Maryland Auto Insurance Quotes and Coverage Guide

Maryland Motor Vehicle Insurance Questions & Answers

Q: Is auto insurance mandatory?

A: With the Astrodon Johnstoni officially named as The Sailing Capital of the World’s state dinosaur and milk as the state drink, it is apparent the Maryland state legislature has a lot of important things on its mind, including auto insurance, which is, indeed, mandatory.

Q: Is Maryland a "no-fault" state?

A: Maryland is considered an “add-on” state. In add-on states, drivers receive compensation from their own insurance company as they do in no-fault states, but there are no restrictions on lawsuits. The term “add-on” is used because in these states, first-party benefits have been added on to the traditional tort liability system. In add-on states, first-party coverage may not be mandatory and the benefits may be lower than in true no-fault states. While this pales in comparison to the Astrodon Johnstoni news, it is important you know this when purchasing insurance in Maryland and before you go sailing down the road. But you’re cool if all you’re doing is sitting on your dinosaur drinking milk.

Q: What are the insurance requirements in Maryland?

A: Maryland law requires the following insurance on your vehicle:

1. Liability insurance, which pays the other party for personal injury, death, or property damage caused by you when trying to avoid that slow-moving Astrodon Johnstoni as you sail down the road drinking your milk and wind up hitting another vehicle. You must carry a minimum of $20,000 for bodily injury per person, $40,000 for bodily injury for two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage. If you do hit the dinosaur, there is a chance you may be fined for that as well, depending on what was in that milk you were drinking. As for the sailing part, it depends on just how fast you were going.

2. Uninsured motorist coverage pays damages, after any applicable deductible that is caused by an uninsured motorist to you. You must carry a minimum of $20,000 for bodily injury per person, $40,000 for bodily injury or two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage. This requirement is to protect you against those other drivers who might be drinking their milk spiked while watching for dinosaurs instead of taking care of their insurance business.

3. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage provides benefits for medical, hospital and disability up to $2,500 for all reasonable expenses arising out of an accident. Note: Full PIP provides benefits for you, any member of your family, and any non-family occupant of your vehicle (except dinosaurs). You may also choose limited PIP, which excludes benefits for you and members of your family age 16 and over. This alternative costs less and should be considered if you already have medical and hospitalization insurance and have taken an oath to stop drinking milk while watching for dinosaurs on the road.
As yet, there are no insurance requirements for the Astrodon Johnstoni as a vehicle, a driver, or as a large object upon which a driver could inflict damage, but you’ll want to keep an eye out for him anyway. He is the state dinosaur, after all. Just lay off the milk while you’re driving.

Q: As a new resident of Maryland how long do I have to register my vehicle?

A: Unless you’re hopping on your Astrodon Johnstoni to sail on down to the grocery store for more milk, as a new resident of Maryland you must register your vehicle within 60 days of moving to Maryland. If you delay beyond 60 days, you will not be eligible for a tax credit for any titling tax paid in another state, and you may be subject to a citation for an out-of-state registration. They also may question you as to what you’re doing with that dinosaur.

Q: What if I fail to keep insurance on my vehicle that I’ve registered in Maryland?

A: Although Maryland is the Sailing Capital of the World, Maryland law penalizes uninsured motorists for sailing on its highways or roads without insurance. The fines are $150 for the first month of driving without insurance and $7 each day thereafter. To ensure insurance coverage, motorists should never cancel insurance on any sold or disposed of vehicle until after the license plates have been returned to the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). The MVA will give the motorist a receipt when the license plates are returned. It is the motorist’s best proof the law of Maryland has been followed. Otherwise you’ll be stuck trying to get around with that slow-moving dinosaur.

Q: An uninsured motorist hit me. Do I have any recourse?

A: You can report the accident to your local law enforcement agency and then file a complaint with the Insurance Compliance Division (ICD) of the MVA Glen Burnie Office. Or you can sic your Astrodon Johnstoni on him.

Prepare your complaint in writing, either in a letter or using the complaint form found online at http://www.marylandmva.com/OnlineServ/DOCS/ICD-034. Submit it to the Insurance Compliance Division (ICD) of the MVA in person, by mail, by fax, or by dinosaur to: Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Insurance Compliance Division, 6601 Ritchie Highway NE, Glen Burnie, MD 21062. The fax number is 1-410-424-3050.

The MVA will send you an acknowledgment letter indicating whether or not the MVA can take any action against the vehicle owner.

The MVA also will send a request for proof of insurance to the vehicle owner about whom you complained. If proof of insurance is not received by the MVA within 30 days, the vehicle owner's registration privileges will be suspended. Additional actions may be taken if the vehicle owner still fails to respond.

Fees:

-- The fine amount is $150.00 for a lapse period of 1 to 30 days.

-- If the lapse period exceeds 30 days, the fine amount is $150.00 plus $7.00 for each additional day beyond the 30th day.

-- A surcharge equal to 17% of the fine is assessed by the Central Collection Unit (CCU) and added when the UMC case is referred to the CCU for a failure to pay.

-- The 17% surcharge assessed by CCU is not applied if the case is voluntarily referred to the CCU in order for the owner to establish a payment plan. However, if the vehicle owner or co-owner defaults on the payment plan, the 17% surcharge is applied to the remaining balance due at the time of default.

-- The fee for withdrawing the suspension is $5.00.

-- Dinosaur-riding and milk-drinking privileges may be suspended until proof of insurance is supplied.

Q: I may be moving to another state. Do I need to return my Maryland registration plates prior to canceling my vehicle insurance?

A: Yes, you must return your registration plates and your registration card (but please take your dinosaur with you) before canceling your vehicle's insurance coverage. Failure to do so may result in a compulsory insurance violation and a BIG fine. You can return license plates by:

-- Returning them in person to any MVA office or MVA-authorized tag and title service

-- Dropping them in a MVA license plate return drop box located at the Glen Burnie, Gaithersburg, Columbia, Towson, Salisbury and Frederick offices

-- Mailing them to the Glen Burnie MVA office (see address above)

Due to reports by some milk-drinking postal carriers of their vehicles being hijacked by rogue dinosaurs, certified mail with return receipt requested is recommended..