03/16/2026
The most asked question we get is the change of the eligibility of Historic Tags, so just a friendly PSA to anyone dealing with this situation.
In July 2025, House Bill 352 (HB 352) changed the lawful definition of Historic tags from 20 calendar years to "1999 or older". This means if you currently have a Historic Tag and your vehicle is year 2000 - 2005 you will no longer be able to renew it Historic come time to renew. They will honor your remaining registration, however when it is time to renew you will have to switch back to a standard registration.
The follow-up question is: "DO I NEED AN INSPECTION??"
The answer: IT DEPENDS! Here's the two most common situations:
Situation A: If you have a passed inspection on file (aka had a standard tag in the past) while retaining ownership, your past inspection is honored, and you can just switch back. No inspection needed.
Situation B: If from day one of ownership, you had a Historic Tag and never had an inspection, you will have to get an inspection. Please Note, VEIP requirements also apply if your county requires it.
We hope this post finds people over the year that fall into this situation as their Historic Tags expire!
Do you think the State of Maryland should have allowed people to have been "grandfathered in", curious your thoughts!
Stop by the office or call us if you have any questions! Safe driving out there!
