Vehicle registration fees in Maryland are set to rise this summer. Find out why.
Vehicle registration fees in Maryland are scheduled to increase this summer, paving the way for additional money in the state’s Transportation Trust Fund used to pay for projects to help get residents from A to B.
The last time vehicle registration prices were updated was December 2020, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Administration website. Currently (and until June 30), it costs $135 for a two-year registration for a passenger car with a shipping weight under 3,700 lbs. and $187 for the registration of a car with a shipping weight over 3,700 lbs.
On the heavy-end, a two-year vehicle registration for a passenger car with a shipping weight over 3,700 lbs. (think family minivan) is scheduled to increase by 72 percent to $323. A one-year vehicle registration option for that weight of car for $161.50 is also set to be available.
“We are offering customers the convenient option to choose either a one or two-year registration at time of their renewal,” said John Lazarou, a spokesperson for the Motor Vehicle Administration, in a May 28 email.
The increase is scheduled to go into effect on July 1. Several other categories of cars are also set to be affected.
REVIEW: Are fee increases for cars on the way? Transportation revenue commission releases report.
How much more you have to pay for registration depends on car's weight
Whereas currently, cars with a shipping weight under 3,700 lbs. are classed the same for the purpose of vehicle registration prices, in a few weeks, cars on the lighter end will have to pay less than their slightly heavier counterparts.
For both categories, vehicle registration over a two-year period is set to increase.
On the lightest-end, the two-year vehicle registration for cars with a shipping weight under 3,500 lbs. (think Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla) is set to increase 63 percent to $221. A one-year vehicle registration option for that weight of car is scheduled to be $110.50, starting July 1.
Owners of passenger cars with a shipping weight between 3,501 lbs. and 3,700 lbs. (some Toyota Camrys, for example) are scheduled to pay 78 percent more, $241 over a two-year period. The one-year option is scheduled to be $120.50, starting July 1.
Motorcycle registrations are scheduled to decrease from $104 to $95, starting July 1.
More: Washington Co. delegation reflects on judge privacy, water study, vehicle fees
Why are the prices for vehicle registrations in Maryland going up?
Earlier this month, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Administration responded to an inquiry regarding fees with a link to the legislation passed by the General Assembly this year that includes the proposed schedule for specific vehicle weights and fees.
The legislation from the General Assembly to raise fees comes months after a document from the Maryland Department of Transportation showed funding reductions to transportation projections across the state.
In 2023, the state Legislature backed a multi-year commission to study transportation funding to pay for roads and other projects as revenue from the gas tax declines, both in the state and in the country.
With cars becoming more fuel-efficient and with more electric vehicles on the roads (Maryland passed the 100,000 registered electric vehicles marker earlier this year), transportation revenue from the gas tax has shrunk, raising questions and creating discussion about how to pay for transportation projects going forward.
Scheduled to produce a final report by January 2025, the Maryland Transportation Revenue and Infrastructure Needs Commission has been considering these topics, holding its first meeting last year. On its website, the commission does not yet have a meeting scheduled for this year.
REVIEW: With gas tax revenue diminishing, Maryland commission meets to find new revenue for roads
Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Maryland's vehicle registration fees scheduled to rise this summer.
