How to Get a Transport Tag in Maryland: Documents, Fees, and Duration

A transport tag in Maryland comes in two forms, and which one you need depends on where the vehicle is going. If you own the vehicle and need to drive it to a Maryland safety inspection before permanent registration, you apply for a 30-day temporary registration, which costs $50. If you live out of state and just bought a vehicle in Maryland that you’re driving home to title elsewhere, you apply for a temporary in-transit registration, which costs $15 and is valid for 14 days. Both are issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), and neither can be obtained online.

Which Tag You Need

The 30-day temporary registration exists for a single purpose: giving you plates so you can legally drive your vehicle to a safety inspection station. Maryland won’t issue permanent registration until the vehicle passes inspection, and you can’t drive to the inspection without plates. This tag solves that. Only one is ever issued per vehicle, so apply when you’re actually ready to book the inspection, not weeks ahead.¹

The temporary in-transit registration is only available to non-residents. If you live in Maryland and just bought a car, you cannot get an in-transit tag; you need the 30-day temporary registration or a full title and registration transaction instead.²

One thing to know before applying for the 30-day tag: the vehicle must already be titled in your name in Maryland. If you just bought it, you complete the titling transaction first, then apply for the tag. If the vehicle needs repairs before it can pass inspection, title it now, wait until the repairs are done, and only then apply for the temporary registration so the 30-day clock doesn’t burn while the car sits in a shop.

What to Bring

For the 30-day temporary registration, bring:

A completed Temporary Inspection Waiver (form VR-129)
The Maryland title showing the vehicle in your name
Proof of insurance meeting Maryland’s minimum liability limits of $30,000 per person for bodily injury, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 for property damage³
A state-issued driver’s license or ID card

For the temporary in-transit registration, bring proof of identity (your home state driver’s license or government-issued ID works), the Maryland title as proof of ownership, and proof of insurance. If someone is submitting the paperwork on your behalf, add a power of attorney (form VR-470) and a copy of your ID.⁴

Where to Apply

You have three options. Apply in person at any full-service MVA branch, mail your application to the MVA Mail-in Title Unit at 6601 Ritchie Highway in Glen Burnie, or use an MVA-licensed tag and title service. There is no online application for either tag.⁵

Once approved, you receive a temporary plate and a registration card showing the expiration date. Affix the plate securely to the rear of the vehicle before driving it. Common reasons for rejection at the counter include mismatched names between your title and ID, missing signatures, and improperly assigned titles.

What It Costs

As of September 2025, the MVA fees are:

30-day temporary registration: $50⁶
Temporary in-transit registration: $15²

Both fees are non-refundable. MVA branches accept credit cards, debit cards, checks, money orders, and cash. Licensed tag and title services add their own processing fee on top.

If you’re getting the 30-day tag because you just bought the vehicle, budget for the excise (titling) tax as well, which is due at titling rather than at the tag application. Maryland charges 6.5% of the purchase price on most vehicles, with a minimum based on a $640 purchase price. Rental vehicles are taxed at 3.5%. If you paid another state’s titling tax on the same vehicle, Maryland may credit that, but only if you register within 60 days of moving.⁴

How Long the Tag Lasts

The 30-day temporary registration expires exactly 30 days from issuance, and the MVA will not issue a second one for the same vehicle. If your inspection fails and repairs take time, the clock keeps running. Have the inspection scheduled soon after you get the tag.¹

The in-transit tag is valid for 14 days and also cannot be renewed. That’s usually enough time to drive a Maryland purchase home, but if the vehicle needs work first, complete the repairs before you apply.²

Once either tag expires, the vehicle cannot legally be driven on public roads. Expired tags cannot be extended, altered, or reused.

Getting Permanent Plates After the 30-Day Tag

After the vehicle passes its Maryland safety inspection, return to the MVA or a licensed tag and title service with:

Your temporary registration
The white MVA copy of the safety inspection certificate (the yellow customer copy is not accepted)
Insurance information including company name, policy number, and agent
A completed Application for New Plates/Stickers and Transfer of Plates (form VR-008)
The registration fee, which varies by vehicle weight and class⁶

Annual passenger car registration runs from $120.50 for vehicles up to 3,500 pounds to $191.50 for vehicles over 3,700 pounds, both figures including a $40 annual EMS surcharge.⁶

Driving on an Expired Tag

Driving with an expired temporary tag is treated as driving an unregistered vehicle under Maryland Transportation Code 13-401. The standard fine on the Maryland courts traffic fine schedule is $290, and it applies per stop.⁷ Altering the expiration date on a temporary tag or submitting fraudulent ownership documents can lead to criminal charges beyond the traffic fine, and law enforcement can confiscate an illegally used tag on the spot.

1
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. The 30-Day Temporary Registration
2
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Bulletin In-Transit Registration
3
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Insurance Requirements for Maryland Vehicles
4
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. New to Maryland Titling and Registering Your Vehicle Information
5
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Temporary Registration
6
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. MVA Fee Listing
7
Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule