In a conversation with the Maryland State Police’s Regulations and Government Affairs Office, the SEMA Action Network has learned that legislation (H.B. 58) to revise the state’s historic vehicle registration requirements is only intended to subject historic vehicles of model year 1986 and later to equipment repair orders. These repair orders would be issued only for vehicle safety equipment that is in disrepair and would require a subsequent inspection to determine that the repair had been effected. The bill does not subject these vehicles to periodic inspections as previously believed. Amendments are being drafted to clarify any misconceptions of the intent. The bill would still prohibit the use of historic vehicles for employment, transportation to employment or school and for commercial purposes. However, the amendments will provide specific use for maintenance purposes. Use for employment, school and commercial purposes were always generally understood to be prohibited under the current law.
The Regulations and Government Affairs Office has agreed to allow us to review the amendments prior to the next committee hearing. We will share our analysis at that time. While the bill would still not directly address the issue of owners using these limited-use vehicles as daily drivers, we believe that the proposed amendments should help clarify the intent and serve to keep the roads safe from poorly-maintained vehicles running the historic tag.
