I recently purchased a 1999 RX7 and failed the Maryland inspection because the headlights are LEDs. Anyone know where I could find original headlights for this?

 

which part is LED? the bulbs or the entire lamp?

 

Tip from another Marylander - since your FD is over 25 years old, you can get your car titled & registered as a Historic vehicle. Doing so means you'll NEVER have to bring it in for a MD safety or emissions inspection, thus your headlights become a non-problem. Hell if you don't mind paying an extra DMV broker's fee, you won't even have to step into a DMV office! You'll just need your receipt/bill-of-sale from the FD purchase, the title/registration paperwork signed over from the previous owner, and enough $ to cover all the DMV fees, and the broker will hand over your new tags & plates.

 

It's the entire lamp. I did however find some from Nengun.com after finding the part number from yoshiparts.cOm and putting in my VIN.

 

Would this limit the miles I could drive it annually. The DMV is super confused by the 10 digit VIN as are the inspectors and parts stores. I will be moving to South Dakota in July so I wanted to get it taken care of before hand.

 

No limit on miles driven, but historic tags are supposed to be for cars that are not daily drivers, though in practice they don't seem to enforce that rule. I see lots of old & common sedans commuting with historic plates - no one is pulling them over just for commuting with historic tags. The rules were recently in flux - it used to be just "older than 20 years", with no year cap, then they added a provision to it that said something like "20 years or older AND 1999 model year or older, which basically screwed anyone trying to get historic tags for anything newer than 2000 model year. They just rolled that rule back, so the new rule is just "25 years or older", which becomes effective July 2027.

So in your case, your FD is a 1999, AND it's over 25 years old, so you qualify for historic tags now. The idiots at the MD MVA often don't know all the rules that well and the fact that your FD is a 1999 is probably confusing them, so it's usually worth paying the extra fee working with a MD title/tag broker. Just tell them you want historic tags, pay the fees & be done with it. Here's a quick AI dump from Google on current MD historic tag rules:


AI Overview

As of April 2026, Maryland is restoring a rolling 25-year standard for historic tags, reversing the strict 1999 cutoff. Effective July 2027, vehicles must be 25 years or older to qualify, enabling lower registration fees ($55.50) and no emissions testing. Vehicles must be used for occasional use, exhibitions, and parades, not daily commuting. [[url=https://www.wmar2news.com/matterformallory/maryland-lawmakers-reverse-course-to-restore-historic-vehicle-tag-eligibility-for-cars-25-years-or-older]1, , https://www.facebook.com/wmar2news/videos/maryland-lawmakers-are-reversing-a-recent-policy-change-restoring-historic-vehic/1273749891379658/#:~:text=Maryland%20lawmakers%20are%20reversing%20a%20recent%20policy,https://www.wmar2news.com/matterformallory/maryland%2Dlawmakers%2Dreverse%2Dcourse%2Dto%2Drestore%2Dhistoric%2Dvehicle%2Dtag%2Deligibility%2Dfor%2Dcars%2D25%2Dyears%2Dor%2Dolder%20%7C%20WMAR%2D2%20News%20Baltimore%20%7C%20Facebook., https://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/safety-concerns-as-more-maryland-drivers-flock-to-historic-license-plates/3270322/]
Current Key Rules (Pre-July 2027):

• Eligibility: Generally, vehicles must be model year 1999 or older.
• Usage: Strictly limited to Sunday cruising, exhibitions, club activities, parades, or tours. They are not to be used for daily driving, business, or commuting.
• Inspection: Exempt from Maryland safety inspections and emissions testing.
• Costs: $55.50 for a two-year registration.
• Restrictions: Some law enforcement may issue equipment repair orders on vehicles 1986 or newer if they lack modern safety features. [[ame=https://www.facebook.com/wmar2news/posts/maryland-drivers-may-soon-be-able-to-qualify-for-historic-vehicle-tags-again-aft/1416437490528503/]1, https://www.wboc.com/archive/new-legislation-about-maryland-historic-vehicles-goes-into-effect-oct-1/article_858a8eaa-0134-5111-aaaf-bb1331c6ba5b.html, https://tagandtitleservices.com/services/historic-tags/, https://www.wmar2news.com/matterformallory/maryland-lawmakers-reverse-course-to-restore-historic-vehicle-tag-eligibility-for-cars-25-years-or-older, https://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/safety-concerns-as-more-maryland-drivers-flock-to-historic-license-plates/3270322/,
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Upcoming Changes (July 2027):

• Rolling Age: The 1999 hard cutoff is replaced by a 25-year requirement.
• Grandfathering: Vehicles that lost eligibility under the 1999 rule may requalify if they are 25+ years old by 2027.

 

Is it an aftermarket headlight of some sort, or stock-style with a different bulb?

 

Pete_89T2 has the right angle on this I feel like. I have my FD registered on a collectors vehicle plate and it sounds very similar to Maryland's rules. Non daily commuter cars are applicable. I paid a one time fee of about $80 and have the plate for life. No more need for yearly tabs.

The big reason this is the approach I would take is stock FD headlights are truly terrible. Especially compared to modern lighting. I would try to find a way to keep the updated lights. Have you looked into what the rules in South Dakota are for aftermarket lighting? Many states don't have inspections of any type so the lighting would be a non issue.

 

Honestly this is a solid idea. I'll probably have to ask them about it as they don't seem to be wanting to offer better options. I'll do my due diligence first and then ask them about it. Thank you.

 

Thank you. I am going to look into a historical or collector's plate option.