30 for remote notarization¹⁰

What a Typical Purchase Looks Like

For a used $22,000 passenger car under 3,500 pounds, bought from a dealer with financing and no trade-in:

Excise tax (6.5%): $1,430
Title fee: $200
Security interest filing: $40
Registration for one year: $120.50
Safety inspection: about $80
VEIP test if applicable: $30
Total: roughly $1,900

Trade in a car worth $8,000 on that same purchase and the excise tax drops to $910, cutting $520 off the total. A vehicle gifted between qualifying immediate family members with no money exchanged carries no excise tax at all, bringing upfront costs down to around $470 plus the inspection.

Getting Money Back When You Return Plates

If you sell the car, move out of state, or otherwise stop using a Maryland registration, returning the plates to the MVA is free. Whether you get a refund depends on how much time is left. Plates with the sticker still unaffixed get a full refund. Plates with more than one year of registration remaining get 50% back. Under one year left, nothing. You’ll file the MVA’s plate refund application, and the Comptroller’s Office typically processes payment within six weeks.¹¹

1
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Industry Bulletin – HB 352 (BRFA) (2025) Changes
2
Cornell Law Institute. COMAR 11.15.33.06 – Applying the Trade-in Allowance
3
New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Transportation 13-810 – Exemptions from Excise Tax
4
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. MVA Fee Listing
5
Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) – Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Renewing Your Vehicle Registration
6
Maryland State Police. Vehicle Safety Inspection
7
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA). Vehicle Safety Inspection
8
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. VEIP – General Requirements
9
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. VEIP Frequently Asked Questions
10
Maryland Secretary of State. Notary Division
11
Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) – Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). How to Return License Plates (Tags) to MDOT MVA