BALTIMORE — Maryland car owners will soon notice quite a significant increase in registration fees.
Starting July 1 passenger cars weighing up to 3,500 pounds will be forced to pay $221 every two years as opposed to the current $135 rate which includes vehicles weighing up to 3,700 pounds.
Electric vehicle owners, meanwhile, will eventually be stuck with a surcharge between $100 - $125 on top of registration renewal fees, depending on whether their vehicle is zero admissions or plug-in hybrid model.
Although the surcharge will not be implemented this upcoming July, it will at some point on or before July 1, 2025.
The price hikes stem from legislation passed earlier this year in the General Assembly.
WMAR-2 reported in March about the Department of Transportation experiencing a more than $2 billion deficit over the next six years.
Raising registration fees was an option presented by the Maryland Commission on Transportation Revenue and Infrastructure Needs which studied ways to make up for some of the debt.
The State claims fees haven't gone up since 2004.
MVA has a fee schedule on their website, which could appear confusing or even misleading.
So here is a break down.
The existing schedule in effect until June 30 lists the rate for a period of two years, while the new schedule beginning July 1 shows the amount a vehicle owner would pay over one year.
Owners will have the option to pay annually or biennially.
Either way, the average car owner will owe $86 more every two-years.
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