Tips for new Maryland resident

[vividracing]

Originally Posted by Mototilla

Also, you don't have to worry about the drivers as much as you have to worry about the potholes. You might want to hold off on a good set of wheels.

I lived in Maryland for a year for school and yes, there are potholes everywhere. I bent one of my wheels on a ninja pothole with my previous car there and had to get it fixed.

-RyanG

[levifig]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

For plates, look on the Maryland DMV website; it should give you all the costs.
For wheels, check the Wheel Directory, Gallery, and Fitment Guide sticky.

Thank you, I'll check both those places out! Thinking of jumping on a set of Enkei RS05RR 18x8.5 +42… They look divine!!!!

Originally Posted by kanundrum

can Vouch for Ptuning they are great! Ive been a long standing customer for 10 years and counting!

As for everything else

Look into non MVA locations for tag/title work

http://tagsintenminutes.com/ is the best so far, you maybe pay $20 more dollars compared to the MVA but you are helping out a local business and they are so friendly and no lines I would pay $100 more to deal with them than any government tag/title location lol.

Look in Mid Atlantic Chat if you would like any detailing services, hit me up! Tint I hear there is a good location in laurel, MD on Route 1. If you want info also hit me up will let you know.

Thanks and welcome to MD. We aren't that bad

Never considered this! Thanks!

Originally Posted by Jaylyons1

Welcome to Maryland, home of the MVA. Because the DMV just isn't quite terrible enough.
Drivers come from everywhere, so there is a little crazy from all over the country which makes Baltimore the 3rd worst in the nation trailing a little behind DC.

Originally Posted by RD1428

Beware of drivers here, worst state I've ever driven on.

Originally Posted by Mototilla

Also, you don't have to worry about the drivers as much as you have to worry about the potholes. You might want to hold off on a good set of wheels.

Originally Posted by Tank

Also reason to invest in a dash cam.
edit: removed paranoia

Originally Posted by vividracing

I lived in Maryland for a year for school and yes, there are potholes everywhere. I bent one of my wheels on a ninja pothole with my previous car there and had to get it fixed.

-RyanG

I have witnessed this first-hand: terrible drivers and an INSANE amount of potholes that seem to come out of nowhere overnight!!! O_O

Originally Posted by kanundrum

can Vouch for Ptuning they are great! Ive been a long standing customer for 10 years and counting!

Originally Posted by Mototilla

Winners window tint in Rockville. They do great work.

Originally Posted by BoostinIX

Mach V Motorsports isn't that far, and they have their own wheels that fit greeeeeeat on the BRZ.

www.fastwrx.com

Originally Posted by Marcoscrdo

Driven Dynamics, they having a car meet tonight at 7ish. With give aways, discounts, details, tint.

Originally Posted by IBill4You

Get ready for your emissions notice within 2 months of registering your vehicle.
http://www.mva.maryland.gov/vehicles...ation/fees.htm
You'll need to set aside $15 for the emissions test I think. Sometimes they just check your gas cap. Most times they plug in an OBD2 sensor. Front plate required. Tint limit is 35%.
Montgomery County (Rockville) Police are well paid and abundant. Rockville Pike is one of the few places I've seen the nicest Mercedes AMG pull up next to a geo metro that barely runs anymore.

Maryland state inspections are pretty strict relative to some other states, so be careful if you purchase a car from out of state.

I've been referred to a tuner shop close to Rockville Pike, Baker Performance, nice guy professional. Seems busy though find him on FB

Originally Posted by Mototilla

To Ibill4you's point. He brought up a good point on the legal tint threshold. Your glass is tinted slightly from the factory so if you lay 35% film it's going to be darker and the state police in MD will get you for this. It's only a matter of time.

Awesome collection of good info here! Thank you so much everyone!

[phobos512]

Since moving here in August 2013 the thing that still amazes me is people not knowing how to merge into traffic. I've never seen people just stop on onramps or merge lanes and wait. California, the metering light turns green, punch it, it'll work out. Not so here.

I know someone linked MVA up above, but a few quick things. If your car is not paid off, ypu'll have to get a form from MVA to send to whomever holds the title (this was super weird for me coming from CA/NM). They send it to you and then you can register. Some states are already like this but neither CA or NM are. Also, you'll pay taxes on the value of your car in MD if where you came from had lower tax rates, so be prepared for that.

DO NOT SPEED (much) IN VIRGINIA.

http://jalopnik.com/never-speed-in-v...-in-1613604053

[levifig]

Originally Posted by phobos512

Since moving here in August 2013 the thing that still amazes me is people not knowing how to merge into traffic. I've never seen people just stop on onramps or merge lanes and wait. California, the metering light turns green, punch it, it'll work out. Not so here.

I know someone linked MVA up above, but a few quick things. If your car is not paid off, ypu'll have to get a form from MVA to send to whomever holds the title (this was super weird for me coming from CA/NM). They send it to you and then you can register. Some states are already like this but neither CA or NM are. Also, you'll pay taxes on the value of your car in MD if where you came from had lower tax rates, so be prepared for that.

DO NOT SPEED (much) IN VIRGINIA.

http://jalopnik.com/never-speed-in-v...-in-1613604053

Saw that VA speeding post the other day!! #freaky :o

As for registration, I've been here longer than 60 days and I read about them charging me tax if I register past 60 days? That is so confusing… How would they even know the car has been here for more than 60 days? For all they know, I moved here but only shipped the car later… Do you have any idea how that works? I did pay sales tax in Iowa and it's either the same or higher than MD… Should I risk my chances and keep rocking my Iowa plate, or should I be ready to pay up and how much would that be?! :X

Seriously: so many rules and regulations! Jeep!!


Also, people here have completely disregard for solid lines! They merge slow and out of place, cross HOV double-solid divider lines, etc… :X Good grief!

[Mototilla]

Are you keeping your Iowa drivers license? I know people who have been here close to a year or more on out of state tags. I think the law is 30 days or something don't quote me however,
if your going to stay here for a while it's best to bite the bullet. Out of the the three, MD, VA and D.C., MD is the cheapest state to own a car. You pay tax once,to title the car (excise tax), inspection occurs once to get tags (unless you get pulled and written an inspection ticket) and you have to deal with emissions every 2 years or registration period. I've registered cars in all three districts and if your a car nut MD is the best place to be around here. However each state and (District)has its advantages outside of car ownership.

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/vehicles...o-maryland.htm

Yes! Merging doesn't exisit, neither do turn signals, ninja potholes are everywhere and what ever you do don't park your car in a Costco parking lot. You have been warned.....

[cpafford]

Originally Posted by levifig

Saw that VA speeding post the other day!! #freaky :o

As for registration, I've been here longer than 60 days and I read about them charging me tax if I register past 60 days? That is so confusing… How would they even know the car has been here for more than 60 days? For all they know, I moved here but only shipped the car later… Do you have any idea how that works? I did pay sales tax in Iowa and it's either the same or higher than MD… Should I risk my chances and keep rocking my Iowa plate, or should I be ready to pay up and how much would that be?! :X

I registered both mine and my wife's car last year. when it comes to the 60 day rule the MVA has no idea if you are lying or not. when you fill out the paperwork just say its been less than 60 and they will charge the tax difference where you are coming from, ie NC is 3% and MD is 6% so had to pay 3% of what ever the book value of the car was. if Iowa is 6% or higher if im not mistaken you are required to pay $100 for tax. so just go get it inspected and get insurance for MD take the inspection paper and proof of insurance to the MVA and fill out the form as you being in state for less than 60 days.

[phobos512]

Originally Posted by cpafford

I registered both mine and my wife's car last year. when it comes to the 60 day rule the MVA has no idea if you are lying or not. when you fill out the paperwork just say its been less than 60 and they will charge the tax difference where you are coming from, ie NC is 3% and MD is 6% so had to pay 3% of what ever the book value of the car was. if Iowa is 6% or higher if im not mistaken you are required to pay $100 for tax. so just go get it inspected and get insurance for MD take the inspection paper and proof of insurance to the MVA and fill out the form as you being in state for less than 60 days.

$100 is the base amount you'll pay no matter whose tax was higher; If your old state was lower than MD however, you'll pay the actual tax difference instead of the $100.

Someone linked the MVA page above for Vehicle Reg but here's the "new to MD" page:

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/vehicles...o-maryland.htm

Also, I made a checklist when I was moving out so this may or may not help, and of course the values will be different for you since you've got different vehicles than I likely did (motorcycle and 10,000 GVWR truck when I moved).

CHECKLIST
Proof of Ownership
 Existing California Registration
 Sales Paperwork
 Envelope from MVA with Paperwork after form VR-0056
Fees
 Title Fee - $100
 Lien Fee - $20
 Excise Tax - $100 (this is where you'd pay the tax difference we were talking about)
 Tag Fees - $104 (bike) / $214 (truck)
 Totals - $324 (bike) / $434 (truck)
Application Form VR-005
 Make sure Insurance Info is present
MD Safety Inspection Certificate (I didn't have to do emissions as I live in St. Mary's County)
Lien Information (if vehicle(s) aren't paid off)
 Sales Paperwork
Motorcycle Equipment Certification VR-094
1/2 and 3/4 Ton Owner's Weight Certification VR-142A

[cpafford]

Exactly me coming from North Carolina which has a 3% tax I had to pay the difference which was 3% but OP believes Iowa has a higher tax so he would only have to pay $100 if he is correct. I was not required at time of registration to have an emissions checked I was mailed a letter about 30 days later telling me to have it done but your list does cover everything I had to bring to register


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[levifig]

Originally Posted by Mototilla

Are you keeping your Iowa drivers license?

Originally Posted by cpafford

I registered both mine and my wife's car last year. when it comes to the 60 day rule the MVA has no idea if you are lying or not. when you fill out the paperwork just say its been less than 60 and they will charge the tax difference where you are coming from, ie NC is 3% and MD is 6% so had to pay 3% of what ever the book value of the car was. if Iowa is 6% or higher if im not mistaken you are required to pay $100 for tax. so just go get it inspected and get insurance for MD take the inspection paper and proof of insurance to the MVA and fill out the form as you being in state for less than 60 days.

Originally Posted by phobos512

$100 is the base amount you'll pay no matter whose tax was higher; If your old state was lower than MD however, you'll pay the actual tax difference instead of the $100.

Originally Posted by cpafford

Exactly me coming from North Carolina which has a 3% tax I had to pay the difference which was 3% but OP believes Iowa has a higher tax so he would only have to pay $100 if he is correct. I was not required at time of registration to have an emissions checked I was mailed a letter about 30 days later telling me to have it done but your list does cover everything I had to bring to register

That's the thing: I already changed my DL… about 60 days ago! My bad for not checking this stuff, but what I'm wondering is what if I had moved here, and then had my car shipped later? Also, I already switched my insurance… :X

I bought the car new in 2013 (financed). Does the MVA check with the lienholder or do I need the documentation prior to beginning the process? Also, excise tax: if I brought the car even past the 60 days of getting my license switched, since the car is less than 2 years old, will I only be due $100?

Thank you so much for the help guys! <3

[phobos512]

Originally Posted by levifig

I bought the car new in 2013 (financed). Does the MVA check with the lienholder or do I need the documentation prior to beginning the process? Also, excise tax: if I brought the car even past the 60 days of getting my license switched, since the car is less than 2 years old, will I only be due $100?

For the documentation, if you don't hold the title yourself (and you might, even if it does have a lien; depends on the state you came from), you'll refer to this section:

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/vehicles...curityinterest

and fill out form VR-056, which MVA endorses. They can fax the form as a heads-up and then you mail a copy also (that's what I had to do anyway as American Honda and Ram Finance required it that way).

Regarding tax thing:

"As a new resident of Maryland you must register your vehicle within 60 days of moving to Maryland. If you delay beyond 60 days, you will not be eligible for a tax credit for any titling tax paid in another state, and you may be subject to a citation for an out of state registration."

So, that means, you would pay the total tax to MD for the value of the car if you hadn't registered/titled it within 60 days. So before 60 days is up you should really get that taken care of. The clock resets to the day you receive your title if you have to request it from a lienholder out of state like I did (though you're then required to make that request within 60 days).

[cpafford]

Originally Posted by levifig

That's the thing: I already changed my DL… about 60 days ago! My bad for not checking this stuff, but what I'm wondering is what if I had moved here, and then had my car shipped later? Also, I already switched my insurance… :X

I bought the car new in 2013 (financed). Does the MVA check with the lienholder or do I need the documentation prior to beginning the process? Also, excise tax: if I brought the car even past the 60 days of getting my license switched, since the car is less than 2 years old, will I only be due $100?

Thank you so much for the help guys! <3

If your at 60 days your okay you just need to start the paperwork. call the MVA to do a request for your title from your lien holder if you dont have it and you will be fine. if past the 60 days you will have a hard time disputing the full 6% tax. I had an issue with my wifes car. i called and authorized them to do a request but some one fat fingered my vin so when they recieved my title they didnt know who to contact so i was never told that it was recieved by the MVA and they sent my title back so once i got all of this sorted out and went to register they told me being that i had made a request that proved i was in the state for longer than 60 days i was made to pay the full 6% due to their error so i called the Glen Burnie office and filled a complaint and request for refund. after 2 months of me contacting the MVA and explaining the situation i was refunded the 3% extra i paid. so my advice would be when you call about the title transfer tell them that you have been in the state for more than 60 days but only recently gained control of the vehicle and would like to title it and see if they can give you any advice. if that doesnt work you can do what i did and pay the 6% and file for a refund and give them a valid reason why you deserve it.

best of luck to you

[levifig]

Originally Posted by phobos512

For the documentation, if you don't hold the title yourself (and you might, even if it does have a lien; depends on the state you came from), you'll refer to this section:

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/vehicles...curityinterest

and fill out form VR-056, which MVA endorses. They can fax the form as a heads-up and then you mail a copy also (that's what I had to do anyway as American Honda and Ram Finance required it that way).

Regarding tax thing:

"As a new resident of Maryland you must register your vehicle within 60 days of moving to Maryland. If you delay beyond 60 days, you will not be eligible for a tax credit for any titling tax paid in another state, and you may be subject to a citation for an out of state registration."

So, that means, you would pay the total tax to MD for the value of the car if you hadn't registered/titled it within 60 days. So before 60 days is up you should really get that taken care of. The clock resets to the day you receive your title if you have to request it from a lienholder out of state like I did (though you're then required to make that request within 60 days).

Originally Posted by cpafford

If your at 60 days your okay you just need to start the paperwork. call the MVA to do a request for your title from your lien holder if you dont have it and you will be fine. if past the 60 days you will have a hard time disputing the full 6% tax. I had an issue with my wifes car. i called and authorized them to do a request but some one fat fingered my vin so when they recieved my title they didnt know who to contact so i was never told that it was recieved by the MVA and they sent my title back so once i got all of this sorted out and went to register they told me being that i had made a request that proved i was in the state for longer than 60 days i was made to pay the full 6% due to their error so i called the Glen Burnie office and filled a complaint and request for refund. after 2 months of me contacting the MVA and explaining the situation i was refunded the 3% extra i paid. so my advice would be when you call about the title transfer tell them that you have been in the state for more than 60 days but only recently gained control of the vehicle and would like to title it and see if they can give you any advice. if that doesnt work you can do what i did and pay the 6% and file for a refund and give them a valid reason why you deserve it.

best of luck to you

I actually think I hold the title (from Iowa). I got my DL on 2/5 which means that 4/6 is the 60 days… Thinking of getting it inspected tomorrow (Saturday morning) and then going to take care of the paperwork on Monday (last day). Will that work or does it take multiple days and I'm already too late?

Can't believe I didn't think of this earlier… I got 3-4 people to give me general advice that amounted to "I got screwed with my car so I would just wait until your Iowa tags are about to expire or a cop pull you over and tells you to take care of it".

Fingers crossed for it to work…
Thank you so much guys! I should've come here first…

[billyk]

OP: Welcome to Maryland. I've been here 25+ years and I love it.

Coming from the NYC area, I have a totally different perspective on potholes than the prior posters - nothing compares to NYC. Maryland has beautiful roads IMO. Northern MD especially. Custom-made for an FR-S.

[Jrohit]

Originally Posted by billyk

OP: Welcome to Maryland. I've been here 25+ years and I love it.

Coming from the NYC area, I have a totally different perspective on potholes than the prior posters - nothing compares to NYC. Maryland has beautiful roads IMO. Northern MD especially. Custom-made for an FR-S.

Check out 650 near Columbia. That area is amazing.

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