Maryland drivers face registration fee hike starting July 1
BALTIMORE -- If your car registration expires after July 1, you'll have to shell out more to the state.
The Maryland Vehicle Administration (MVA) says starting in July it is raising registration rates to maintain the roads and the state's trauma healthcare system.
Most residents WJZ spoke to are not too happy about this and don't want to reach further into their wallets to pay for their cars. The MVA says this is the first price hike since 2004, but drivers tell the state to find the money elsewhere.
"Get the money from somewhere else. Not the people," Sherman Harris of Rosedale said. "Whether it's $5 more $20 more, it is inconvenient."
Starting July 1, Maryland drivers will have to pay about 60 percent more to register their vehicle. For a typical passenger car, drivers will have to pay $110 per year for their Maryland plates. Currently, Marylanders pay $135 to register their vehicles for two years.
The state says registering your car for two years is an option. That will cost $220.
"Along with the gas prices and the registration and car insurance, I just don't know what they want us to keep doing," Tammy Gunning of Linthicum added.
Drivers with the Chesapeake Bay and Agricultural plates will have to pay an additional fee.
Emma Hale from Brooklyn just registered a new car and won't have to worry about the price hike until 2026. Hale agrees with other drivers in that they want to see changes to the state of Maryland's roads.
"I thought it [the price hike] was crazy when I when I read it," Hale said. "I'd like to see it. hear a lot of things happening but I don't see it happening."
In a statement, the MVA said it is required to adjust rates to support the Transportation Trust Fund. The MVA also says the increase will go toward the state's emergency medical services and trauma care. It also says these rates are comparable to those nationwide.
Still, some Marylanders are concerned and say they will have to find where this fits in their budgets.
"I'm single, I live alone. This will take something else out of my daily life to make sure I have car registration," Gunning said.
If you've recently re-registered your vehicle, it won't impact you until your registration expires. If you have to re-register after July 1, be prepared to reach a bit deeper into your wallet.
A full list of the MVA Fee Listing can be found here.