ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland drivers may soon be able to qualify for historic vehicle tags again after lawmakers moved to reverse a recent policy change.
Last year, a change impacted about 70,000 Maryland drivers and many more hoping to qualify in the future. Instead of a rolling 20-year eligibility requirement, the state drew a hard line at 1999, cutting off thousands of drivers. The goal was to generate more revenue by targeting drivers who used the tags to pay less.
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Now, after public pushback, lawmakers have introduced an amendment restoring eligibility to a rolling timeline, allowing vehicles 25 years or older to qualify.
"2000 Blazer, I actually keep that as it's like my security blanket. It's four-wheel drive. I use it in the snow. I use it to go to the landfill, so it has, if I put 5,000 miles a year on that car, it's a lot," said Jacob Rubenstein, who lost his historic tag eligibility under the 1999 cutoff.
Sean Lucas, who drives a 2001 Lincoln LS, was also frustrated by the change.
"I mean the reason that you get those tags are because you love these cars. You love keeping these cars on the road, you love working on them, you love taking them to shows. You're proud of your car," Lucas said.
Historic tags also come with lower costs. Registration is $55 a year, less than half the price of standard registration. Under state law, the tags are meant for occasional use, not commuting, business, or everyday driving. These vehicles are also exempt from Maryland safety inspections and emissions testing.
"So when my car got to 20 years old, which was the law, I transferred it over just to save a little bit of money. Also, you didn't have to get the emissions tests," Lucas said.
But in December, Lucas received a notice from the Motor Vehicle Administration saying he no longer qualified. The law had changed, limiting historic tags to vehicles from 1999 or earlier after a provision was added to a budget reconciliation bill expected to generate about $6 million.
"If the state wanted to try to tweak it and say it has to really be a historic car, they could have made some changes to the law, but they certainly shouldn't have just said, 'Well, if it's after this year, it's not historic,'" said Senator Justin Ready (Republican representing Carroll & Frederick Counties). "That is not the way to do this policy, and that's why you need a full, robust public hearing on it."
In response, lawmakers introduced multiple bills to restore a rolling eligibility timeline, but those efforts stalled.
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"The committee wouldn't move it. I presented the bill. I know Senator Ready had a bill. We had two bills trying to do it over on the Senate side alone. I know there were bills on the House side to do it. We couldn't get it done, but at least we were able to get something done through the budget process," said Senator J.B. Jennings (Republican representing Baltimore and Harford Counties).
Jennings ultimately introduced an amendment to the state budget bill becoming the only Republican amendment adopted in the Senate version.
"You know, worked with the chairman of the committee, and we went back and forth, and he accepted it under one condition that it takes effect next year," Jennings said.
If signed by the governor, the change would take effect in July 2027.
"Next July, cars that are 25 years old or older will then be considered historic," Jennings said.
"Will it grandfather in the individuals with historic tags at 20 years?" asked WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii.
"Only if they're 25 years old or older. I tried doing a grandfather clause. I couldn't get it done," Jennings said.
Jennings says he understands the frustration from drivers facing higher registration costs.
"The fact that we now have given people options of, you know, one, two, three-year registrations because it costs so much should show legislators in Annapolis that we've gone too far. It's too high," Jennings said.
The House and the Senate passed the $70.8 billion budget plan. It now heads to the Governor for his signature.
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