MVTA Member News- June 2024

Welcome to the MVTA Member News!

June 2024

Dear Maryland Vehicle Titling Association Members,

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together!  Welcome to our latest newsletter, where bulletins and upcoming projects are highlighted for your company’s growth and success. As we navigate the 2024 landscape of title work and MVA changes, let’s create an environment to differentiate the valuable from the unnecessary, the inevitable from the avoidable, and the shifts worth integrating from those best left behind. Let us choose to be knowledgeable, valuable, and consistent in our industry.

PRESSING NEWS:

Weight classes, and reg fees, and EMS, oh my!…🦁🐯🐻…Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore…

Effective July 1, 2024, registration fees are increasing due to Maryland’s $63 billion Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2024.  The increases are not trivial – be prepared to field a lot of customer questions and concerns in your office.

All vehicle registration base fees, which have not increased since 2004, are increasing, and new weight categories have been added to classes A, M, and E. The EMS surcharge, which has not increased since 2013, has also been raised from $17 to $40. This new revenue will support the state’s transportation infrastructure and medical services by replenishing the depleted Transportation Trust Fund and the Emergency Medical Systems Operation Fund.

By now you have all likely seen the new weight classes printing out on registration cards and new prices too if you have done any July renewals. Basically, any registration with an expiration date on or after 7/1/24 will be subject to the new fees. The rules are explained in MVA’s 5/17/24 Bulletin and a complete list of 1-year registration fees can be found on the MVA webpage – laid out exactly as it has been in the past with notations indicating when the EMS surcharge needs to be added.

You can expect to see more changes in response to this legislation over the next couple of months. MVA will begin assessing a $125/year surcharge for zero-emission vehicles and a $100/year surcharge for other plug-in electric vehicles; no timeline has been given for the change. Also expected from MVA in the next several months is a payment installment plan for vehicle registrations; this is under development and there are currently no details as to how or when this will be implemented.

Watch your invoices carefully over the next few months to make sure you are charging your customers enough!  And don’t get too comfortable with these new fees folks – although the EMS surcharge will remain at $40, most of the base registration fees are going up again next July and a few are going up a third time in 2026!

Read the official MVA press release here.  

MDOT School Supply Drive: If you are interested in taking part in this mission, please print and post this graphic in your office!  If you are interested in signing up as a drop-off location for next year’s drive, please notify Wendy at info@mvta.org

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

1. VTech Auto Repair Tag and Title – Westminster
2. C&C Multiservices – Frederick
3. Trusty Tag and Title Services – Glen Burnie
4. Rockville Tag and Title – Rockville
5. Rockville Tag and Title – Adelphi
6. Josa Tag and Title – Parkville

We met some of our newest members in person at our recent membership drive with MAEF.  The venue was beautiful, and fun was had by all!  MAEF created a 42-page booklet that will be distributed to all Maryland elementary schools in the fall, educating children about the nursery & greenhouse industry, Maryland geography, farm animals, orchard and field fruits, aquaculture and conservation.  Helping your customers understand how funds collected from the Ag Tag are used makes a real impact!  For more information about the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation and their mission, please visit their website.

 

TRANSACTION SPOTLIGHT:  MDID and Passports

MVA PROCEDURAL UPDATE​ – When using a passport to apply for an MDID please follow these guidelines:

1. The passport should be scanned in color at 300 dpi or better to maximize the processor’s ability to verify its security features. 
2. The passport must be in English. If it is not in English (e.g. Haitian passports are printed in French and Haitian Creole but not English) you will need to also submit a translation from an MVA approved translator, or from a Maryland court approved translator, or from the embassy of origin.

REPORT BY WENDY FROM THE AAMVA REGION 1 CONFERENCE:

In May, I attended the AAMVA Conference in Quebec City, Canada and brought back many updates for the board.   A sampling of the classes I attended were:

• • Driver and Vehicle Records:  Can We Share That?
  • The Paperless Ways of Vehicle Transactions
  • Infotainment Systems Used in Investigations
  • Ten Ways to WOW your Customers
  • Micro-Mobility, Macro Hiccups
  • Vehicle Data Validation
  • Cyber Fraud from Online Transactions (topic link: AAMVAcast Episode 194)
  • Vehicle Import and Export Fraud

In typical AAMVA fashion, all classes centered around what is happening now and in the future at DMV’s across the nation and abroad.  AAMVA has a new Cyber Digital Fraud Working Group and a Toolbox to get ready for E-Titling, which is in development.  Not surprising, using NMVTIS will be a mandatory part of e-titling in the future.  Make sure to check out the AAMVA resources on our member portal.  This is where articles relevant to our industry are posted.

The “Infotainment Systems used in Investigations” class was extremely interesting and different than a typical class.  It is shocking the amount of data that is tracked and stored by newer vehicles, and how it is being used in traffic accidents and to solve crimes.  It was a real eye opener!  I don’t want to even think about what our phones are doing…

Below are a few pictures from my trip.  I joked that all the streets in Quebec City are ‘up hill both ways’ but it is almost true!   If you ever get the chance to visit, do it!

UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:

Q&A with the MVTA Board of Directors – Tuesday, August 13th from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.  Come join our quarterly virtual hangout for a Q&A Roundtable with the Board of Directors!  Bring your drinks/snacks, questions, input, and ideas to make the MVTA better!  There is often a “show and tell” when fur babies pop in!  Join us at this MS Teams link.

MVA Fraud Prevention Training – 💥 UPDATE 💥 the Tuesday, July 18th class has been CANCELLED, as Investigator Bill Banahan will not be available.  Mark your calendars for September 18th from 9:00 – 11:00 am, in person at MVA Glen Burnie, Building A, Room 5

In a recent conversation with Bill, he asked that members be reminded of the following:

You MUST do your due diligence when processing titles!  There is an uptick in fraud across the nation, and counterfeit titles continue to look more realistic than ever.  There have even been some reports of fraudulent paperwork matching NMVTIS (!!)  To mitigate this, law enforcement is actively looking at ways to prevent criminals from getting the complete information that appears on titles, therefore making them more difficult to duplicate. 

So, what can you do to protect your business?

• • Really LOOK 👀 at your titles and any accompanying documents!
  • Learn how legitimate title paper feels between your fingers.
  • Run a NMVTIS check on each title, so you know you have the latest version.
  • Anyone in your office who handles titles and ID’s should regularly attend the MVA’s Fraud Prevention Training.  We cannot stress this enough – this type of crime is constantly evolving!
  • Compare newly received titles to the titles you already have in your files.  Make a sample notebook of titles from different states to quickly recognize the good from the bad. 
  • Use a UV/LED magnifier!  There are many available, but here is one we recommend at a reasonable cost: 

Stay alert and diligent, friends!

ICYMI, Notary Training – A message from the Maryland Secretary of State:

Dear Notaries Public:

We are pleased to announce Maryland’s Office of the Secretary of State’s Charities & Legal Services Division’s first notary town hall of 2024. The purpose of the Town Hall meeting is to inform notaries and those interested in becoming notaries about the requirements to become a notary public in Maryland. The April 9th Town Hall will discuss how to become a Maryland notary public, including the application and commissioning process for new and renewing notaries in Maryland.

This Town Hall will be conducted virtually via Google Meet. NOTICE: These Town Halls will be recorded. A link to the recordings will be available on the Secretary of State’s website after the Town Halls. By choosing to join any of the Town Halls following this notice, you are consenting to the recording.

The platform restricts attendance to the first 500 and does not accept advanced registration to reserve a spot for the Town Hall.

A schedule of the 2024 Town Halls for Maryland Notaries Public is below (it is subject to change). A link to join each town hall will be sent approximately 1 week in advance of each date.  Recordings of prior Notary Public Town Halls can be found on the Maryland Secretary of State website:  https://sos.maryland.gov/Notary/Pages/default.aspx

• April 9, 2024: So, you want to be a Notary Public in Maryland? (Recording available here:  https://youtu.be/HqgXkgBLnms)
• May 6, 2024: Notary Stamping Device, Journal, and Fees (Recording available here: https://youtu.be/5-0uMYiqAo0)
• June 3, 2024: Types of Notarizations…Allowable Actions a Notary May Perform (Recording available here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0gA26vd8P4)
• September 9, 2024: How to Avoid Complaints…Top Ten Mistakes
• October 7, 2024: Remote Notarizations
• November 4, 2024: Notaries Public vs. Title Insurance Producers and Independent Contracts (TIPIC). What’s the difference?

Questions?  Email townhall.sos@maryland.gov

Dealertrack Seminars – Remember to attend the monthly Dealertrack training and Q&A!

Every 2nd Tuesday & Thursday of the month Dealertrack will host a discussion with MD online processing and DMV experts to bring you the latest updates, developments, innovations, common challenges, and more to help you process more efficiently for quick deal turn-around times. Use this link to register for a session and details on how to join will be sent to you: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/3289234536169477133 

Future MVTA Training Events – We have some innovative ideas in the works, but we also value YOUR ideas and input!  Please send any specific requests you have for tag and title training topics to info@mvta.org.  As always, self-paced training is available in recorded videos on our member portal.

CONTACT UPDATES:

As highlighted in each newsletter, here are some useful contacts to keep at your fingertips.

• The Branch Contact List has been updated!  See the full list of contacts here and remember to leave a note if a phone number or email is incorrect.
• Reminder: Send help requests to: helpdesk@mvta.org – we are happy to assist!
• Also, In Case You Missed It (ICYMI), please update your contact information in the MVA portal, specifically your email and phone number.  Many are incorrect.

💥 Special shout out to member Harvey Riley of Catonsville Tag and Title for finding and sharing this helpful article from SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers).  The article outlines the level of automation that EV’s can have, which will help members classify the proper type when titling them in ERT.  Thanks Harvey! 

PLATE OF THE MONTH:

If you have a fun photo of a Maryland license plate to share in our Plate of the Month section, please email it to info@mvta.org. 

Sincerely,

Lisa Charaf, Secretary
Wendy May, Executive Director

and

The MVTA Board of Directors