Greetings and welcome to the January 2024 MVTA Member News!
Dear Maryland Vehicle Titling Association Members,
As we welcome the new year with our new Board of Directors, we express our sincere enthusiasm in extending the theme of “Moving Forward” as we watch our Association grow even further. This January edition of our newsletter marks the commencement of another exciting chapter in our journey toward excelling in the industry of vehicle titling, as we welcome the next team for the MVTA!
But before we go, in this issue, we are thrilled to bring you updates on the latest Maryland MVA updates, legislative developments, industry changes from the DC Auto Show’s Tag and Title Seminar, and valuable insights from our Preferred Partners at Dealertrack. As a community dedicated to fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, we look forward to a year filled with opportunities for growth, learning, and mutual support. Thank you for your continued commitment to the Maryland Vehicle Titling Association, and we trust that this newsletter will serve as a valuable resource for your professional endeavors now and in the future.
Upcoming Events:
Don’t miss our upcoming LIVE virtual meeting with the Department of Housing and Community Development for the State of Maryland on Small Business Loans in Maryland!
Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 11 am – 12 pm
The past Board of Directors met with this group doing the Maryland All County Conferences (MaCo) in August of 2023 to onboard them as partners for the MVTA. Get Ready to Elevate Your Business! Join MVTA for an Exciting Dive into Maryland State Department of Housing and Community’s Small Business Loan Programs!
The MVTA Board of Directors has been hard at work forging strong partnerships to support our members in the world of small business. You won’t want to miss this LIVE Virtual Meeting as we embark on a journey to supercharge our businesses together in 2024!
In preparation for this groundbreaking event, be sure to explore DHCD’s two dynamic lending programs for small businesses: NBW (Neighborhood Business Works) and SSBCI (State Small Business Credit Initiative). We’ve included detailed fact sheets about these programs, and we’ll delve deeper into them during our call. Don’t forget to visit their website for even more information: https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Business/Pages/default.aspx.
Secure your spot for 2/15! RSVP now here: https://fb.me/e/3E02tXe9S
Legislative Updates:
As we enter the 2024 legislative session, the transportation landscape is poised for significant developments with a slate of bills that may shape the future of our transportation system in Maryland while steering away from a major budget deficit. These proposed measures encompass a number of issues, from license plates to military exemptions, and fee changes. In this ever changing environment, it is essential to stay informed about the proposed bills that could profoundly impact the way we navigate and connect. Here is an overview of some notable transportation bills that are currently on our radar:
| Number/ Chapter (Cross File) Total: 16 |
Title | Primary Sponsor | Status | Original House Committee(s) and Hearing Dates |
| HB0028 | Passenger, Truck, and Multipurpose Vehicles – Annual Registration Fees (Pedestrian Fatality Prevention Act of 2024) | Delegate Lewis, R. | Hearing 2/01 at 1:00 p.m. | Environment and Transportation 2/1/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| HB0049 | Vehicle Laws – Unauthorized Registration Plates – Prohibition | Delegate Taveras | Hearing 2/01 at 1:00 p.m. | Environment and Transportation 2/1/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| HB0064 | Motor Vehicle Excise Tax – Tax Credit for Electric Vehicles – Eligibility | Delegate Lewis, J. | Hearing 2/01 at 1:00 p.m. | Environment and Transportation 2/1/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| HB0072 (SB0285) |
Vehicle Registration – Fee Due to Outstanding Warrant – Repeal | Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee | Hearing 2/01 at 1:00 p.m. | Environment and Transportation 2/1/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| HB0178 (SB0055) |
Vehicle Laws – Disabled Veteran Registration Plates – Issuance | Delegate Griffith | Hearing 2/08 at 1:00 p.m. | Environment and Transportation 2/8/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| HB0230 (SB0267) |
Motor Vehicle Administration – Death Certificates – Issuance of Copies | Chair, Health and Government Operations Committee | First Reading Health and Government Operations | Health and Government Operations |
| HB0231 (SB0275) |
Vehicle Laws – Special Registration Plates – Gold Star and Next of Kin Families | Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee | Hearing 2/08 at 1:00 p.m. | Environment and Transportation 2/8/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| SB0010 | Vehicle Laws – Damaged, Obscured, or Modified Registration Plates | Senator Kagan | Hearing 1/31 at 1:00 p.m. | Judicial Proceedings 1/31/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| SB0055 (HB0178) |
Vehicle Laws – Disabled Veteran Registration Plates – Issuance | Senator Smith | Hearing 1/31 at 1:00 p.m. | Judicial Proceedings 1/31/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| SB0097 | Vehicle Laws – Special Registration Plates – Maryland Horse Industry | Senator Hester | First Reading Judicial Proceedings | Judicial Proceedings |
| SB0107 | Commercial Law – Statutory Liens – Motor Vehicles Towed or Removed From Parking Lots | Senator James | Hearing 2/07 at 2:00 p.m. | Judicial Proceedings 2/7/2024 – 2:00 p.m. |
| SB0149 (HB0176) |
Vehicle Towing or Removal – Insurer of Record – Electronic Notification | Senator Waldstreicher | Hearing 1/31 at 1:00 p.m. | Judicial Proceedings 1/31/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| SB0267 (HB0230) |
Motor Vehicle Administration – Death Certificates – Issuance of Copies | Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee | Hearing 2/06 at 1:00 p.m. | Judicial Proceedings 2/6/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| SB0275 (HB0231) |
Vehicle Laws – Special Registration Plates – Gold Star and Next of Kin Families | Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee | Hearing 2/06 at 1:00 p.m. | Judicial Proceedings 2/6/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| SB0285 (HB0072) |
Vehicle Registration – Fee Due to Outstanding Warrant – Repeal | Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee | Hearing 2/06 at 1:00 p.m. | Judicial Proceedings 2/6/2024 – 1:00 p.m. |
| SB0357 | Baltimore City – Out-of-State Vehicles – Improper Registration | Senator McCray | First Reading Judicial Proceedings | Judicial Proceedings |
DC Tag and Title Seminar:
On the 24th of this month the MVTA Board attended the Tag and Title Seminar hosted by the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA) at the Washington DC Auto Show. This seminar hosted insight and information from the DC DMV and MD MVA. This Tag and Title Seminar, thoroughly crafted for the dealers’ perspective, provided updates and status to the ERT programs and portals designated for the MVA Branches. DMV representatives provided valuable insights into the latest regulations, procedural updates, and best practices in obtaining and managing vehicle tags and titles. The MD MVA was represented by the Manager of Business Licensing, Kristin Orlando and Asst. Manager of Vehicle Services, Shae Richards-Marks. Check out this article too: https://wanada.org/the-2024-dc-auto-show-kicks-off-year-with-a-bang/
To share some notes we took:
DC DMV
- When processing with the DC Processing Center, if you receive a rejection with a gray cover sheet, when it is sent back the transaction will be expedited.
- Electric Vehicles – No taxes and $36 reg fee/ $250 if over 5000 pds/ $500 over 6000 pds.
- DC Fee Estimation Tool: caution with hybrid and electrics, as the fees aren’t always calculated properly.
- If the fair market value does not populate on the online calculator, then enter the base price from the Bill of Sale.
- Power of Attorney: if a dealer is using a third- party then a dealer power of attorney must be included as well.
- E-signature is ok on all forms and documents EXCEPT on Power of Attorneys and title application only wet signature
- Expired Tag Transfer? You must renew tags online first then transfer, but remember this must be done before the customer’s trade-in is resold.
MD MVA
- Non-ERT participants are allowed to have a MVA Business portal account to interact with the branches.
- When a lien is paid off with the Electronic Lien System (ELS) a new title will automatically be mailed to the customer the same day or if the request comes in after 6 pm, it will be sent out the next day.
- Duplicate Title Expediate option is currently not working when selected and paid for on the MVA’s website. The titles are all being mailed in the normal 7 – 10 business days.
- The main MVA phone number was recommended to call when needing to reach any department: 410.768.7000.
- Dealer Temporary Tag issues are occurring with in-state driver licenses entered into ERT. This is an MVA error that is being corrected with the MVA modernization updates expected to roll out next month.
Comptroller Updates:
Recently, we provided insights into the latest modifications in the refunds administered by the Maryland Comptroller’s office. In continuation of this, we are pleased to announce that Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman, who served as a distinguished speaker at our Annual Meeting this year, has extended a gracious invitation to both the incumbent and incoming members of the MVTA Board. A meeting has been scheduled for February 2024 to discuss the Comptroller’s office flagging issues and the length of time for the refunds to arrive for our small businesses.
We are particularly excited about the active involvement of our NEW Board of Directors in these critical discussions. In the interim, should any member encounter challenges with a refund or flagged issue, we encourage you to share your experiences with us for immediate feedback. Please send your insights via email to anthony@mvta.org and beth@mvta.org. Your participation is invaluable as we collectively prepare for this upcoming meeting.
MVA Updates:
Change of Address: We are currently waiting for Dealertrack and MVA to complete their updates for this transaction type to be fully functioning. The Board of Directors just completed their first meeting with Dealertrack today and this was at the top of the agenda for updates. The goal is to have this transaction functioning by this week. Stay tuned for more updates.
If you need to request a Change of Address in the meantime, we have preserved the process via email as detailed in this MVA Bulletin: https://mva.maryland.gov/businesses/SiteAssets/Pages/bulletins-dealers/Bulletin_change%20of%20address.pdf
MVTA Board and the MVA Team have worked to develop a Best Practice around MDID Requests. This will be published in the resources section of our member portal on the MVTA website.
As posted in each newsletter, here are some useful MVA contacts to have at your fingertips but don’t forget about the MVA Contact Sheet stored in the resources on the member portal:
- Glen Burnie Branch Phone Number: 410.424.3625
- NMVTIS Phone Number 410.768.7272
- Remember to report ERT errors or processing issues to Dealertrack first at 877.357.8725
- For Title Agent Services Help at MVA, email mddtts@mdot.maryland.gov
- Don’t forget to submit corrections through your MVA Business Portal!!
MVA Warehouse is located at 150 Blades Lane Suite H Glen Burnie, MD 21061. Return bulk tags here. What does that mean? If you have 10 or more license plates that have been collected through returning tags in ERT, then you need to fill out a VR-317 form. You can either hand deliver them or use a courier service, like Motor Car Couriers. The Warehouse is open Monday – Friday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.
VEIP Flag Extensions and Removal Requests:
We’re STILL assisting the Vehicle Emissions Unit in processing requests from our members due to limited online access to MVA products. The MVTA is collaborating with the MVA to develop a more efficient method for processing flag releases without delay through the correction of their online links. Please continue sending your requests to: beth@mvta.org for the time being.
MVA Fraud Training Schedule Release:
Don’t miss the upcoming Fraud Training session on March 21st, 2024, at the MVA Headquarters in Glen Burnie, Maryland! The MVA has just released its 2024 schedule, and this training provides crucial information to safeguard your tag and title agency from potential fraud. If you and your staff haven’t attended this training before, now is the perfect opportunity to gain valuable insights. Mark your calendars for March 21st, 2024, and join us at the MVA Headquarters for this essential training session. Your agency’s protection against “Fraudsters” begins with your presence.
CLICK HERE to print this bulletin for your office: https://mva.maryland.gov/businesses/Documents/bulletins/2023/Bulletin%20fraud%20class%20schedule%202024.pdf
Dealertrack Partnership Updates:
Remember, if you encounter an error or transaction problem, Dealertrack Customer Support is here to assist you. Keep this number readily available in your office or saved on your phone: 877.357.8725.
We successfully navigated through SCANuary! The 10 MB upload size enhancement was warmly welcomed, ensuring our businesses operate smoothly for our staff. Thank you for implementing this change, which has created a seamless process for uploading documents.
Don’t overlook the importance of attending the Dealertrack Monthly Virtual Trainings with Amity. These sessions are essential for all first-year title agents and business owners. Active participation is highly recommended, so don’t hesitate to ask questions and get involved. Keep an eye out for posts containing sign-up links and training dates on the MVTA Facebook Group Page and in your Dealertrack Message of the Day!
MVTA Membership Dues Invoices were emailed on 12/29/2023! Reach out to Wendy May if you did not receive yours or you have questions, info@mvta.org.
We’d like to thank you for your ongoing support and for being part of the Maryland Tag and Titles network on our Facebook Group Page. It’s a fantastic resource included with your membership. If you haven’t already requested access, click here now: Join MVTA Facebook Group.
Keep moving forward!
Sincerely,
The MVTA Past Board of Directors,
Beth Caro, Chairman beth@mvta.org
Lisa Thompas, Vice Chairman lisa@mvta.org
Dawn Mathis, General Member dawn@mvta.org
And the new MVTA Board of Directors,
Wendy May, Executive Director info@mvta.org