If you’ve recently gotten a “flag” on your vehicle from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) and you’re not sure what this means or what to do next, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll review what Maryland vehicle flags are, why they are issued, and how to have them removed.
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What are Maryland Vehicle Flags?
A flag on vehicle registration is placed by the MVA (or another government agency authorized to do so) as an official hold on a vehicle record in response to an unresolved issue. This hold temporarily prevents vehicle owners from renewing their registration or transferring their vehicle title.
What Causes a Registration Flag to Be Placed?
The most common reasons Maryland vehicle flags are issued include:
- Outstanding fines like unpaid parking tickets, speeding citations, and red-light violations
- Auto insurance lapse or questionable coverage
- Unpaid toll fees or civil penalties due to the Maryland Transportation Authority
- Failure to obtain a required passing emissions test
- Any administrative issues such as owed fees or returned checks
How Will I Know if There is a Flag on My Vehicle?
The MVA will usually notify vehicle owners when a flag has been placed. Notices are sent out around 30 days after the flag has been issued and around 70 days prior to your registration renewal deadline.
If you think there might be a flag on your registration, you can use the MVA’s online Flag Lookup to be sure.
If you are renewing your registration online with eTags and the action is blocked, we can help determine the cause of the flag and help guide you as to how to resolve it. In some cases, such as with an administrative fee issue, we may be able to help facilitate the payment of the fee.
How Do I Remove a Flag from My Account?
The first step is to find out what type of Maryland vehicle flag has been placed on your record, as each MVA flag has a slightly different removal protocol. Please note that some flags will require an additional administrative fee ($30 at the time of publishing) to remove. These include:
- Parking tickets
- Toll violations
- Red-light camera violations
- Speed camera violations
Depending on the type of flag, you may need to provide the following:
- Proof of valid auto insurance
- Payment of tolls and/or fines
- Proof of a passing emissions test
- Fulfillment of outstanding fees due
Once you’ve identified the type of MVA flag that has been placed on your vehicle, you can resolve the issue accordingly. Remember to keep proof of the resolution. This proof can include receipts, release forms, or insurance documents.
How Long Will it Take for a Flag to Clear After Resolving the Issue?
It takes the MVA an average of 3-5 business days to update their system to reflect a resolved flag. If you need to confirm that a flag has indeed been removed, you can visit the Maryland flag lookup again.
What to Do if a Flag Issue Has Been Resolved and There is Still a Block on the Account.
If you’ve taken all the necessary steps to resolve a flag issue, made any payments, provided insurance proof, or obtained an emissions test, but the flag is still present and you still cannot renew your registration, please contact the MVA.
After Removing Vehicle Flags, Renew Your Registration with eTags.
After you’ve successfully removed any Maryland vehicle flags from your account, you’re all set to renew your car registration. It’s quick and easy to renew your Maryland registration online with eTags. Visit our dedicated Maryland Registration Renewal Page and get your vehicle road ready in no time! And of course, if at any point you need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Because as always, at eTags, we’re here to help!
27 comments
Is there any hardship assistance to help pay a flag violation? Especially for first timer?
The MVA does offer a fine payment plan. We recommended using the MVA website chat to inquire about assistance/help beyond that.
I have a flag but can my husband register my car that I just bought
If you and your husband share the same address, then he will not be able to transfer the register the car as the flag will still appear on record.
If I have flags on a license plate causing me not to be able to renew my registration and it’s an outstanding amount due is it possible to trade in my car to get a new one and get a new license plate and still be able to register the new car?
We like where you are going with this… 🙂
However, in most cases, the flag will be present even on a new vehicle you register, with only a few exceptions. View a list of common reasons for MVA flags here. A flag for an emissions inspection won’t affect a new vehicle since the issue is specific to your old vehicle. But unpaid parking tickets, tolls, etc will affect any new vehicle you register. Best of luck.
Hello,
I have to renew my tags and I had a flag fee. I paid the flag fee and mva won’t let me renew my registration. It stills says I have a flag fee, but when I go through the process to pay it, it says the flag fee doesn’t exist. How long do I have to wait after paying a flag fee to renew my registration?
After you have complied with all requirements, the entity may provide a flag release which you need to present to the MVA before requesting a vehicle-related transaction. Only the entity that requested the flag placement is authorized to request its deletion; sometimes, the deletion of the flag may take several weeks
My daughter has a flag on her car but it’s not suspended, is she still able to drive her vehicle and what’s the time limit to pay the fine.
If the ticket isn’t causing the vehicle to be suspended then yes your daughter can still drive it. As far as time limit, you’d have to ask the MVA
I got an administrative flag, so I have paid the administration fee and the associated parking fee. Then, one month later, I received a very similar administrative flag with the SAME citation number as before. Is it simply because the status of the first flag was not updated or there is another flag that I don’t know ? If it is not updated, what should I do?
It’s most likely another flag for another ticket that hasn’t been paid. The MVA will only give one administrative flag per ticket. They don’t add more if the ticket is still outstanding.
I have 2 flags on my vehicle for emissions- my car will not pass and it is over 20 years old, so i do not want tp put any more money into it. Can I sell it? What can I do to get rid of it?
I have two flags for parking fines that were paid before the flag was generated… would I still need to pay the administration fees? The parking fines were paid in March and the flags were put up two weeks later in April.
The administration fees are usually placed on the system when the parking fine isn’t paid within 30 days of getting it. But, the Mva administers all fees. So, they determine if it’s past due. I’ve never heard of anyone not having to pay the fees if they’re placed. Please contact the MVA if you feel it was placed too soon. Thanks
Como puedo pagar las banderas de mi auto necesito ablar directamente algún numero
Puede comunicarse con el departamento de servicio al cliente del MVA al 1-410-768-7000. Tambien puede leer mas information sobre esto en esta pagina de web.
Just found out that I have flags on my car. I’ve been homeless for over 2yrs and now they are saying itll be a huge fine to get the stickers? I never got anything in the mail and when I called mva to let them know I was homeless with no address they said sorry nothing can be done. I’m currently not working and my stickers are expiring at the end of this month. Please help
Hi Danielle. I’m sorry to hear of your hardship. If you place an order with eTags, we have multiple payment options like Affirm. If you’re eligible, this might help you with a payment plan to complete the renewal of your tags. I hope this helps.
How old does the violation. Have to be to be red flagged in MD
Hey there, this MVA article should help.
I received a red flag this is the first of communication for the flag also what is code 3309 in Ocean city, Maryland?
Look up your tag in the state citation system. It may be a parking ticket but you’ll get more details once you enter the info.
How long does does it take to release the flag once all fees are paid?
Hi Michelle! There are different guidelines on timing depending on what your flag is for. It can range anywhere from 3 days to a few weeks. The most common flags are for tickets and emissions and those take 5-7 days and 2-3 days respectively to clear. I hope this helps!
Once a flag fee is issued can it increase if not paid?
Hi there,
Generally speaking, no. However, the MVA might increase fees on flags for insurance lapses.