Maryland electric vehicle fee
Maryland charges $125 a year on an electric car, on top of everything a gas car pays.
How much is the Maryland EV registration fee?
$125 a year. That sits on top of the ordinary $80.50 registration, so an electric car costs $205.50 a year to keep on the road where a gas car costs $80.50.
Hybrids pay less: a plug-in hybrid pays $100 a year, and a regular hybrid that does not plug in pays nothing extra.
Maryland charges an annual surcharge of $125.00 on a zero emission vehicle and $100.00 on a plug in hybrid, collected with the registration since registrations expiring in January 2025. Electric cars are heavy, so most land in the top weight band too: a typical EV pays $191.50 plus the $125.00 surcharge, $316.50 a year. source 5
| Fuel type | Extra per year | Total registration |
|---|---|---|
| Gas or diesel | Nothing | $80.50 |
| Plug-in hybrid | $100 | $180.50 |
| Electric | $125 | $205.50 |
What Maryland's $125 adds up to
The yearly number understates it. Here is what Maryland's $125 comes to the longer you keep the car.
| Years owned | Extra paid for driving electric in Maryland |
|---|---|
| 1 | $125 |
| 3 | $375 |
| 5 | $625 |
| 10 | $1,250 |
Whether $125 a year is a fair swap depends entirely on how far you drive, because it stands in for the fuel tax an electric car skips. Drive a lot and you are ahead; drive little and the Maryland charge costs you more than the tax it replaces.
What the Maryland charge is for
In Maryland the charge is $125 a year, on top of whatever the registration itself costs.
It comes down to how roads are funded. Gas drivers pay for them at the pump through fuel tax; an electric driver does not, so Maryland recovers a share of that with a yearly fee instead. More on why states charge it.
Whether the amount is a fair swap is where the states stop agreeing. New Jersey charges $270 and Hawaii charges $50 for the same car doing the same mileage. The reasoning and the full range are set out here.
When you pay it
In Maryland it is charged from the first registration, so it lands in the bill on the day you buy the car rather than a year later.
The calculator on the Maryland registration page applies that rule. Set the fuel type to electric and it shows you the figure in place, with everything else itemized around it.
How Maryland compares
Maryland is 27th highest of the 41 states that charge an electric car fee.
| State | Electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $270 | Not charged |
| Pennsylvania | $250 | $63 |
| West Virginia | $200 | $100 |
| Virginia | $135.63 | Not charged |
| Maryland | $125 | $100 |
| Delaware | $110 | $85 |
| Hawaii | $50 | Not charged |
Maryland shown against the states next to it and the two ends of the range. All 51 side by side on the EV fee by state page.
Questions about the Maryland EV fee
How much is EV registration in Maryland?
$125 a year on top of the normal registration, so $205.50 in total against $80.50 for a gas car.
Why is EV registration so expensive in Maryland?
Because the fee is meant to replace the fuel tax an electric car does not pay. Maryland has set that replacement at $125 a year, which is towards the middle of the range. The states have landed on very different numbers for the same argument.
Do electric cars have higher registration fees than gas cars?
In Maryland, yes, by $125 a year. Everything else on the bill is the same.
Is there a hybrid registration fee in Maryland?
Yes. A plug-in hybrid pays $100 a year, and a regular hybrid that does not plug in pays nothing extra, less than the $125 charged on a full electric car. A hybrid still buys gas and pays fuel tax on it, so the charge is smaller.
Is there a federal EV registration fee?
No. There is no federal vehicle registration in the United States at all. Registration is run state by state, which is exactly why the charge on an electric car runs from nothing to $270 depending on where you park it.
Is the Maryland EV fee ever waived?
Not as a general rule. Maryland MVA publishes the fee as applying to electric vehicles at registration, and we are not aware of a published waiver. If you think an exemption applies to you, ask them directly rather than relying on a calculator.
More on registering a car in Maryland
The electric vehicle charge is one line on a longer bill. These pages cover the rest for Maryland:
Nearby states
Or see every state on the EV registration fee by state page.
Where these numbers come from
- Maryland Transportation Article 13-912, registration fees for Class A vehicles, retrieved 2026-09-16
- Maryland MVA, fees and payment options, retrieved 2026-10-11
- Maryland Transportation Article 13-809, imposition of the vehicle excise tax, retrieved 2026-09-16
- Maryland Transportation Article 13-954, emergency medical system surcharge, retrieved 2026-09-16
- Maryland MVA, annual surcharge for certain electric vehicles, retrieved 2026-09-16
- Maryland Transportation Article 15-311.1, dealer processing charge, retrieved 2026-09-16
- MDOT MVA, New Maryland Residents (60 days to title and register), retrieved 2026-10-11
- Maryland MVA, excise tax (new residents, private sales, tax credit by state), retrieved 2026-10-11
- Maryland MVA, title and register your vehicle (new residents), retrieved 2026-10-11
- Maryland MVA, Maryland safety inspections, retrieved 2026-10-11
- Maryland MVA, vehicle emissions inspection program (VEIP), retrieved 2026-10-11
- Maryland MVA, Giving a Vehicle as a Gift, retrieved 2026-10-30
Not affiliated with Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Several states re-set this figure annually, so check the date above.