MD folks - I got a question that the MVA website or the idiots working at my local MVA office can't seem to give me a straight answer on. I have a lead on an FD that currently lives in SC that I might buy. It has a clean title & registration there, but it's been modified so it won't pass an MD tailpipe test as it sits now.

Question is, if I buy the car, bring it into MD, title it in MD, and get it registered with historic tags ('93 FD is older than 20 years), will MD require me to do a one-time emissions test along with the usual safety inspection they require when you register a non-historic tag car in MD for the 1st time? Not concerned about the safety inspection, but getting it to pass the emissions test would be a major PITA.

I know with historic tags, you don't have to do the recurring emissions testing every 2 years, but I do recall that when I first moved here from NJ back in 2005, I had to get my FC safety and emissions tested, but that was with regular plates, not historic tags. (My FC wasn't old enough in 2005 for MD historic tags - 20 years old is the minimum).

Thanks!

 

Nope, no inspection safety or emission for historic plates. Just pay their fees and your good. Speaking from experience.

 

Nice, you just made my day! Surprised they give you a pass on the safety inspection too, though I wasn't worried about that one.

 

Obviously a bit late, but figure it was worth posting the info:

Maryland stopped requiring tailpipe testing for OBD-I era cars a few years back -- my FD is still on regular plates, but does not receive emission notices any longer. (https://smnewsnet.com/archives/42198...ction-program/)

 

Oh wow, I didn't know that. That info will be useful in the future. Thanks

 

^That's good to know, thanks! BTW, I had zero problems getting my FD titled & tagged with historic plates after it was delivered - went to a local "10 minute tags/titles" agency to get it all done, took all of 5 minutes and was well worth their small fee to not have to waste hours of my time dealing with the MVA idiots.

 

Yeah, Historic is pretty straight forward and, of course, cheaper. However, there was a change to the designation in 2016 (https://www.findcarmeets.com/effecti...get-new-rules/) which explicitly excluded driving to/from work and school. Don't know what enforcement has been on this, but it's a thing that exists.

 

^I was aware of that rule change. Normally I only drive my FC or FD (both historic tags) on weekends, but even when I've driven it on weekdays, I've never been pulled over by a MD state trooper or local cop while driving it around on a public MD road. The ONLY time I had an issue was one day when I drove my FC to work at Aberdeen Proving Ground, and the DoD cop at the gate noticed the historic plates and started to give me some **** telling me that I'm not allowed to drive it to work. I told him that I drove it that day to use the auto hobby shop on post that I'm entitled to use to do some maintenance work on the car, which IS allowed per MD law (i.e., driving a historic tagged car to a shop/facility to obtain/perform service on it) and that got me in.

 

historic / street rod all the things !!! lol everything i own is historic

 

Pete could get around that by laughing in his retirement voice

 

Hadn't thought of that.... could have showed the guard my retiree CAC instead of my contractor CAC to get in; if you're retired you can't be driving to work, right?

 

Eggzactly!

I didn't realize they gave you a CAC/PIV when you retired as a fed though, lol

 

Yup, they do if you ask for one - I got mine when I was getting my 1st contractor CAC. The retiree CAC lacks the PKI chip though, so you can't use it to logon to NIPR. The only thing it is good for is getting on DoD bases, and as a "trade-in" credential for visiting bases that want to hold on to one of your ID's as collateral when they issue you a visitor badge. I suppose it's also valid for getting thru TSA to catch a plane too, but haven't tried that yet - usually use my CTR CAC, passport or driver's license for that.