Maryland car laws require every vehicle on public roads to be titled, registered, insured, and inspected, and they set the traffic rules and penalties that govern how you drive once you’re on the road. New residents have 60 days to move their title, registration, and license over to Maryland. Miss a rule and the consequences range from an $83 ticket to license revocation, depending on what you did and how often.
Titling and Registration
Any motor vehicle driven on a Maryland road must be titled and registered through the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA).1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 13-402 – Registration of Vehicles Required If you’ve just moved to the state, the 60-day clock starts the day you establish residency, and it covers both your Maryland driver’s license and your vehicle paperwork.2Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. New Maryland Residents Waiting past the deadline can create back-dated fees when you finally register.
Titling carries a 6.5% excise tax on fair market value, with a $41.60 minimum. The title certificate itself is $200. Annual registration is based on shipping weight: $120.50 for cars at 3,500 pounds or less, $125.50 between 3,500 and 3,700 pounds, and $191.50 above 3,700 pounds. Each figure includes a $40 emergency medical services surcharge. You can register for one, two, or three years.3Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Fees and Payment Options
Two plates are required, one front and one rear, mounted horizontally and clearly visible.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 13-411 – Display of Registration Plates and Tabs
Mandatory Insurance
Maryland runs on a 30/60/15 minimum: $30,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Your policy must also include personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured motorist coverage, unless you waive PIP in writing.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 17-103 – Form and Amount of Security Required
Coverage lapses are tracked by the MVA, which assesses per-day penalties for uninsured periods.6Maryland Insurance Administration. Auto Penalty Your registration can be suspended, and actually driving an uninsured car is a criminal offense with a mandatory court appearance. The 30/60/15 figures are floors; a serious crash easily exceeds them, and most drivers carry more.
Safety Inspections, Emissions, and Window Tint
Every used vehicle must pass a Maryland safety inspection before it can be titled and registered, with an exception carved out for Class L historic vehicles.7Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 23-107 – Requirements for Inspection of Used Vehicles A licensed inspection station checks brakes, steering, lights, tires, and other safety components. If the vehicle passes, the certificate is good for 90 calendar days.8Cornell Law Institute. Maryland Code of Maryland Regulations 11.14.01.15 – Inspection Certificate A failure means fixing what’s wrong and going back for a re-inspection before you can register. Buying privately? Confirm the certificate is current before money changes hands.
Most registered vehicles also need periodic emissions testing through the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP). The MVA notifies you when yours is due, and missing the deadline can block your registration renewal.9Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Vehicle Emissions and Safety Inspections
Aftermarket window tint on passenger vehicles, convertibles, and station wagons must allow at least 35% visible light transmission on every window. Darker tint draws a repair order from law enforcement telling you to remove or replace the film.
Speed Limits and How Points Add Up
Maryland sets default speed limits by road type, so the limit applies even where no sign is posted:10Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-801.1 – Maximum Speed Limits
- 30 mph on highways in a business district and on undivided highways in a residential district
- 35 mph on divided highways in a residential district
- 50 mph on undivided highways outside business and residential areas
- 55 mph on divided highways outside business and residential areas
Posted signs can raise or lower those defaults. Speeding is one point for up to 9 mph over, two points for 10 mph or more over, and five points for 30 mph or more over the limit.
Points accumulate on a two-year rolling basis, and the MVA’s response escalates by total:
- 3 to 4 points: a warning letter
- 5 to 7 points: a required driver improvement program or points conference
- 8 to 11 points: license suspension
- 12 or more points: license revocation
Common values show how quickly this stacks. Running a red light or failing to stop for a school bus is two points. Reckless driving is six. A single DUI conviction lands 12 points, enough on its own to trigger revocation. Two speeding tickets more than 10 mph over the limit within a two-year window is already a warning letter, and a third pushes you toward an improvement program.
Phones, Move Over, and Slower Traffic
Handheld wireless devices are off-limits behind the wheel in Maryland, whether you’re talking, texting, or scrolling.11Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-1124.1 – Use of Wireless Communication Device While Operating Motor Vehicle Fines with court costs are $83 for a first offense, $140 for a second, and $160 for a third or later violation.12Zero Deaths Maryland. Park the Phone Brochure If distracted driving contributes to a crash causing serious injury or death, penalties climb substantially.
Since October 2022, Maryland’s Move Over Law reaches any stopped, standing, or parked vehicle displaying warning signals, including hazard lights, flares, cones, or caution signs, not only emergency vehicles. When you approach one from behind, change lanes away if a lane is available and safe; if not, slow to a reasonable and prudent speed. The base fine is $110 and one point. If you cause a crash, it rises to $150 and three points. If someone is killed or seriously injured, the fine reaches $750 with three points.13Maryland State Police. Maryland State Police Reminding Motorists Move Over Law Expands to All Vehicles Beginning Oct 1
Vehicles traveling 10 mph or more below the posted limit, or below the normal flow of traffic, must keep to the right-hand lane or as close to the right edge as practical.14Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-301 – Driving on Right Side of Roadway
DUI and DWI
Maryland separates driving under the influence (DUI) from driving while impaired (DWI). DUI applies at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher; DWI applies to impairment starting at 0.07 BAC.15Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Driving Under the Influence DUI Both cover drug impairment as well as alcohol.
Criminal penalties run from a $500 fine and up to two months in jail on the low end to a $5,000 fine and up to five years in jail for aggravated cases, such as transporting a minor or having a prior conviction. License suspensions range from 180 days to two years depending on BAC and history. A DUI conviction alone adds 12 points and triggers revocation.
By driving on Maryland roads, you’ve consented to a chemical test when an officer has reasonable grounds to request one. Refuse, and the officer takes your license on the spot; you get a 45-day paper permit. On day 46 an administrative suspension begins: 270 days for a first refusal, two years for a second.15Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Driving Under the Influence DUI To keep driving pending a hearing, mail the hearing request within 10 days of the stop.
Seat Belts and Child Restraints
Every occupant must be buckled. For front-seat passengers, the seat belt law is primary — an officer can stop you solely for an unbuckled front-seat occupant. For rear-seat passengers 16 and older, it’s secondary, enforceable only when the stop is for another reason. The maximum fine is $50.16Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 22-412.3 – Mandatory Seat Belt Use
Child restraint rules turn on age and height:
- Under age 2: rear-facing child safety seat meeting federal standards.
- Ages 2 through 7: an appropriate child safety seat, including a booster, for any child shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches. A child under 8 who has reached that height may use a standard seat belt.
- Ages 8 through 15: either a child safety seat or a seat belt.
The fine for a child restraint violation is $83.17Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule Install each seat according to both the seat manufacturer’s instructions and the vehicle manufacturer’s directions, and never restrain more than one person with a single belt or seat.
Lemon Law
If you buy or lease a new car in Maryland and it turns out defective, the Lemon Law offers a refund or replacement. It covers new or leased cars, light trucks, and motorcycles registered in Maryland that are less than 24 months old and have fewer than 18,000 miles.18Attorney General of Maryland. Lemon Law
First, notify the manufacturer by certified mail and give them 30 days to repair the defect. The vehicle qualifies as a lemon if:18Attorney General of Maryland. Lemon Law
- A brake or steering failure isn’t corrected after the first repair attempt and the vehicle fails Maryland’s safety inspection.
- A single substantial defect isn’t corrected after four repair attempts.
- Problems have kept the vehicle out of service for a cumulative 30 days or more.
If it qualifies, you choose a comparable replacement or a full refund of the purchase price, including registration and license fees. The manufacturer can deduct up to 15% of the purchase price as a use allowance.18Attorney General of Maryland. Lemon Law
Recalls and REAL ID
Recall repairs are always free. You can look up open recalls on your vehicle at any time by entering the VIN on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, which is worth doing when you buy used, since prior owners sometimes ignore notices.19NHTSA. Check for Recalls
Since May 7, 2025, federal agencies enforce REAL ID at airport security, federal buildings, and military bases.20Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID A Maryland license without the gold star no longer works for those purposes; you’ll need a passport or other federal ID to fly domestically. This is about federal access, not your ability to drive. Your non-compliant license stays valid on the road until it expires.