Baltimore City seeks authority to remove vehicles of new residents who fail to register within 60 days

Delegate Jackie T. Addison presented House Bill 2 19 to the committee to grant Baltimore City authority to remove, tow or impound vehicles owned by new Maryland residents who fail to title and register their vehicles within 60 days of establishing residency (with standard exceptions for students, military, temporary employees and visitors).

"Maryland law requires new residents to title and register their vehicles within 60 days," Delegate Addison said and noted enforcement has been a persistent challenge. She cited an NBA (National Automobile Dealers) review that identified nearly 34,000 individuals with Maryland addresses who had vehicles registered in Virginia and that Baltimore City accounted for 8,647 improperly registered Virginia‑tagged vehicles, the highest of any jurisdiction in the state.

Nina Themelas, representing Baltimore City, and Christian McNeil of Baltimore City's Department of Transportation testified in support, citing 34,555 parking citations issued to out‑of‑state tagged vehicles in 2023 and describing operational and revenue impacts such as unpaid tolls, accumulated fines and persistent parking issues. McNeil said the bill is not punitive but seeks to enforce existing state registration laws and preserve fairness for law‑abiding drivers.

Supporters argued the measure would improve account‑ability, help recover lost transportation revenue estimated in the NBA report, and make it easier to cite and hold drivers responsible for violations. Committee questions asked for copies of the NBA report and breakdowns by state; Vice Chair Boyce requested the sponsor share the report with committee staff.

Ending: Baltimore City requested a favorable report to streamline enforcement; the committee concluded the hearing after questions.