The date is set! Submit your testimony – Senate Bill (SB452)

We have a date set regarding the Maryland Historic Plates law! The hearing will take place on Thursday, February 19th at 1:00pm in the Judicial Proceedings Committee. You can sign up to testify on Tuesday, February 17th between 8AM-6 PM, click here for details on how to.

You can read the language of the bill here: Legislation – SB0452. It’s important to note that this bill has submitted an amendment to align the grandfather clause with the House Bill. The amendment will ensure that previously historic plated vehicles on the 20-year policy are grandfathered into the new 25-year policy.

A summary of the amendment:

These amendments require the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to reinstate certain historic vehicle registrations that were suspended or revoked due to a recent statutory change.

Specifically, if a vehicle:

• Was registered as a historic motor vehicle before July 1, 2025, and
• Had its historic registration suspended or revoked on or after July 1, 2025
• Solely because of the revised definition of “historic motor vehicle” under Chapter 604 (2025)

Then the MVA must reinstate the historic registration upon request by the owner.

The amendments effectively create a retroactive correction mechanism for owners negatively impacted by the 2025 definitional change.

Key Themes

1. Mandatory Reinstatement Requirement

The MVA is no longer discretionary in these cases. If the criteria are met and the owner requests reinstatement, the agency must restore historic status.

2. Protection for Previously Registered Owners

The amendment protects vehicle owners who were compliant under the prior definition but lost eligibility due to statutory changes.

3. Targeted Retroactive Relief

This does not broadly change eligibility rules. It applies only to vehicles:

• Registered as historic before July 1, 2025
• Affected by the definition change in Chapter 604

4. Legislative Course Correction

The General Assembly is addressing unintended consequences from the 2025 revision of the “historic motor vehicle” definition.

The new bill senate bill 452 summary is:

Senate Bill 452 proposes changes to Maryland’s vehicle laws regarding historic motor vehicle registration. Under current law the minimum age for a vehicle to qualify as “historic” is tied to a fixed model year. This bill instead sets the eligibility based on the vehicle being at least 25 years old. It also preserves existing requirements about originality, use restrictions (limited use for exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, and occasional transportation), and exempts qualifying vehicles from certain inspections and emissions requirements. A special historic registration plate and associated fees remain part of the statute. The bill is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026 and applies only prospectively (it cannot affect vehicles already registered as historic).

Key Themes

1. Modernizing Eligibility for Historic Vehicle Status

• Changes the definition from a fixed model year (e.g., 1999 or earlier) to a rolling 25-year minimum age requirement for all vehicles to be eligible as historic.

2. Maintaining Preservation Criteria

• Vehicles must still be unaltered from original manufacturer design and meet criteria in administrative regulations.

3. Use Limitations

• Historic vehicles must be maintained for exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, or occasional use and cannot be used for general transportation, employment transportation, or commercial purposes.

4. Fees, Plates, and Registration

• Historic vehicles continue to receive special historic plates and have specified annual registration fees. Fees may vary based on registration year.

5. Inspection and Emissions Exemptions

• Vehicles meeting certain age criteria are exempt from state inspection and emission controls statutes that typically apply.

6. Prospective Application

• The bill explicitly states it applies only to new historic registrations after the effective date (July 1, 2026), and does not retroactively impact vehicles already registered.

We urge you to submit testimony and let your voice be heard! It’s simple and easy, click here to learn how to do it!