Registering a car as Historic in MD

I think they use the year on your title. If so you must wait till 2019 for the required 20 years. Mine is a 1985 so no problem. If you go to a tag and title service and usually pay 25 dollars extra you will enjoy the lack of lines. They can do the same thing as the MVA. Very inexpensive insurance is also a plus. No inspection or . No emissions or inspection. That's why you see all the rusted out pick ups with wooden beds. I fear one day guys like this will ruin it for all of us.

 

Just fyi... get used to saying "I'm going to a show", "im coming from a show"... technically under the new historic guidelines you cant drive it for anything other than shows.

"A vehicle registered as historic cannot be used for general daily transportation, or primarily for the transportation of passengers or property on highways. It can only be used in exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, occasional transportation and similar uses."

So get used to saying "on my way to a show" if you drive it a lot.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

I should think, "occasional transportation and similar uses" would cover a LOT of territory.

Out for a Saturday drive? using a car one day out of seven, for a weekend cruise, would certainly strike me as, "Occasional transportation" if the other six days of the week I'm putting 60-100 miles on my regular car, and on a Saturday I put 30 on my "occasional use" vehicle, I'd think I'm well within the law.

I would quote this part of the regulation, "They will not be used for employment, transportation to and from employment or school, or for commercial purposes. " which a weekend drive certainly is not.

D

 

In Virginia, I believe another acceptable reason is "for testing purposes."

 

Yep. But the good thing is next year no more tests. If you can put off your emissions test for another month or so. Then go for the emissions test and ask for an extension. They'll give you 6 months usually. That's what they did for me so i could "pass".

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

I've never heard any stories about the cops giving someone a hard time for driving on classic car tags.
Always a first time of course, probably me tomorrow.

 

I think if you have a presentable vehicle you will not see any trouble. My understanding they are going after those that put historic tags on shall I say not very presentable vehicles. Also the ones who put these on a 1985 Ford one ton dump and deliver firewood. Occasional transportation is the key.

 

I cannot believe Maryland doesn't crack down on the number of "dailies" with antique plates. So many commuters, all they have to do is go to a metro lot.

Anyways, not my fight, but if it hurts the legit, than it's not right. 2c.

 

20 yrs old from the title. No emissions and very inexpensive taxes and reg fees as others have mentioned above.

Insurance goes down also and many specialty carriers now offer policies that cover classics and daily drivers together.

 

You want the govt to crack down on historic vehicle registrations?

I cannot believe any car enthusiast would wonder this...

 

I am not, but...
The annoyance is the fact they are not supposed to be driven every day, yet you see them in commuter/airport lots, etc. How's that fair to those who "follow" the laws?

 

Years ago, I got two consecutive extensions and the supervisor ended up waiving it.

 

Maybe some questions are best left unanswered?

 

The piece of legislation that I am interested in is the elimination of the requirement for a front tag in MD. Apparently this passed one house of the General Assembly but failed in the other. I have never been stopped for this, but it's one thing I'd love to get to stop worrying about...

 

Hi Aaron!

Amen, brother. I have not been as lucky as you - having paid the front plate tax a few times over the years...

 

No safety inspection when registering car. If it's already registered as non-historic, makes no difference when switching to historic, since in MD you only do safety inspection once during your ownership.

No emissions inspection.

Registration is $52/2yr historic, vs ~$130/2yr non-historic

My insurance company doesn't care if car is historic or not for rates. They just care about mileage and use. My commuter car is registered as historic. Insurance company is fine with this. MD would not be, but there is no disclosure to them.

I have been pulled over a few times for no front tag on historic cars. No officer has ever asked about where I am going or why I am driving a historic car. They do care about front tag though. Usually just let me go. Once I paid $60 fine. There are no points added to licence, so I don't care about the fee once every 5 years.

I haaaate the safety and emissions inspections. Not because I drive POS cars, but because it invites such abuse from the service station for unnecessary service to "pass" the inspection. And I've had two cars damaged at the emissions test. One time on the old roller test, and more recently, when they drove the car forward without disconnecting the fuel tank checking device.

 

I have to agree with ALL your points!!!

several coworkers have gotten letters from MD that historic cars should not be driven during working hours or something like that. I have NOT received a letter.

I have also gotten a ticket with fine for not having a license plate.

Inspections are nothing more than a fishing expedition! My latest one the guy said I needed new brake rotors and pads, ball joints, etc. He refused to pass the car and refused to charge me for the inspection... I found another inspector!

 

I saw my first guilty finding for a court case for historic on a daily driver. single car owner. beat up junker.
I have never seen it happen to an exotic.
I haven't been stopped for not having a front plate on the Ferrari with the historic rear tag <knocks on wood>

"occasional use" is good language as most officers will cite the rest and conveniently leave out that piece. Note, if it's an historic truck over 10,000 pounds that language is missing... much more restrictive driving allowances.

Never seen a letter about "work hours" but I'm self employed so there's no such thing anyway.
I own my office building and taking the vehicle to and from my own properties is legit. (but again, never been stopped, even in rush hour traffic).

 

I have 3 cars with Historic tags. I got a letter a year or so ago stating that the regulations for Historic usage had changed. Basically it was just a change in the wording of this statement to include the bit about transportation to and from work/school:

I/We further certify this vehicle will not be used for general daily transportation or primarily for the transportation of passengers or property on highways, for employment, for transportation to and from employment or school, or for commercial purposes.

I still occasionally take one to work but not too often. Mainly to avoid the hassle I get from people about "all my cars". Happy to just enjoy the nice back roads on a nice weekend morning...

 

Great point. I do not think officer friendly wants to stop any exotic because you are driving around. I think what they intend and rightfully so is to eliminate the folks that take a rusted out 1979 Ford P-U and put a wooden bed on it so they can deliver fire wood. Since there is no initial safety inspection required sooner or later someone will take advantage of that and cause a collision from faulty equipment. I want to keep my Historic tags!