Read Something In Maryland That Might Apply Elio Vehicles...or Maybe Not

[Sharp Right]

Dear Friends,

Do any of you live in Maryland? Have you made a deposit on an Elio? Would you like to eventually drive it? Me too.

Well, I received some very bad news today. It seems that if each of us were to receive our ELIO's today, they may not be registered to in the State of Maryland (if current Maryland Law remains unchanged).

Why? The representative of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Department of Motorcycle Safety
told me the following:

1) The ELIO is not a Motorcycle.

2) Though Maryland Law states that any vehicle with fewer than 4 wheels is considered a Motorcycle, the ELIO does not conform to the Maryland State Definition of a Motorcycle.

3) Maryland Motor Vehicle Law section 21-1302, paragraph d, states that to ride what is considered a "Motorcycle", one must sit with both legs astride the vehicle.

4) There is currently no classification to Register an Autocycle, in the State of Maryland.


Wow....I really hope that I was given some bad information. It is my hope that somebody here might help me to feel better about spending $1000 on a vehicle that I may not currently register.

If this is good information, perhaps the ELIO staff lobbyists know all about this and they are working to correct the problem.

Does anybody have data on this subject?


Please Advise,

 

[BaldGuy]

Being on the border of Maryland and fact I have family there and was raised there, this grabbed my attention. Are you saying, I wouldn't be allowed to enter MD even with my Elio legally registered in WV?

 

[Sharp Right]

No sir. I was told that if you are a resident of Maryland, you may not (at this time) register an Elio with the Maryland Vehicle Administration.

 

[BaldGuy]

That's a bummer. Sadly its the states and not the feds that deal with letting us have the privilege to drive and register boats/cars. So its a war that may need to be to fought 50 times. (or maybe 51+ counting DC and the few territories we picked up)

Hopefully, not only will I be allowed in MD, but will even get to take my helmet off when i get there. LOL Sucks WV has this stupid helmet law.

 

[Elf]

Screw 'em .I register my vehicles in New Hampshire even though I live in another state .I registered my Business in NH ($75 per year).Lower excise ,insurance and NO sales tax .
There is always a way around this BS . They won't take me alive

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

Sharp Right, the good news is your fears are unfounded and government bureaucrats are (as usual) clueless.

If you show up at the MVA with a federally-recognized motorcycle that has a valid VIN and a bill of sale and inspection certificate, the MVA won't even give it a second look. They won't know that it's ride-in and they won't know that it's a 3-wheeler. They don't care! When was the last time MVA walked out to your car to make sure it had four wheels and a steering wheel? They just want your money. That is all.

Yes, you can right now register a ride-in, 3-wheel motorcycle in Maryland!

Further, the cited section of Maryland law does not define a motorcycle. As stated in the answer to your question about front license plates (*1), motorcycles are defined in §11–136. This section of code clearly defines the Elio as a motorcycle under Maryland law:

§11–136.
  (a) “Motorcycle” means a motor vehicle that:
    (1) Has motive power;
    (2) Has a seat or saddle for the use of the rider;
    (3) Is designed to travel:
      (i) On not more than three wheels in contact with the ground; and
      (ii) At speeds exceeding 35 miles per hour; and
    (4) Is of a type required to comply with all motor vehicle safety
        standards applicable to motorcycles under federal law.

Finally, the MVA doesn't determine what vehicles can and can't be registered. The Maryland State Police do.

Given the above facts, I think you would do all Elio fans a service by editing the title of this thread so people searching for the Elio don't get this alarming false headline in Google, Bing, and other search engines. Thank you!

(*1): http://www.elioowners.com/threads/front-license-plate-in-maryland.6130/#post-102720

 

[Coss]

Agreed, this thread should be retitled for the one reason GPA mentioned; we don't need a "Chicken Little" headings for the bottom dwellers to feed on.

 

[Sharp Right]

Dear Coss,

I use this thread to get information. Not to hear snide remarks.
If somebody wants to take this thread down, then do so. I no
longer have need for this blog.

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

Sharp Right, I think you are misinterpreting Coss' message. I think he was aiming at certain media types that have been naysaying the Elio since day 1. Don't assume malice toward you.

 

[Coss]

Sharp Right, I think you are misinterpreting Coss' message. I think he was aiming at certain media types that have been naysaying the Elio since day 1. Don't assume malice toward you.

Thanks GPA; as I had said in my post the search bots crawl through all the sites everyday; if they can pick up on a single piece of bad news they'll blow it out of proportion (kind of like Fox News). By having it read neutral it's less likely to be a target.