Do I need a front tag on my car?

There was legislation introduced in the 2013 legislative session by 13 members of the Maryland House of Delegates that added a "loophole" of sorts to the requirement of mounting a front license plate on a car.

House Bill 577 would have eliminated the requirement of a front license plate in vehicles manufactured without a means to secure and display a front registration plate on the vehicle.

Unfortunately for some if you, this bill died in committee.

What does this mean for you?

If you bought your car in another state, it is quite possible that the car does not have a front license plate mount (states like Pennsylvania do not require a front license plate).

You will need to go to a dealer and purchase a front license plate mounting kit.

For those of you for more mechanically inclined, you can probably install the kit yourself.

Otherwise, the dealer would be more than happy to do it for you.

The cost of the kits will probably be about the same as the cost of a ticket from a police officer (TA § 13-411 - failure to attach veh. reg. plates at front and rear), $70.

Beyond avoiding a $70 ticket, you want to have your front and rear license plate properly mounted on your car if for no other reason than to eliminate a reason for a police officer pull you over in the first place.