If you’re like me—a lover of classic cars, fresh air, and a little thing called fiscal responsibility—you may want to sit down. Because Maryland, under Governor Wes Moore and his tax-happy legislature, has decided that now is the time to squeeze every last dollar out of drivers in the state.
As of July 1, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) is authorized to increase the emissions testing fee from $14 to $30. That’s right—more than double. Why? Because, in their words, the fee hasn’t gone up since 1997. Which, to quote my friend Scotty, is like saying “We haven’t stubbed our toe in 27 years, so we should just go ahead and kick the curb.”
This is part of a larger package of taxes and fees passed by Maryland Democrats who are scrambling to offset a massive budget shortfall.[1] The excuse, of course, is the environment. The Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP), they say, helps reduce pollution and keep our air clean. Which sounds noble—until you realize it’s just another excuse to raid your wallet.
Let me paint the scene. I drive a pristine, cherry-red 1985 BMW 3 Series convertible. It’s a historic vehicle, barely driven except on weekends when the sun is out and the breeze is just right. It’s not belching smoke or killing baby seals. In fact, it’s probably cleaner than the 2012 minivan tailgating me in traffic on I-83. But now, thanks to Wes Moore & Co., I’ll be charged more than double to prove it every two years.
Here’s the thing: this isn’t about air quality. It’s about a government that spends too much and manages too little, and now needs to plug holes in the budget they blew wide open. Instead of making hard decisions—like, say, cutting waste—they’re coming for the low-hanging fruit: drivers, homeowners, and small businesses. Because it’s always easier to raise fees than fix the system.
They tell us the money will go to the Transportation Trust Fund to “improve highways” like I-83 and U.S. 15.[2] That’s nice, except I live in Baltimore County, where traffic is still a nightmare, potholes multiply like rabbits, and the state spent millions on bike lanes no one uses and public transit projects that never got off the ground.
Remember the infamous Purple Line? A $9.4 billion transit project that’s more known for lawsuits and delays than for moving people?[3] Or the state’s obsession with building “equity-based transportation solutions,” while working-class Marylanders just want roads that don’t destroy their suspension?
Let’s talk brass tacks. This VEIP fee hike may sound small to some, but it’s part of a death by a thousand cuts strategy that Maryland Democrats are rolling out across the board. It’s the same attitude behind increased tolls, rising registration fees, and the bag tax. And let’s not forget the recent push to expand vehicle camera enforcement, which amounts to a stealth tax on drivers for going 36 in a 30 while trying to escape a school zone that’s been empty since June.
But I digress.
Let’s circle back to my 1985 BMW—a car that has outlived governors, TikTok trends, and every budget proposal since the Clinton administration. It’s clean, cared for, and driven responsibly. But now it’s a revenue source. It’s the latest target in a long list of items Wes Moore and the Democrats think they can tax because they’ve mismanaged the budget yet again. And here’s the kicker—they’re selling it to you as an act of environmental virtue.
You want to clean the air, Governor? Try fixing the gridlock on the Beltway, not punishing hobbyists and collectors. You want to reduce emissions? Encourage carpooling and finish the road improvements you promised during your campaign. Don’t pretend raising a decades-old fee is going to stop climate change.
You know what this really is? It’s a war on anyone who dares to preserve, protect, or drive something they actually care about. Classic cars, small trucks, family minivans from 2008—they’re all just dollar signs to a legislature that doesn’t see people, just potential revenue.
If the VEIP fee hike is implemented, it sets a dangerous precedent. What’s next? A “sunlight exposure tax” for convertibles? A “chrome surcharge” on cars that sparkle too much in state parks? Will I need to register my BMW as an emotional support vehicle to get a tax break?
At some point, we’ve got to say enough. Enough of the taxes disguised as fees. Enough of the broken promises about where the money goes. Enough of treating drivers like ATMs on wheels.
Because if this keeps up, I might have to move my car to Florida—and trust me, Florida doesn’t charge you $30 to tell you your car still works.
Endnotes (Chicago Style):
- Maryland General Assembly. Fiscal and Policy Note: Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025. Annapolis, MD: Department of Legislative Services, 2025.
- Maryland Department of Transportation. Transportation Trust Fund Overview. Retrieved from https://mdot.maryland.gov/pages/ttf
- Broadwater, Luke. “Purple Line Delayed Again, Costs Surge.” Baltimore Sun, April 14, 2024.
Ian Schwartz is a contributor for Direct Line News and a lifelong admirer of classic German engineering. His BMW has its own Instagram page, of course it does.
Direct Line News is a Maryland-based free-access publication committed to the Republican reform tradition.
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