SB 352 Maryland Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Motor Vehicles - Special Registration Plates - Old Line Plates (Old Line License Plate Program Act of 2026)

SB 352 creates a special "Old Line Plate" program for Maryland motor vehicles, allowing owners of qualifying vehicles (passenger cars, light trucks under 10,000 lbs, and multipurpose vehicles) to obtain registration plates with numeric-only license numbers (1-5 digits, no letters or leading zeros). The Motor Vehicle Administration will auction rights to specific numbers, with proceeds funding transportation costs. Owners can transfer these number rights under strict rules (e.g., 180-day holding period, limited annual transfers) but cannot claim ownership of the plate itself. The program takes effect October 1, 2026, with the first auction by December 1, 2026.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Last action Mar 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Motor Vehicles - Special Registration Plates - Old Line Plates (Old Line Plate Program Act of 2026) → Third - Motor Vehicles - Special Registration Plates - Old Line Plates (Old Line License Plate Program Act of 2026) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change the program title from 'Old Line Plate Program Act' to 'Old Line License Plate Program Act' and to shift the legal authority from the Transportation Article to the State Government Article. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new provision allowing disabled veterans to receive Old Line Plates with a special 'DISABLED VETERAN' designation, while also clarifying that the state retains ownership of all plates. The definition of 'Old Line Number' was slightly modified to specify 'one to five three digits' instead of 'one to five digits'.

Scope change

The bill's legal authority was moved from the Transportation Article to the State Government Article, and a new eligibility category was added for disabled veterans.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Old Line Number' was changed from 'one to five digits' to 'one to five three digits', which appears to be a clarification or correction of the digit count specification.

ELIGIBILITY

A new provision was added allowing disabled veterans who meet eligibility requirements for a special registration plate to receive an Old Line Plate with a 'DISABLED VETERAN' designation.

FISCAL

The definition of the 'Fund' was expanded to include revenue from specific tax sections and interest earnings, and the article was moved from Transportation to State Government.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was changed from 'Old Line Plate Program Act' to 'Old Line License Plate Program Act'.

REQUIREMENT

The legal authority for the bill was shifted from Article 13 of the Transportation Article to Article 9 of the State Government Article.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 5, 2026

How they voted

34–8

Passed · 7 other

Total votes 49

Mar 5, 2026

D Democratic36

29 Yea 2 Nay 5

80% Yea

R Republican13

5 Yea 6 Nay 2

46% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 21, 2026

Committee

Referred Environment and Transportation

lower

Mar 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Mar 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Motion Special Order until Later Today (Senator Zucker) Adopted

upper

Mar 19, 2026

Introduced

Floor Amendment {

upper

Mar 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Motion Special Order until Next Session (Senator Smith) Adopted

upper

Mar 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Motion Laid Over (Senator Ellis) Adopted

upper

Mar 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings

upper

Mar 5, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (34-8-7)

senate

Jan 23, 2026

Committee

First Reading Judicial Proceedings

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors