Fee increase for vehicle registration renewals has community members voicing frustration

SALISBURY, Md. – It’s now more expensive to register vehicles in Maryland.

Drivers we spoke with Wednesday were not too happy about increased fees for renewing their registrations.

“I feel like they’re outrageous and everything, we’re in the inflation right now so everything is too expensive and too much,” said Hope Hammond.

Hammond is one of the many drivers who expressed frustration to us Wednesday over the new fee increases for registration renewals.

According to the MVA, drivers will see a $10 increase in car registration fees on vehicles under 3,500 pounds, a $30 increase for cars over 3,700 pounds and a $10 increase for motorcycles.

“I think it’s just another Maryland money grab, just going to make it more expensive to live in the state,” said Rebecca Ramia. “I’m a builder so most people I know are moving to Delaware and out of the state because it’s just getting too expensive.”

Ocean City resident Steven Davis echoed that sentiment to move out of the state.

“It’s just one other thing that makes me want to move out of Maryland, between the property taxes, these doubling,” said Davis. “I haven’t seen any good reason why and a lot of people I know are even registering stuff in Delaware or Virginia , you know whatever they can do to save a couple hundred dollars and it’s just crazy.”

Scott Mitchell pointed the finger at Maryland Governor Wes Moore as a reason for the fee increase.

“I think it’s a lot of backpedaling and I think it’s ridiculous,” he said. “He’s creating more problems for people that are getting along day by day as it is and he’s the worst Governor I’ve seen in a long time.”

The new fees went into effect on July 1st.

A list of new fees can be found on the MVA website.