GLEN BURNIE, MD (June 30, 2022) – The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) is alerting customers to new laws passed during the 2022 General Assembly that take effect Friday, July 1, including a vehicle excise tax exemption for active-duty military members. House Bill 479 exempts active-duty military currently deployed to Maryland from their home state – and those from Maryland returning home from active-duty elsewhere – from being assessed the excise tax on a vehicle when transferring the title and registration in their name from another state to Maryland for the first time. The law also removes the one-year limit in which military members were required to transfer title and registration to Maryland to qualify for the exemption. “House Bill 479 removes another obstacle that our service members should not need to worry about as they are serving our country,” said MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer. “Over the last several years, MDOT MVA has been focused on providing our military members with the support they need through implementing legislation and new services and programs.” The excise tax exemption is one of several bills implemented in recent years that benefit service members, including two bills that took effect in 2020. The first, HB 133, exempts active military personnel from Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program requirements for vehicles owned by an active-duty member of the military deployed outside of the United States or in a state not subject to a vehicle emissions inspection. MDOT MVA leadership proposed the bill after meeting the mother of a soldier who was stationed out of state and was unable to complete the emissions inspection on his vehicle, which was registered in Maryland. The second, HB 646, allocates $10 from the sale of certain license plates to the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund, a non-emergency, temporary assistance program administered by the Maryland Veteran’s Administration. Eligible plates include those recognizing individually-earned combat-related armed services medals, honorably discharged veterans and recipients of U.S. Department of Defense Gold Star status, awarded to a surviving spouse, parent or next of kin of a United States armed forces member who lost his or her life in combat. Another bill going into effect July 1 that impacts motor vehicles in Maryland is HB1391, also known as the Clean Cars Act of 2022. The bill establishes a Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Grant Program for certain vehicles and equipment. MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office is also educating Marylanders of Senate Bill 176, which goes into effect October 1. The bill requires a person transporting a child under age 2 in a motor vehicle to secure the child in a rear-facing child safety seat that complies with applicable federal regulations until the child reaches the manufacturer's weight or height limit for the child safety seat. For a complete list of laws taking effect related to motor vehicles, customers can visit the MDOT MVA Legislation page here. ### | 
