Motor Vehicles - Special Registration Plates - Old Line Plates (Old Line License Plate Program Act of 2026)
SB 352 requires the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to create and offer an “Old Line Plate” special registration plate program for qualifying vehicles. The plate would feature a numeric-only registration number, called an “Old Line Number,” and would be modeled after Maryland’s 1911 black-and-white plate design. The bill also allows disabled veterans who qualify for a related special plate to request that their Old Line Plate include a “Disabled Veteran” designation.
The bill establishes a system for managing these numeric-only plate numbers through an inventory of unassigned numbers, a public auction program, and a transferable “registration number right” that can be assigned, transferred, or reverted under specified conditions. It limits reassignment and transfer timing, allows the MVA to deny or revoke rights for fraud, misuse, nonpayment, or evasion, and requires regulations to implement the program. It also sets a deadline for the first auction by December 1, 2026, with the act taking effect October 1, 2026.
SB 352 amends State Government § 9-4107 to direct a portion of program revenue to the Department of Social and Economic Mobility Special Fund and adds new Transportation Article § 13-619.5 to create the Old Line Plate program. It authorizes the MVA to issue, transfer, and auction numeric-only registration rights, manage plate inventories, and establish fees, reserve prices, bidder qualifications, and other program rules by regulation. Remaining fees, after administrative costs, are allocated among the Transportation Trust Fund, the Department of Social and Economic Mobility Special Fund, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation.
The bill appears to have generally favorable support, as reflected by the committee report of favorable with amendments, adoption of floor amendments, and final Senate passage by a 32-8 vote. The overall tone suggests interest in both the commemorative/heritage aspect of the plate design and the revenue-generating structure of the auction program. The amendments indicate the bill was supported but refined during consideration.
The main points of contention likely concern the commercialization of low-number plates, the auction and transfer system, and how the proceeds are distributed among state and nonprofit beneficiaries. The bill also creates a revocable, transferable registration right rather than a traditional property interest, which may have raised policy questions about ownership, fairness, and administrative control. The limited voting opposition suggests some disagreement, but the available record does not identify specific objections or speakers.