Temporary Tag Maryland — the dealer's 60-day plate, and the private-sale route.
Buy from a Maryland dealer and you leave on a temporary registration plate that lasts up to 60 days, or until your permanent plates arrive. A dealer can issue only one per car, and only the MVA can extend it, by up to 30 days. Buy privately and there's no dealer plate: the MVA issues a temporary registration when you apply for title and registration, for $50, so you can get the car to its safety inspection. Here is how both work, from the Maryland Code and the state's regulations.
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Quick Answer
- How long is a temporary tag good for in Maryland?
- A dealer's temporary plate expires on the first of three events: your annual plates arrive, the purchase is rescinded, or 60 days pass from issue (§ 13-605). The MVA may extend it by up to 30 days if it's satisfied there's good reason. A temporary registration after a private sale is capped at 60 days by COMAR 11.15.09.02; the MVA sets the exact length, so read the expiry date on yours.
- How do I get a temporary tag in Maryland after a private sale?
- Apply to the MVA for title and registration with the fees, and ask for a temporary registration under § 13-405. It costs $50, is issued only for sales between people who aren't licensed dealers, and exists so you can drive the car to and from an inspection station, a weighing station or a repair shop. You put the metal plates on the car and keep the temporary registration card in it.
- Can I get a second temporary tag in Maryland?
- Not from the dealer: § 13-602 lets a dealer issue one temporary plate per vehicle, never a second. If you need more time, only the MVA can extend the dealer's temporary registration, by up to 30 days.
Four things the dealer has to do with your temporary plate
The statute is specific about each one.
- 1Take your applicationYou complete the MVA's temporary registration plate application before the plate is issued.
- 2Confirm your insuranceCOMAR requires the dealer to make sure liability insurance is in effect before issuing it.
- 3Write the details on itIssue and expiry dates, the make and the VIN, clearly and indelibly; the plate goes on the rear.
- 4Report it the same dayA copy of your application to the MVA, and the vehicle, owner, insurance and plate details sent electronically.
Two Kinds of Maryland Temporary Registration
Maryland law has two separate temporary registrations, and which one you get depends on who sold you the car. Dealers issue temporary registration plates under §§ 13-601 to 13-606 of the Transportation Article, and COMAR 11.12.01.12 calls them what they are: 60-day temporary registration plates. Everyone else deals with the MVA directly under § 13-405, which lets the Administration issue a temporary registration so a car can be driven while the title and registration application is being processed, for sales between people who aren't dealers.
The two cost the same. COMAR's fee schedule, 11.11.05.04, lists $50 for a § 13-405 temporary registration and $50 for a dealer's 60-day temporary plate. They differ in purpose. The dealer's plate is for normal driving until your permanent plates come. The private-sale registration, in COMAR's words, gives an applicant "the means to transport a vehicle" to and from an inspection station, weighing station or repair facility.
Maryland Temporary Plates and Permits
From the Maryland Transportation Article and COMAR, read on 21 October 2026.
| What it is | Who issues it | Fee | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dealer temporary registration plate | Licensed dealer (not wholesale) | $50 | Up to 60 days, or until plates arrive or the sale is rescinded |
| Extension of a dealer plate | MVA | Set by the MVA | Up to 30 more days |
| Temporary registration, private sale | MVA | $50 | Set by the MVA, at most 60 days |
| Temporary authorization certificate | MVA | Set by the MVA | Up to 15 days, pending new validation tabs |
| Nonresident's permit | MVA | $27 | For nonresidents living in Maryland more than 30 days |
A new Maryland resident doesn't need a temporary tag: § 13-402(c)(7) exempts a new resident's vehicle from registration for the first 60 days.
Buying From a Maryland Dealer
Under § 13-602 a licensed dealer may issue one temporary registration plate to the person who buys the vehicle, whether or not the car will be registered in Maryland, and may not issue more than one for any vehicle. Before it does, you complete the MVA's temporary registration plate application. On the same day, the dealer sends the MVA a copy of that application and transmits the vehicle, owner, insurance and temporary registration details electronically. COMAR adds two rules: the dealer must make sure your liability insurance is in effect first, and if delivery happens after the sale date, the plate can be issued on the delivery date, with both dates on the contract.
The plate itself carries the dates it was issued and expires, and the car's make and VIN, written clearly and indelibly (§ 13-604), and it goes on the rear of the car. If you ask, the dealer must send your application for annual registration, and the registration fee it collected, to the MVA straight away (§ 13-603). The temporary registration ends when the permanent plates arrive, when the sale is rescinded, or after 60 days, whichever comes first, and you're required to destroy the temporary plate when it does.
At a Maryland dealer
- One plate: per vehicle, never a second.
- Lasts: up to 60 days.
- Extension: only from the MVA, 30 days at most.
- On the plate: dates, make and VIN, mounted at the rear.
Maryland Temporary Tag Rules at a Glance
The dealer plate, the private-sale registration and the limits on one card.
Every figure comes from the Maryland Transportation Article and COMAR, read on the date shown.
After a Private Sale in Maryland
There's no dealer to issue a plate, so the MVA does it. When you apply for title and registration with the required fees, the Administrator may issue a temporary registration under § 13-405 and COMAR 11.15.09. It applies only to sales between people who aren't licensed dealers. Its purpose is narrow: to let you take the car to and from an authorized Maryland inspection station, a weighing station or a repair shop, so that it can be inspected, weighed or repaired as the law requires.
You put the metal registration plates on the car as § 13-411 requires and carry the temporary registration card in it. The registration lasts no more than 60 days from issue and expires at midnight on the date printed on it. Once you bring in a valid certificate from an authorized inspection station showing the car passed its safety inspection, and pay the fees, the MVA issues your validation tabs and registration card.
Private sale, in short
- Apply: for title and registration first.
- Pay: $50 for the temporary registration.
- Use it for: inspection, weighing or repairs.
- Then: pass inspection to get the tabs.
Buying a Car That Still Needs Its Maryland Inspection?
The inspection checks the car's condition; it doesn't check its history. Enter the VIN for a free preview of the title brands and junk and salvage records on file.
Rules That Catch Maryland Buyers Out
Each from the statute or COMAR.
No second dealer plate
The dealer can't issue another. If the first runs out, the extension has to come from the MVA.
Extensions are capped
The MVA may extend a dealer's temporary registration by no more than 30 days, and only if it's satisfied the reasons justify it.
Private permit has a purpose
It's for getting the car inspected, weighed or repaired, not for months of normal driving.
15-day certificate
If your validation tabs are delayed, the MVA can issue a temporary authorization certificate for up to 15 days, tied to that one vehicle.
New residents get 60 days
A vehicle owned by a new resident doesn't need Maryland registration for the first 60 days.
Living here part-time
A nonresident staying more than 30 days but under a year must get a $27 nonresident's permit within 10 days, in place of registration.
How to Tell a Genuine Maryland Temporary Plate
The statute says what a real one shows, which makes a fake easier to spot.
Dates on the face
Both the issue date and the expiry date, inserted clearly and indelibly by the dealer.
Make and VIN
The plate names the make and carries the VIN. Check it against the dash and door-jamb labels.
More than 60 days
A dealer plate can't legally run past 60 days without an MVA extension of up to 30.
A matching application
The dealer sends the MVA your application and the plate details the same day, so a genuine plate is on the MVA's record.
Not from a wholesaler
Wholesale dealers can't apply for temporary plates at all (§ 13-601(b)).
Dealer records
Every dealer that orders temporary plates keeps records of plates received and issued for 3 years.
Dealer Plate or Private-Sale Registration
What you get depends on who sold you the car.
Dealer temporary plate
- Up to 60 days of normal driving.
- $50; one plate per vehicle.
- Issued at the sale, reported to the MVA the same day.
- Extended only by the MVA, up to 30 days.
MVA temporary registration
- For sales between people who aren't dealers.
- $50, with your title and registration application.
- At most 60 days; the MVA sets the date.
- For trips to inspection, weighing or repairs.
Either way, the permanent plates' validation tabs come after the car passes its Maryland safety inspection.
Related Checks and Guides
The national temporary-tag guide, the other state pages, and the next steps of buying a car.
Where These Facts Come From
From the Maryland Code as published by the General Assembly, and the Code of Maryland Regulations as published by Cornell's Legal Information Institute, read on 21 October 2026. The MVA's own site refuses automated readers, so nothing here is taken from it; check fees with the MVA before you go.
CarCheckerVIN is not affiliated with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and does not sell temporary tags. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Temporary Tag Maryland — Frequently Asked Questions
What Maryland buyers ask most.
How much is a temporary tag in Maryland?+
COMAR 11.11.05.04 lists $50 for a dealer's 60-day temporary plate and $50 for an MVA temporary registration under § 13-405. The dealer's plate is issued as part of the sale.
Can I extend my Maryland temp tag?+
Only the MVA can, and only for a dealer-issued temporary registration: by no more than 30 days, if it's satisfied that reasonable conditions justify it (§ 13-605(b)). The dealer itself can't issue a second plate.
Can I drive a car I bought privately in Maryland before it's inspected?+
Only on a temporary registration from the MVA, and only for its purpose: getting the car to and from an inspection station, weighing station or repair shop. It lasts at most 60 days. The permanent validation tabs come after the car passes its safety inspection.
Where does a Maryland temporary plate go?+
On the rear of the vehicle, attached as § 13-411 requires for registration plates (§ 13-604(c)).
I'm buying a car in Maryland to register in another state. Can the dealer give me a temp tag?+
Yes. Section 13-602 lets a licensed dealer issue a temporary plate to the buyer whether or not the vehicle will be registered in Maryland.
I just moved to Maryland. Do I need a temporary tag?+
No. A new resident's vehicle is exempt from Maryland registration for the first 60 days (§ 13-402(c)(7)), so you can keep driving on your old state's plates while you register.
Run the VIN Before the Inspection
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CarCheckerVIN is an independent vehicle-history service and is not affiliated with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Requirements are summarized from the Maryland Transportation Article and the Code of Maryland Regulations and are not legal advice. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
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