BALTIMORE — A Maryland driver who thought her vehicle registration fee seemed unusually high turned out to be right.

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration later corrected her vehicle's weight classification and refunded $82. Now she's urging other drivers to check their own registration records.

"It seemed like drastically more than the last time that I registered," said Meghan Parker.

She decided to compare it with her previous registrations.

"I looked and the weight of my vehicle had changed from previous registrations that I had stuck in the glove box of my car where we all keep them, it had changed four separate times. So it prompted me to dig a little bit deeper," Parker said.

In Maryland, registration fees are based on the manufacturer's shipping weight, not the gross vehicle weight rating listed on the sticker inside the driver's door. The weight can be found on a vehicle's title, through a dealership, or by taking the car to a certified scale. The difference between two weight classes can mean paying an extra $66.

Parker contacted her dealership and Subaru but did not immediately hear back, so she took her documents to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. An employee reviewed her title and confirmed her vehicle belonged in the 3,500- to 3,700-pound weight class, but couldn't explain why her renewal placed it in the higher, over-3,700-pound category, increasing her annual registration fee from $125.50 to $191.50.

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"There was no answer as to why other than I had renewed my registration previously at a kiosk," Parker said.

MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer explained how the agency determines vehicle weight.

"If it's a new vehicle, you have that manufacturer's certificate of origin, so the weight's right there on that. If it's a used vehicle, if it comes in from out of state, we're going to take whatever information is on that title. Some states include weight, some states don't, it varies from state to state, but we do have a national software system that we use to determine vehicle weight" Nizer said.

The MVA says it used VINtelligence data during a one-time statewide update in 2024 to verify vehicle weight classifications after Maryland added a third registration weight class.

"We put all vehicles through that system to make sure that whether it was a vehicle we had for some time or not, that it was accurate and up to date. Maybe a few anomalies in that process, but we haven't seen that widespread. We really want to make sure that vehicle weight is as accurate as possible," Nizer said.

According to the MVA, Parker purchased the used Subaru in 2020 with Kentucky title documents. Her original registration in 2020 and renewal in 2022 placed the vehicle in the lower weight class.

But after the statewide VINtelligence update in 2024, the MVA says the database listed her vehicle's manufacturer's shipping weight at 3,719 pounds, placing it in the highest registration weight class under Maryland's new system.

After Parker questioned the classification, the MVA reviewed the record, determined the vehicle belonged in the lower weight class, corrected the registration, and issued an $82 refund.

"So they did, they refunded me $82 and then they fixed the weight," Parker said.

Mobility Global, the company behind VINtelligence, issued this response:

Parker said she hopes other drivers will check their own records.

"How many other drivers could be affected in the state of Maryland and if they're not paying attention and are they owed money from previous registrations like I was? Is their weight correct?" Parker said. "I have told all my friends and family in the state of Maryland to please check."

The MVA says it recognizes many drivers are feeling the impact of recent registration fee increases. No additional increases have been approved by the legislature. The MVA also says drivers who choose a one-year renewal can now split their registration fee into two payments.

Any driver with concerns about their vehicle's weight classification is encouraged to contact the MVA directly, and the agency says it will investigate further.

Drivers can also look up their vehicle's details using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's VIN decoder.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story stated that the MVA classified the vehicle using an "unladen weight" of 3,719 pounds. After publication, the MVA clarified that it inadvertently used the wrong terminology in its written response. The agency says the correct measurement was the vehicle's manufacturer's shipping weight, which Maryland law requires for determining registration fees.

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