Can you drive daily on Historic or street rod tags in Maryland?

The Maryland DMV says,,

• To qualify as a historic vehicle, your vehicle must not have been substantially altered, remodeled, or remanufactured from its original design, and must be a passenger vehicle, motorcycle or truck (with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less) and is 20 calendar years or older. The vehicle owner will certify the vehicle will be maintained for use in exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, occasional transportation and similar uses. The vehicle owner further certifies the vehicle will not be used for general daily transportation or primarily for the transportation of passengers or property on highways. You will need to fill out the Application for Historic or Street Rod Registration (form # VR-096).
• A historic registration may also be issued to a truck with a GVWR in excess of 10,000, tractor or motor home as long as the vehicle is 25 calendar years old or older. The vehicle cannot be substantially altered, remodeled or remanufactured from its original design. Note: Vehicles issued historic tags under these criteria may not be used for occasional transportation or for any commercial transportation of passengers or property on highways. The vehicle may only be used in exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours and similar uses. A historic vehicle in this category must be insured by a Historic Vehicle, Show Vehicle or Antique Vehicle insurance policy. You will need to fill out the Application for Historic or Street Rod Registration (form # VR-096).
• A historic vehicle 60 years or older may obtain a one-time, permanent, non-transferable registration. This vehicle registration does not qualify for specialty plates.
• Trailers do not qualify for historic registration.

 

I wouldn't sweat it, get the historic tags. I have had a dozen or so cars with historic tags in MD and been pulled over a handfull of times and not once had it mentioned. I figured if ever questioned I would say I am driving to get parts and need to match it to the one on the vehichle. I even drove around on a random 1967 Maryland tag to match the year of the car but that was not registered to the car, and I got pulled over and was never asked about it. I just kept the proper registered historic tag in the car.

 

I thought about getting a set of 1988 tags and put them on it. an ohio cop wouldnt know the difference lol

 

In any State there is the " strict letter of the law" and then there is the " real world interpretation of the law". I think most States have pretty much the same verbage on using a car with antique plates on it which says the car is meant to be a showpiece that is only occasionally used. Some spell it out to say for shows, club events, parades, or to do maintenance.

Now, as far as the real world interpretation of that law, a lot depends on the police official who views that plate on your car. As long as you are not being an idiot and are obeying the laws, most times they drive right on by you, even if your car is on the ragged edge of legality (loud exhaust, etc). BUT, if you get pulled over for driving like a fool or get the wrong cop, there could be questions.

One answer that a person could give the officer if he asks where you are going is that you just did some work on the car and are testing it out. Under most State laws you are entitled to do that, and as we hot rodders know, our brakes always need maintenance.

As for taking a car with Maryland tags to Ohio, again, most States say that if you are in a particular State for longer than a certain period of time or have a full time residence there you must get the plates for that State. However, a college student who still maintains his home in Maryland should be able to run out of State plates as long as his move is only for the time he is in classes. But I would call the authorities in Ohio and run that one by them.

Don

 

My best friend is a retired Maryland policeman.
He told me once "The law is however the cop attending to you interprets it."
I've found if you don't provoke attention,you won't get attention?
Around here we're fortunate to have some of the finest of Maryland's finest.

I'm registered as a (ugggh) "Str##t R#d" but am going to pay a one-time $25. fee and register a 1947 plate for on my truck.My modern SR tags must be kept paid up and within the vehicle to be shown on demand.
Most guys doing this have zero problems...

 

in all reality... I MIGHT put 50-60 miles on it in a given month. wouldn't that fall under occasional use? lol

 

Ive been running historic tags ever since ive had my licence key is to not drive like a dick and make sure you have insurance with unlimited mileage

 

Yes he would, if you are breaking any Ohio MV codes. Just because your car is registered out of state doesn't give you the right to be different. They may tell you that your Maryland Historic tags are not valid in Ohio if you are living in Ohio, even as a student. I would ask the question before I got pulled over.

 

There is no mileage limit in Maryland.

And there is no regulation that says you can't drive an Historic vehicle or Street Rod to work, once in a while. The regulation says it can't be a daily driver. Tommy is right. Regardless of what the regulation says or doesn't say, my experience is that they will not hand over your Historic or Street Rod plates if you don't have a daily driver registered. They have always asked me that explicitly (even though they had access to my record and could check for themselves).

 

Well, no, Ohio has to recognize the car as legal if it's legal in MD. As long as you're not doing anything stupid, it should be fine.

 

^ which is why I register all my old cars as historic vehicles at my Kentucky address. They are very lenient about running YOM plates.

Tennessee is not nearly as "old car friendly". Same type of restrictions as have been mentioned earlier here; occasional use, mileage restrictions, etc. And they DO enforce it in my part of TN.

If you guys get it worked out, I do have a nice '39 Maryland plate if anyone could use it. PM me for details. Good luck!

 

........You could probably sell it here as we can register with YOM plates.

 

Like kyvetteman says Kentucky is very lenient. I've run Historic Vehicle tags and YOM for years and have never been stopped or questioned by police. I'm sure if they see you doing something stupid that wouldn't be the case.

 

My plans are not to be stupid I wont be driving much at all. but basic stuff. groceries. airport. stuff like that

 

I don't know the first thing about your state but mostly it's common sense. If you are trying to cheat the state out of their money you can be pretty sure you are breaking the law. People that cheat the system cost me money. Somebody has to pay and it's usually me. If you are cheating the system and get caught don't expect any sympathy from me.

 

I know it doesn't help you a lot, but in Texas you are onbly supposed to drive to and from a show, a parade, for repairs, or for "exhibition". I have never bee nstopped in mine, except for once I was driving like an idiot and derserved to be stopped.

 

I have an 88 Silverado that I tagged as historic. I have full insurance on it. I got stopped on the way home from work one day by a county cop for the window tint. He wrote me an inspection ticket, but made no mention of the historic tags. I took the tint off, got the ticket signed and off I went. No pass because of it being tagged historic.

 

Drove my Dart to work many times, especially spring and fall, with NO problems. Speeding and other frowned upon behaviors might attract some unwanted attention.

 

JUST TO UPDATE THIS THREAD...

Oct 1st 2012 update on Historic and street rod tags in Md. (link below)

The vehicles must be 25 years old or older and cannot be used for daily transportation or for any commercial purpose. Additionally,The owner must certify at the time of application that the vehicle will be used only in exhibition type events, and that the vehicle is insured by a historic or antique type motor vehicle insurance policy. These vehicles pay a reduced registration fee and are exempt from all inspections, but not exempt from repair orders.*

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/2012-legislation.htm

Effective October 1, 2012.
HB 668 Vehicle Laws - Historic Motor Vehicles - Trucks, Tractors, and Motor Homes
http://mlis.state.md.us/2012rs/chapters_noln/Ch_389_hb0668T.pdf
This bill permits Class E Trucks over 10,000 lbs, Class M Motor Homes, and Class F Trucks to register with historic registrations. The vehicles must be 25 years old or older and cannot be used for daily transportation or for any commercial purpose. Additionally, the owner must certify at the time of application that the vehicle will be used only in exhibition type events, and that the vehicle is insured by a historic or antique type motor vehicle insurance policy. These vehicles pay a reduced registration fee and are exempt from all inspections, but not exempt from repair orders. Vehicles in these classes that are older than 60 years are eligible for a one time registration fee of $50 that does not need to be renewed.

*************************************************************
New form say 25 years old (link below)

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/Resources/VR-096.pdf



Steve

 

Thanks for that update. It looks like (in House Bill 668) that they are attempting to narrow the focus of "use of vehicle" from occasional down to only for exhibition type events. At least that's the way I read it.

 

Heres what happens up in Ontario Cda.We have a "historic " plate[tag] for vehicles 30yrs & older [$18/yr.] & must be as close to STOCK as it was built!! with just about the same restrictions you guys have. Or you put reg. plates on at $84yr. or the 3rd choice is YOM if the plates [tags] pass inspection by the province & the same fee as reg. plates. The problem here is many & I mean many Hot rods are going for the Historic plates to "screw" the Gov. out of some $$$ But are going to :screw" the antique car owners out of the use of those plates by "mis use" The Historic plates are not supposed to be used on our 400 series Hwy,equilv. to your Interstate as they were brought out yrs ago & didn't want a Model T on the highway doing 40mph. when the speed limit was 60!! The police here don't seem concerned with the Hwy,restricion now, but are clamping down on Mis-use!! The other MAJOR problem showing it's "EVIL Head" is the Emmission Police going after the Modified cars here, if you have a late model engine in your older ride & the engine is 74 & up then you have to have all Emm. equip. that came w/that engine!!!Fines are stiff & the kicker is the Gov. changed the Emm. laws a few yrs. ago but no notification was released, & I guess you have to stay on top of things yourself, as we have found out the hard way & expensive way too!! Hard to retro fit a car that was not designed for the equip. eg. a Model A w/wood floors & a cat converter in the exhaust setting fire to floor boards!! Oh another law up here [in case you come visiting, NO NOS bottle in car, they will confesscate your car for that & you don't get it back!! They call it STUNT driving law. & your guilty on the spot with NOS bottle in the vehicle!!

 

I don't see what the big deal is with having historic tags on your vehicle, with all these supposed rules of what you can and cannot do just plain ridiculous, Just another way for the state to get more money. When buying a used vehicle most people search for an older vehicle because the state is so strict on inspections. If anything I think it should only be a secondary offense if even that. What do they expect people to own 2 vehicles? One vehicle with historic tags to drive very little and another vehicle for everyday all-the-time driving?

 

Not modified means not putting a Flathead V8 in a Model A?
I see LOTS of junk old Hondas and similar driving around Gaithersburg MD area
with historic tags. Being used as daily cars. They are simply using it to bypass the
emissions and safety inspection.

 

CAUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I read this forum and gasped in horror and opened an account to reply and raise awareness. On Wednesday Jan 17, 2018 I was driving my 95 K1500 up MD 67 just north of US 340 in Washington CO when I noticed a unmarked trooper at a traffic stop on the opposite side of the road. I drive the speed limit so I never flinch. He runs to his car, pulls a U and jumps me. I pull over. He walks up and asks me if I know the criteria for having historic tags. I replied, no huling , no driving to work etc. His reply was that’s crorrect , and your vehicle CAN NOT BE SUBSTANTIALLY ALTERED from its original factory condition. (My truck is silver with green front fenders). He then went on to tell me how I am looking at thousands of dollars in fines because committed a fraud And lied on my application for the tags by signing off that it wasn’t substantially altered. As I tried to explain it was totally stock he went on to explain all the charges and how “people like me are abusing the system “. The only reason I got off with a warning is this officer occasionally stops by my firehouse to use the bathroom so I’m sure he knows the reception he will receive next time he stops by. I am a law abiding citizen and have a clear history. This guy picked me out of a line of traffic and almost nailed me to the wall for a questionable offense. I giggled when I herd MD was cracking down on historic and street rod tags because my father hauled medal with a ‘53 Chevy 6100 for YEARS without a single problem.. all I’m saying is Please be careful

Chris
Hagerstown MD

 

Just curious, how did you get Historic tags on a 23 year old truck? I thought they bumped it up to 25.

 

.......................I thought that they tried to up it to 25,but were unable to do it, leaving it at 20. Color me confused.

 

If you look at the link above, it was House Bill 668 that attempted to up it to 25. The key word here is "Bill" not "Law". These Bills get bounced back and forth between the House of Delegates and the Senate as well as various committees more than once and are subjected to many changes in the process before they are voted on and become law. Just a year or so ago, I changed the registration on my '96 Thunderbird to Historic because it became 20 years old and really only sees occasional use, not as a daily driver.

 

as an aside, here in PA, police cars are now equipped with a computer operated license plate reader. no need to call in a plate, the computer does it automatically as it "sees" your plate. I was stopped for failing to update my registration. caught by technology.