Custom Built Car Registration

Custom cars have always had a popular place in American culture. From the hot rods painted with flames to the styling roadster, the idea of building or modifying a vehicle to your own liking is right up there with apple pie and baseball as 100% red, white, and blue.

Today, there are so many reality shows on television that go into the garage and soup up vehicles that you just might think time has been turned back to the 1950s. That is until you catch the name of the shows: Monster Garage or Pimp My Ride. Then you realize that maybe the custom car craze never went anywhere and is as popular now as ever.

Maryland is a great state to step into the garage and tackle one of these projects. Unlike many states, these vehicles, whether a kit car, "two-stagers," or homemade trailers, are relatively easy to title and register in Maryland. Thus, you can get out on the road to show off your handiwork and have the comfort of knowing the vehicle is extremely hip and street legal.

Before you even get to this point you must take the vehicle to be inspected (separate from the safety inspection for registration). This is much like the inspection one undergoes with a salvaged vehicle. It is done at the MVA headquarters. Call ahead for an appointment.

The following is a list of the main custom or homemade vehicles that you will need to title and register in the state of Maryland.

Kit_Car">Kit Car

• Definition: A kit car looks like an old hot rod or a vehicle from the glamour days of the past on the outside but has an assortment of salvage parts making up the inside.

• Where to apply: The MVA headquarters.

• What to bring:

• A document that shows that you own the vehicle frame. This could be a plethora of forms, depending on whether the frame is new from the manufacturer or used or was discovered lying unscathed in a junkyard. Thus, you can provide an invoice or manufacturer certificate of origin, or a salvage certificate.

• A completed Application for Certificate of Title.

• Sales receipts for every part used in the building of the vehicle.

• A safety inspection certificate. This is separate from the salvage inspection certificate that you had completed before you started the process. This certificate is required to register the vehicle.

• If the vehicle has not been assigned (if necessary) a vehicle identification number (VIN), then you will need to fill out an Application for Assigned Vehicle Identification Number. This form is at the MVA office and the number will be issued by a member of the state police. Most likely the number was issued at the time of the salvage inspection. However, if it wasn't, you will have to head back to that garage (which is across the street from the MVA hub).

Other Vehicles Titled and Registered the Same Way

• Glider Kit

• Homemade Trailer

• Kit Trailer

• Two-stage Vehicle

• Reconstructed Vehicle

Upon paying the necessary fees you will receive your registration card, plates, and tags. The title will be processed and sent out via mail when it is ready.

Find general titling and registration information at Car Registration and Title Transfers on this site.