Maryland license plate: Historic

Format, years and the law

Format

999999, for example 648609 (9 any digit)

The format above is broad: a registration that fits it has the right shape, which does not show that this series issued it.

Years issued

2016 to today. Still issued.

Vehicle class

Historic: vintage/oldtimer regimes (German H, ES historico). Issued for car, truck, and motorcycle.

About this plate

HISTORIC (CLASS L), THE RICHEST ELIGIBILITY TEXT IN THE MID-ATLANTIC GROUP AND NO FORMAT AT ALL. Note also the § 13-936(i) 60-year one-time fee makes the REGISTRATION non-transferable, a rare case of a US plate right dying with the owner, the opposite of Delaware's tradeable low numbers.

Who can have one

definition: § 13-936(a): a 'historic motor vehicle' means a motor vehicle, including a passenger vehicle, motorcycle or truck, that (1) 'Is a model year of 1999 or earlier'; (2) 'Has not been substantially altered from the manufacturer's original design'; and (3) meets criteria in regulations adopted by the Administration.. exclusion: § 13-936(b): the definition 'does not include a vehicle that has been remanufactured or reconstructed as a replica of an original vehicle'.. threshold type: fixed-model-year. threshold note: MARYLAND'S THRESHOLD IS FIXED AT MODEL YEAR 1999 AND DOES NOT ROLL. It will therefore ADMIT NO NEW VEHICLES EVER, and the eligible population shrinks every year as 1999-and-earlier cars leave the road, the exact opposite dynamic to New York's and New Jersey's rolling 25-year tests, which admit a new model year annually. Florida runs BOTH kinds at once (fixed 1945 Horseless Carriage, rolling 30-year Antique). Only the rolling kind needs annual re-auditing; the fixed kind needs watching for a legislative bump.. use restriction: § 13-936(e): the owner must certify that the vehicle 'Will be maintained for use in exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, and occasional transportation' and 'Will not be used' (i) for general daily transportation; (ii) primarily for the transportation of passengers or property on highways; (iii) for employment; (iv) for transportation to and from employment or school; or (v) for commercial purposes.

Fees

§ 13-936(d): annual registration fee $45.50 on or after 1 July 2024 but before 1 July 2025, and $55.50 on or after 1 July 2025. § 13-936(i): for a vehicle manufactured at least 60 years before the current model year there is instead a ONE-TIME $50 registration fee, and that registration is NOT TRANSFERABLE to a subsequent owner.

Legal basis and sources

1. Md. Code, Transp. § 13-936: (a) the fixed model-year-1999 definition and the not-substantially-altered test; (b) the replica exclusion; (c) Class L; (d) the $45.50 / $55.50 fees; (e) the five-part use restriction and... https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtr&section=13-936&enactments=false
2. § 13-410(a)(1)(i)4: one plate for a Class L vehicle manufactured at least 50 years before the current model year https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtr&section=13-410&enactments=false