Motor Vehicles - Special Registration Plates - Old Line Plates (Old Line Plate Program Act of 2026)
HB0068 requires the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to create and offer a new special registration plate program called the Old Line Plate Program. The bill defines an “Old Line plate” as a plate bearing a numeric-only registration number of one to five digits, without letters, punctuation, or leading zeros, and directs the MVA to make these plates available for qualifying vehicles, including passenger vehicles, certain trucks, multipurpose vehicles, and other classes designated by regulation.
The bill also establishes a system for managing these numbers as revocable, transferable “registration number rights.” The MVA would maintain an inventory of unassigned Old Line numbers, run public auctions for those numbers, and set rules for reserve prices, bid increments, bidder qualifications, and auction format. Current holders of active numeric-only plates could request an Old Line plate with their existing number by paying the replacement fee, while transfer and reversion rules would limit how often rights can move and allow unused numbers to revert to the State after notice. The bill further authorizes the MVA to deny, suspend, or revoke rights for fraud, misuse, nonpayment, or rule violations, and requires fees to cover administrative costs and be credited to the Transportation Trust Fund.
HB0068 adds a new section to the Transportation Article, creating a state-administered special plate and number-rights program that would be implemented by regulation. It affects vehicle owners who want numeric-only plates, the MVA’s registration and auction operations, and the Transportation Trust Fund by directing program fees into that fund. The bill also clarifies that the State retains ownership of the plates and that holders do not acquire a property interest in them, which shapes how these plate rights may be transferred, revoked, or re-auctioned.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears procedural and administrative rather than contentious. The proposal is framed as a modernization and premium-plate offering that could generate revenue while preserving state control over the plates. No recorded opposition, amendments, or vote history is provided here to indicate strong support or resistance.
The main potential points of contention are the auction-based allocation of desirable numeric-only plate numbers, the fees associated with replacement and transfer, and the limits on transferability and reversion of unused rights. Some stakeholders may view the program as a revenue-generating specialty service, while others may question whether auctioning low-number plates creates inequity or favors higher bidders. The bill also draws a clear line that the State retains ownership and that registrants have no property interest, which may matter to holders concerned about the durability and value of their registration number rights.