How to get dealer plates in Maryland
What Maryland dealer plates cost, the types you can get, how to apply, and the rules on using them. Verified as of July 2026.
MD dealer plates at a glance:
- Issued by
- Maryland MVA
- Cost per plate
- $100 per tag
- Requirement
- Active MD used vehicle dealer license
- Use them for
- Demos, inventory moves, dealership business
- Term
- Two years (with the dealer license)
Informational only — confirm current fees and rules with the Maryland MVA (Business Licensing) before you apply.
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What Maryland dealer plates are
Maryland calls them dealer tags, and they're priced simply: $100 per tag through the MVA, requested with your used vehicle dealer license application. Since the Maryland license runs a two-year term, the tags follow the same cycle — budget them alongside the $450 license fee.
Maryland's other quirk is the volume-tiered surety bond behind the license ($15,000 up to $150,000 by prior-year sales). The tags themselves are flat-priced, but everything they ride on scales with your volume — keep the whole stack current.
Types of MD dealer plates
For MVA-licensed used vehicle dealers, $100 each — used on dealership-owned vehicles for demonstration, transport, and dealership business over the license's two-year term.
Maryland dealers issue the buyer a temporary registration at delivery while the title work processes — that's what a sold vehicle leaves on, not your dealer tag.
How to get dealer plates in Maryland
- 1
Get your Maryland dealer license first
Tags require an active MVA used vehicle dealer license — the volume-tiered bond, the location, and Dealer Orientation come first.
- 2
Request tags on the application
Order the number of dealer tags your operation needs at $100 each with the license application (or later through MVA Business Licensing).
- 3
Use them on inventory only
Tags go on dealership-owned vehicles for demos, transport, and auction runs. Sold vehicles leave on the buyer's temporary registration.
- 4
Renew on the two-year cycle
Tags renew with the license every two years. The MVA mails the renewal packet about 60 days out — return it at least 15 working days before expiration to keep tags and license unbroken.
Rules on using MD dealer plates
- Tags go on dealership-owned vehicles for dealership business — demos, transport, auction runs
- Sold vehicles go home on a dealer-issued temporary registration, never the dealer tag
- Keep the volume-tiered bond and the license current; the tags ride on both
- Track tag-to-vehicle assignments for MVA inquiries
- Misuse (personal use, lending tags) risks the tags and the dealer license behind them
Common questions
How much are dealer tags in Maryland?+
$100 per tag through the MVA, requested with your dealer license application. With the license itself at $450 for a two-year term, a small lot running three tags is at $750 for two years of credentials.
Who can get Maryland dealer tags?+
Dealers holding an active MVA used vehicle dealer license — which means the volume-tiered surety bond, the compliant location, and Dealer Orientation are already done.
How many dealer tags can a Maryland dealer get?+
Order what the operation needs at $100 each. Keep the count sensible against your inventory and sales volume — the MVA reviews dealer operations, and every tag is another $100 at renewal anyway.
Can my customer drive home on my Maryland dealer tag?+
No — Maryland dealers issue the buyer a temporary registration at delivery while the title and registration process. Dealer tags stay with the dealership's inventory.
How long are Maryland dealer tags valid?+
They follow the license's two-year term. Renew both together via the MVA's renewal packet — submitted at least 15 working days before expiration — and keep the bond active throughout.
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