Motor Vehicle Laws - Registration Plates - Single Registration Plate

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0567*

HOUSE BILL 567
R4 6lr2383

By: Delegates J. Long and Alston
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Motor Vehicle Laws – Registration Plates – Single Registration Plate 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Motor Vehicle Administration to issue a single 3
registration plate to all classes of vehicles; providing for th e method of attachment 4
of the registration plate; requiring the publisher of the Annotated Code of Maryland 5
to make certain corrections; and generally relating to vehicle registration plates. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Transportation 8
Section 13–410 and 13–411 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13

Article – Transportation 14

13–410. 15

(a) (1) [Except as otherwise provided in this title, when] WHEN it registers a 16
vehicle, the Administration shall issue [to the owner: 17

(i) One] ONE registration plate[, if the vehicle is: 18

1. A Class D (motorcycle) vehicle; 19

2. A Class F (tractor) vehicle; 20

3. A Class G (trailer) vehicle; 21
2 HOUSE BILL 567

4. A Class L (historic) vehicle that was manufactured at least 1
50 years before the current model year; or 2

5. A Class N (street rod) vehicle that was manufactured at 3
least 50 years before the current model year; and 4

(ii) Two registration plates for every other vehicle] TO THE OWNER 5
OF THE VEHICLE. 6

(2) [However, as to temporary registration, the] THE Administration may 7
provide for the issuance of [only] one temporary registration plate for any vehicle. 8

(b) (1) [Each] THE registration plate shall display: 9

(i) The registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it is 10
issued; and 11

(ii) The name of this State, which may be abbreviated. 12

(2) The registration number may consist of letters, numerals, or both. 13

(c) (1) This subsection applies only to the following vehicles: 14

(i) A Class A (passenger) vehicle; 15

(ii) A Class E (truck) vehicle registered or capable of registration 16
under § 13–917 of this title; and 17

(iii) A Class M (multipurpose) vehicle. 18

(2) At the option of the registered owner of a vehicle for which A 19
registration [plates are] PLATE IS issued under this title, in addition to the information 20
otherwise required to be shown on the registration [plates] PLATE, the registration [plates] 21
PLATE may display a sticker indicating the name of the county, including Baltimore City, 22
in which the owner of the vehicle resides. 23

(3) The Administration shall: 24

(i) Approve a sticker design option that complies with paragraph (2) 25
of this subsection; and 26

(ii) Offer to each vehicle owner applying for A new or replacement 27
registration [plates] PLATE under this title the option to select a sticker that displays the 28
owner’s county of residence. 29

HOUSE BILL 567 3

(4) In addition to the annual registration fee otherwise required under this 1
title, the Administration may charge a fee, not to exceed its costs, for issuing or replacing 2
the county sticker offered under this subsection. 3

(5) A vehicle owner may not display stickers that show a county name other 4
than the owner’s county of residence. 5

(6) A county sticker issued under this subsection may not be placed on a 6
special registration plate or a commemorative registration plate issued under Subtitle 6 of 7
this title. 8

(d) Registration plates may be reflectorized and shall be manufactured of a 9
material warranted to have a durability of at least 5 years. However, prior to registration 10
plates being reflectorized, the Administration shall obtain approval of the General 11
Assembly through a budget item. 12

(e) (1) During subsequent registration years, the Administrator may order the 13
continued use of registration plates that are valid during any current registration year, 14
and, after so doing, the Administrator shall issue, at the time a vehicle’s registration is 15
renewed, a validation tab to evidence payment of the vehicle’s annual registration fee. 16

(2) The tab shall be displayed on the [plates] PLATE of the vehicle in the 17
manner that the Administrator requires. 18

(3) The Administrator from time to time shall evaluate the condition of 19
registration plates issued under this title and may provide for the manufacture and 20
issuance of new registration plates. These new registration plates shall be issued and 21
subsequently validated in the manner required by this subtitle. 22

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, the 23
Administration may issue reflectorized registration plates under §§ 13 –618 and 13–619 of 24
this title. 25

(g) The dimensions of a registration plate issued for a Class D (motorcycle) vehicle 26
shall be 7 inches wide by 4 inches high. 27

(h) A registration plate that is required to be returned to the Administration may 28
be returned through the mail. 29

13–411. 30

(a) [On a vehicle for which two registration plates are required, one plate shall be 31
attached on the front and the other on the rear of the vehicle. 32

(b) On a vehicle for which one registration plate is required, the ] THE 33
REGISTRATION plate shall be attached on the: 34

4 HOUSE BILL 567

(1) Front of the vehicle for a Class F (tractor) vehicle; and 1

(2) Rear of the vehicle for every other vehicle. 2

[(c)] (B) (1) At all times, [each] THE registration plate shall be: 3

(i) Maintained free from foreign materials, including A registration 4
plate [covers] COVER as defined in § 13 –411.1 of this subtitle, and in a condition to be 5
clearly legible; and 6

(ii) Securely fastened to the vehicle for which it is issued: 7

1. In a horizontal position; 8

2. In a manner that prevents the plate from swinging; and 9

3. In a place and position to be clearly visible. 10

(2) For a violation involving the placement of an object framing or 11
bordering the edges of a registration plate, a police officer may enforce this subsection only 12
as a secondary action when the police officer detains a driver of a motor vehicle for a 13
suspected violation of another provision of the Code. 14

[(d)] (C) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Maryland Vehicle Law, 15
as to any vehicle required to be registered under this titl e, a person may not drive the 16
vehicle on any highway in this State, unless there is attached to the vehicle and displayed 17
on it, as required in this title: 18

(1) A registration plate [or plates ] issued for the vehicle by the 19
Administration for the current registration period; and 20

(2) Any validation tab issued for the vehicle under this subtitle. 21

[(e)] (D) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Maryland Vehicle Law, 22
as to any vehicle required to be registered under this title, the owner of the vehicle may not 23
permit the vehicle to be driven on any highway in this State, unless there is attached to 24
and displayed on the vehicle, as required in this title: 25

(1) A registration plate [or plates ] issued by the Administration for the 26
current registration period; and 27

(2) Any validation tab issued for the vehicle under this subtitle. 28

[(f)] (E) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Maryland Vehicle Law, 29
a vehicle used or driven in this State may not display on either its front or rear any expired 30
registration plate issued by any state. 31
HOUSE BILL 567 5

[(g)] (F) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Maryland Vehicle Law, 1
a person may not display or permit to be displayed on any vehicle used or driven in this 2
State any registration plate issued for another vehicle or to a person other than the owner 3
of the vehicle. 4

[(h)] (G) (1) A vehicle registered as a historic or antique vehicle (Class L) in 5
this State or in another state, when used or driven in this State, may display vintage 6
registration plates as an indication of the historic or antique nature of the vehicle. Except 7
as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the place on the vehicle provided for the 8
display of A registration [plates] PLATE may only be used for the display of THE current 9
registration [plates] PLATE in accordance with subsections (a) [through (c)] AND (B) of 10
this section, and any vintage registration plates which are used shall be displayed 11
elsewhere on the vehicle. 12

(2) If the Administration authorizes the displa y of vintage registration 13
plates in lieu of THE current registration [plates] PLATE, as provided in § 13–936.1 of this 14
title, the vintage registration plates shall be displayed as required under subsections (a) 15
[through (c)] AND (B) of this section. Howeve r, the current registration [plates] PLATE 16
shall be kept in the vehicle at all times. 17

[(i)] (H) It is the duty of every police officer to report to the Administration all 18
vehicles operated in violation of this section. The Administration shall verify whe ther the 19
owner of a reported vehicle has complied with this section. 20

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That any reference in the 21
Annotated Code of Maryland to multiple registration plates rendered obsolete by this Act 22
shall be corrected by the publisher of the Annotated Code of Maryland, in consultation with 23
and subject to the approval of the Department of Legislative Services, with no further 24
action required by the General Assembly. The publisher shall adequately describe any 25
correction made under this section in an editor’s note following the section affected. 26

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That any reduction in the 27
expenditures of the Motor Vehicle Administration resulting from the issuance of a single 28
registration plate instead of two registration plates shall be retained in the Transportation 29
Trust Fund. 30

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 31
October 1, 2026. 32