Video Tolls - Class G (Trailer) Vehicles - Liability
HB0246 expands Maryland’s video toll liability framework to expressly include Class G trailer vehicles. Under the bill, the registered owner of a trailer vehicle can be held responsible for unpaid video tolls assessed when the trailer passes through an Authority toll facility, unless liability is transferred under specified procedures or a statutory defense applies. The bill updates the Transportation Article definitions and enforcement provisions so that references to motor vehicles also cover trailer vehicles in the video toll system.
The bill also adds a specific defense for trailer vehicles that were being towed at the time of the toll transaction. In that situation, the trailer owner may avoid liability by providing documentation identifying the operator of the tow vehicle, similar to existing defenses for stolen vehicles, leased vehicles, and dealer/transporter plates. The bill preserves the existing notice, citation, civil penalty, installment payment, collection, and registration-refusal/suspension procedures used for unpaid video tolls, while making clear that these procedures apply to trailer vehicles as well.
HB0246 amends Maryland Transportation Article § 21-1414 and related definitions in § 13-927 to bring Class G (trailer) vehicles within the State’s video toll enforcement system. This means trailer owners may now receive notices of toll due, citations, civil penalties, and potential registration consequences for unpaid video tolls, unless they qualify for one of the bill’s transfer-of-liability or exemption provisions. The bill also authorizes the Maryland Transportation Authority and the Motor Vehicle Administration to apply existing toll-collection and registration-enforcement mechanisms to trailer vehicles, with the act taking effect January 1, 2027.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote breakdown, but the bill was ultimately enacted and approved by the Governor as Chapter 482. The overall legislative outcome suggests broad acceptance of the measure as a technical and enforcement-oriented update to the tolling statutes. The bill’s structure indicates an intent to align trailer vehicles with existing video toll liability rules rather than to create a new tolling regime.
The main policy issue addressed by the bill is who should bear responsibility for unpaid video tolls when a trailer is involved, especially when the trailer is being towed by another vehicle. The bill resolves that issue by making the trailer’s registered owner liable in general, but allowing liability to shift to the tow-vehicle operator if the owner provides acceptable documentation by the notice deadline. Other potential points of contention are the continued use of civil penalties and registration refusal or suspension for unpaid tolls, though the bill does not show any recorded opposition in the provided materials.