A Maryland driver’s license change of address has to be filed with the Motor Vehicle Administration within 30 days of your move.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-116 – Notice of Change of Address or Name You can do it online through myMVA eServices, by mail to the Corrections Unit in Glen Burnie, or in person at any full-service MVA branch. The fine for missing the 30-day window is $50, with a separate $60 fine for an out-of-date vehicle registration address.2Maryland Judiciary. Traffic Fine Schedule
Updating Online Through myMVA eServices
The online portal is the quickest route. Set up a myMVA eServices account if you don’t have one, then submit your new address through the change of address service.3Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. myMVA eServices Change of Address It runs 24 hours a day, so branch hours aren’t a factor.
The online option is closed to you if you hold a commercial driver’s license, use a PO Box as your mailing address, or are filing on behalf of a company.4Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Changing or Correcting Customer Name and Address The same restrictions apply to the MVA’s self-service kiosks and phone line. In those cases, you’ll need to go in person or send the update by mail.
Updating in Person or by Mail
Any full-service MVA branch will process the change. Bring your current driver’s license and proof of your new address. Going in person makes sense if you’re a CDL holder, if you want to combine the update with another transaction, or if you’d rather walk out with the change confirmed.
For a mail-in update, write to the MVA’s Corrections Unit at its Glen Burnie office. Include photocopies (not originals) of your proof-of-address documents along with your full name, driver’s license number, former address, and new address.4Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Changing or Correcting Customer Name and Address The MVA will mail an address correction card to your new address once the change goes through.
Documents You Need
You have to show two different documents that display your name and your new Maryland address. Acceptable items include:5Maryland.gov. How to Apply – Documents Required
- A bank or credit union statement, credit card statement, or cancelled check with your printed name and address
- A current lease or rental agreement with signatures, a mortgage statement, a deed, or a property tax bill
- A utility bill (electric, gas, water, telephone, cable, or satellite TV)
- Mail from a federal, state, or local government agency
- A Maryland vehicle registration card, title, or insurance card showing your address
Rental agreements have to be current. The MVA doesn’t publish a strict age limit for the other documents, but recent ones avoid trouble at the counter.
What You Get Back From the MVA
Maryland does not issue a new driver’s license card automatically after an address change. The MVA mails you an address correction card, and you carry it with your existing license and registration.4Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Changing or Correcting Customer Name and Address If you’d rather have a physical license that shows the new address, you can order a corrected card for $30.6Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. MVA Fee Listing
Your vehicle title doesn’t get reissued either. It stays as-is, and the correction card documents the new address for your vehicle records.
What Happens If You Miss the 30-Day Deadline
The $50 fine for a late license update and the $60 fine for a late registration update are the small part of the problem. The bigger risk is what shows up at your old address in the meantime: registration renewal notices, traffic camera citations, and court notices all go to the address the MVA has on file. An unpaid citation you never saw can lead to a license suspension for unpaid fines under Maryland law.7Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 27-103 – Payment of Outstanding Fines Courts generally don’t accept a missed notice as a defense.
Voter Registration During the Update
The MVA’s change of address flow asks whether you want to use the new address for voting purposes.8Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Registering to Vote Using MVA Services Your voter registration does not update automatically with your license; you have to say yes. The change is final when your county Board of Elections mails you a new voter registration card.
Insurance and Registration
Auto insurance rates are tied to the address where your car is garaged. If you move and don’t tell your insurer, the company can deny a claim or cancel your policy for material misrepresentation, even for a move within the same town. Call your insurer around the same time you file with the MVA.
On the registration side, the MVA expects your license and registration addresses to match, and it mails correction cards for your registration records along with the license update.4Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Changing or Correcting Customer Name and Address Keep those cards in the vehicle with your registration. Registration renewal fees can vary by county, so if you crossed a county line, confirm the MVA has the right county on file.
Military Members and Out-of-State Students
Active-duty service members stationed in Maryland who keep legal residence in another state are not required to switch to a Maryland license or file a Maryland address change. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act preserves their home-state residency, and their spouses and dependents receive the same protection. If a service member elects Maryland as their legal residence, the 30-day rule applies from that point.
A student whose permanent home is out of state and who is in Maryland temporarily for school generally does not need a Maryland license or a Maryland address update. If the student already holds a Maryland license, the 30-day update requirement applies the same as for any other resident.
Other Agencies That Need Your New Address
The MVA update covers your license and vehicle records only. The IRS takes address changes on Form 8822, downloadable from its site and mailed in.9Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822, Change of Address Social Security recipients can update their mailing address inside a my Social Security account or by calling 1-800-772-1213.10Social Security Administration. Update Contact Information A change of address filed with the U.S. Postal Service forwards mail for up to a year, which gives you a cushion to catch accounts you haven’t updated yet.