Recently the Sheriff’s Office has seen an increase of use and complaints regarding vehicles unlawfully displaying historic registration.
Maryland Transportation Title 13 Section 936 states:
“To be registered as a historic vehicle (Class L), the vehicle must be a passenger vehicle, motorcycle or truck (with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less); 20 calendar years old or older and must not have been substantially altered, remodeled or remanufactured from the manufacturers original design.” A vehicle registered as historic “will not be used for general daily transportation, or primarily for the transportation of passengers or property on highways.” A vehicle registered as historic “will be maintained for use in exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, occasional transportation and similar uses.”
The fee to register and tag a vehicle as a “historic” vehicle is substantially less than the regular registration and tag fee for a passenger vehicle. A recent trend, in an attempt to circumvent the system and avoid paying standard registration and tag fees, is to register a vehicle as “historic” and then operate the “historic” vehicle for general daily use and/or passenger transportation in clear violation of Maryland Transportation law.
“Unlawful use of historic motor vehicle for general transportation, commercial transportation of passengers or property” carries $140.00.
