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Day 11: Maryland Official

The Traveling Pheasant Gets Her Tags!



The Traveling Pheasant, soon-to-be mobile coffee bar, has taken another step forward in the horse trailer conversion journey.


The day that we had been working towards had arrived at last – “Betsy” passed her safety inspection!


If like me, you had not gone through this process before, you may have struggled to find helpful information online. We did eventually uncover (after much digging) a list that outlined everything we needed for a trailer to pass and I am happy to share it here & here.


This post is not only an update on our progress but to be a resource that I very much wish I had had during my process.



Title Transfer

Once I received the passing certificate, I set up a meeting with the trailer’s previous owner to officially sign the title over to me. We couldn’t do this initially because at the time of purchase, they were waiting to receive the documents back from the Pennsylvania MVA.


With my notarized transferred title in hand, I was feeling pretty official already!


Side note about the notary – You have to have the documents notarized when purchasing in Pennsylvania. Luckily by seller knew this or else I’d have had to make another trip because Maryland MVA would not have accepted the transfer without the stamp.



Ready For My Tags!

Due to the countless restrictions brought about by COVID, the Maryland MVA had ceased walk-ins and were operating by appointment only.


Having to go and deal with anything at the MVA is always painful and I was dreading yet another new process. However, to my surprise, it was actually efficient and I was impressed.


With an allocated time slot, there was only a small line to get into the building. After completing the in-person paperwork, I only had to wait about 15 minutes before being called to a desk. Certainly, a far cry from the hours you normally had to wait for your number to be called!


Paperwork and order number at MVA

The only disappointment was when my bill was more than I had budgeted from having not fully understood the pricing sheet provided online.


I thought that having the title signed over to me in PA was the end of the story, and all I needed from MD was the tag and registration. False.


LIVE & LEARN TIP: A title transfer is only considered a “transfer” within the same state.

To my frustration, I was required to have the title become a Maryland title in order to have a MD registration and tag. I assumed I was doing a title transfer (which I did in PA) that would have cost $10, but since it was a new title to Maryland, it was $100. I had to pay for my piece of paper to say Maryland and not Pennsylvania. For such an insignificant detail, it was no small fee.



Tags, Title & Registration, Oh My!

Maybe it was just me who found this process slightly confusing – possibly because the registration and title sound very much like the same thing. So, here is an easy breakdown:


  • Tag – This was simple enough. This is the physical license plate you put on the vehicle or trailer.

  • Title – A document certifying ownership that is issued by a State, US Territory or Foreign Country.

  • Registration – A document issued by the MVA that permits a vehicle to be driven on Maryland’s public roads and highways. Maryland law requires that the certificate be in the vehicle while it is being operated.



Something New

When all was said and done, I had learned new things and became a little more experienced in an area I had never had to deal with before.


I had also reached a milestone in The Traveling Pheasant’s journey - she was officially mine in the eyes of the law and now a Maryland resident!



Heading for the highway,

Heather



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