Title 29 — Subtitle 02. Motor Vehicles

54—Windshield wipers;

55—Headlights, but not for aim;

56—Taillights;

57—Horn;

60—Bumper(s)/rear protector frames;

61—Glass;

62—Load cover;

64—Stoplights;

65—Tag light(s);

66—Dash lights;

68—Rearview mirrors;

69—Door latch/handle;

70—Fuel system, cap only;

71—Turn signals;

73—Hood/catch(es);

76—Fender(s) flaps;

78—Hazard warning lamps;

79—Parking lamps;

80—Side marker lamps;

82—Emergency warning lamps;

83—Back-up lamps;

84—Reflectors;

86—Low air warning device;

87—Clearance lamps;

88—Identification lamps.

Except as noted in §C(2) of this regulation, the Department of State Police will no longer certify post-manufacture window tinting. The certification of post-manufacture window tinting shall only be done at authorized inspection stations for that class of vehicle by a registered inspection mechanic.

The inspection and certification of post-manufacture window tinting involving a medical exemption shall be referred to the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division of the Department of State Police.

Certification shall be performed by adequately trained State Police personnel. If any ASED police personnel are at an installation, they will conduct, upon request, the inspections and certifications.

All certifications shall be conducted only during daylight hours. Certifications may not be conducted during inclement weather.

Upon determining that the equipment or mechanism has been repaired and is in compliance with established safety standards, the certification portion of the repair order will be completed as follows:

After certification:

Certification should be performed by adequately trained personnel.

At the discretion of the Department, any internal reporting procedures may be followed.

All certifications shall be conducted only during daylight hours. Certifications may not be conducted during inclement weather.

Upon determining whether the equipment or mechanism has been repaired and is in compliance with safety standards, the certification portion of the repair order will be completed as follows:

After certification:

Operation;

Control;

Condition of blades and arms; and

Any missing part.

The wipers are inoperative or cannot be controlled or operated by the driver;

There is an arm broken or missing;

There is insufficient tension on the arm to hold the blade against windshield;

The blades are excessively worn or deteriorated and do not clean the windshield;

The wipers are incapable of cleaning the original arc on the windshield; or

The arms fail to return to park position.

55—Headlights;

56—Taillights;

64—Stoplights;

65—Tag light(s);

78—Hazard warning lamps;

79—Parking lamps;

80—Side marker lamps;

82—Emergency warning lamp;

83—Back-up lamps;

87—Clearance lamps;

88—Identification lamps.

Proper function;

Aiming—except headlights;

Mounting;

Cracked or broken lenses.

Vehicle is not equipped with minimum lamps required by State law (see Regulation .22, Diagrams 1—6);

Any bulb in a lamp required to be inspected fails to function properly;

There are improperly connected circuits;

A lens is incorrectly installed;

A lens is cracked, broken, or damaged to the point that any portion of the lens is missing or cracked to a degree that a light contrary to law is exhibited (white light to the rear);

A lens marked left or right is not properly installed;

A lens is rotated, upside down or wrong side out;

Any lens does not correspond with the name stamped on the light body unless it is an approved type;

A lens is obscured or shielded by a nontransparent material or headlamp equipped with after-market clear, tinted, or screen-type cover;

Any lamp is not securely attached to the vehicle;

Any lamp is emitting a color contrary to the provisions of the Transportation Article, Annotated Code of Maryland (taillights shall be red, stoplights shall be red or amber, tag lights shall be white);

Any lamp or lens is turned so that its light is not properly directed;

Any lamp, lens, or reflector is not of an approved type;

Back-up lamp operates when vehicle is in forward gear; or

Back-up lamp not lit when in reverse gear.

Is loose;

Fails to function;

Produces a loud or harsh sound;

Is not equipped with an actuating device within arm's reach of the operator.

Class A passenger vehicles;

Class M multipurpose vehicles;

Mandatory front bumpers of class E 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks; and

Rear bumpers of class E 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks, even though rear bumpers are not required on this type of truck.

The bumpers are broken or missing;

There are abnormal protrusions or conditions which could be hazardous to persons;

The bumpers are not mounted securely or capable of absorbing a reasonable degree of impact;

The bumpers are not the original equipment or equivalent, or do not extend the full width of the vehicle except that front bumpers on vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight registered, except school vehicles, need not extend to extreme sides of the vehicle;

The bumpers are modified or extended to compensate for suspension changes or modifications (applicable to class A passenger, class M multipurpose, and class E 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks);

The bumpers or the vehicle frame side rail are higher from the ground than 20 inches for class A passenger vehicles;

The bumpers or the vehicle frame side rail are higher from the ground than 28 inches for class E 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks and class M vehicles (if class E 1/2 or 3/4 ton trucks do not have a rear bumper then the bottom of the frame side rails may not be higher from the ground than 28 inches);

Trailers or semitrailers are not equipped with a rear protector frame as required;

The bumper, rear protector frame, or the vehicle frame side rail is higher from the ground than 30 inches for trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight registered over 10,000 pounds and trailers and semitrailers with a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more; or

On a truck used for spraying agriculture crops, the bumper, rear protector frame, or the vehicle frame side rail is higher from the ground than 32 inches.

All glazing material shall be checked for the manufacturer's trademark and the words “American Standard” or the letters “AS” followed by a number indicating the positions in the vehicle in which the material may be used. Reference American National Standard for Safety Glazing Materials for Glazing Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment Operating on Land Highways — Safety Standard, Standard ANSI/SAE Z26.1-1996, Approved by American National Standards Institute (August 11, 1997).

All glass used in the windshield shall be marked AS-1, in addition to the trademark or name of the manufacturer. AS-2 glass may be used in any other position on the vehicle other than the windshield. In some earlier models or foreign cars, the windshield marking does not contain the designation AS-1. However, if the windshield glass is approved by the U.S. D.O.T. for highway use, it shall be acceptable under these standards.

Any questions regarding glazing shall be referred to the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division of the Department of State Police.

“Acute area” means that windshield area 8 inches wide by 5 inches high located directly in front of the driver, centered vertically on the steering wheel of the vehicle and horizontally in the center of the critical area.

“Cloudiness” means any degree of visible discoloration or separation, except tinting that does not affect clear vision.

“Critical area” means the normal windshield wiper sweep, except the area obscured by the hood, fenders, or rearview mirror.

“Discoloration” means a condition which impairs the transparency of the glazing.

“Noncritical area” means all windshield area outside the critical area.

“Normal windshield wiper sweep” means the area of the windshield cleaned by the windshield wiper, excluding the return position on both passenger’s and driver’s sides.

Cloudiness exceeds 1 inch from the top or side or 1 inch into the critical area from the bottom or, if the windshield is divided, exceeds 1/2 inch from the center divider;

The acute area contains any one crack, nick, pit, chip, star break, half moon, or bull's-eye fracture in excess of 1/4 inch in diameter or length, or any combination of individual cracks, nicks, pits, chips, star breaks, half moons, or bull's-eye fractures which cumulatively exceed 1/4 inch in diameter or length, or any permanent condition which significantly interferes with the driver's vision;

The critical area contains wiper blade scratches which are severe enough to distort vision, or any one crack, nick, pit, chip, star break, half moon, or bull's-eye fracture in excess of 1/2 inch in diameter or length, or any combination of individual cracks, nicks, pits, chips, star breaks, half moons, or bull's-eye fractures which cumulatively exceed 1/2 inch in diameter or length, or any permanent condition which significantly interferes with the driver's vision except in the permitted cloudy area; or

The noncritical area contains any intersecting cracks or any one crack or combination of individual cracks extending inward more than 2 inches separately or cumulatively from the outer frame on flat or curved windshields or over 4 inches on wraparound windshields, or any one crack, nick, pit, chip, star break, half moon, or bull's-eye fracture in excess of 3/4 inch in diameter or length, or any combination of individual cracks, nicks, pits, chips, star breaks, half moons, or bull's-eye fractures which cumulatively exceed 3/4 inch in diameter or length, or any permanent condition which significantly interferes with the driver's vision except in the permitted cloudy area.

Cloudiness exceeds 2 inches from the top or side or extends more than 2 inches into the critical area from the bottom or, if the windshield is divided, exceeds 1/2 inch from the center divider;

The critical area contains wiper blade scratches which are severe enough to distort vision, or any one crack, nick, pit, chip, star break, half moon, or bull's-eye fracture in excess of 1/2 inch in diameter or length, or any combination of individual cracks, nicks, pits, chips, star breaks, half moons, or bull's-eye fractures which cumulatively exceed 1/2 inch in diameter or length, or any permanent condition which significantly interferes with the driver's vision except in the permitted cloudy area;

The noncritical area contains any intersecting cracks or any one crack or combination of individual cracks extending inward more than 4 inches separately or cumulatively from the outer frame on flat or curved windshields or over 6 inches on wraparound windshields, or any one crack, nick, pit, chip, star break, half moon, or bull's-eye fracture in excess of 1-1/2 inches in diameter or length, or any combination of individual cracks, nicks, pits, chips, star breaks, half moons, or bull's-eye fractures which cumulatively exceed 1-1/2 inches in diameter or length, or any permanent condition which significantly interferes with the driver's vision except in the permitted cloudy area.

There are breaks, cracks, discolorations, modifications, or scratches in the windshield (see Regulation .22, diagram 7);

The window on the driver's side of the vehicle does not open and close as designed;

Any window shows sharp edges, is badly scratched, broken, discolored, modified, has been replaced with other than proper safety glazing material, or shows conditions which interfere with vision;

Posters, stickers, or other nontransparent materials on the windshield or other windows of the vehicle are in violation of the following:

The vehicle is designed to obstruct visibility and is not equipped with an outside rearview mirror on both sides.

Except as noted in §F(2) of this regulation, the certification of post-manufacture window tinting shall only be performed at authorized inspection stations for that class of vehicle by a registered inspection mechanic.

The inspection and certification of post-manufacture window tinting involving a medical exemption shall be referred to the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division of the Department of State Police. Regulations governing the application of post-manufacture window tinting on vehicles and the requirements for a medical exemption are listed in §F(3)—(7) of this regulation.

Post-manufacture window tint is acceptable on the following vehicles in the listed locations:

Post-manufacture window tint is prohibited on the following vehicles in the listed locations:

The application of post-manufacture window tint is prohibited on all windows and the windshield of a school vehicle.

The following post-manufacture window tint is prohibited on any window or windshield of any vehicle:

Medical Exemption. Transportation Article, §22-406, Annotated Code of Maryland, provides an exemption for a person who must be protected from the sun for medical reasons from having a light transmittance of at least 35 percent on regulated windows equipped with post-manufacture window tint. The law requires the owner to have, in the vehicle at the time the vehicle is stopped by a police officer, a written certification that details the owner’s medical need for tinted windows, from a physician licensed to practice medicine in the State. A vehicle owner whose vehicle is undergoing an inspection, or has been issued a safety equipment repair order for defect #61 “TINT”, and indicates to the authorized inspection station their compliance with a medical exemption, shall be referred to the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division of the Department of State Police for examination of the vehicle owner’s medical documentation and the vehicle’s post-manufacture window tint. If the owner meets the requirements specified in Transportation Article, §22-406, Annotated Code of Maryland, for the medical exemption and the vehicle is compliant with all post-manufacture window tinting regulations in this chapter, excluding the light transmittance requirement of regulated windows equipped with post-manufacture window tint, the Division shall be authorized to certify the safety equipment repair order for defect #61 “TINT”. A medical exemption is not applicable to vehicles listed in §F(4) and (5) of this regulation.

Is missing;

Does not fully cover the top of the vehicle bed;

Contains a hole, rip, tear, or broken mesh which would permit any part of the load to blow, fall, or spill from the bed;

Is not securely attached to the bed.

Any bulb in a lamp required to be inspected fails to function properly;

There are improperly connected circuits;

The instrument panel is not lighted sufficiently to permit the operator to view the operational instruments of the vehicle.

Is loosely mounted;

Does not provide a clear view of the highway at least 200 feet to the rear;

Is cracked, broken, has sharp edges, or is clouded to the extent that rear vision is obscured;

Is very difficult to adjust or will not maintain a set adjustment.

Is loose enough that rear vision is impaired;

Is obscured by the windshield pillar;

Is cracked, pitted, or clouded to the extent that rear vision is obscured.

Operation;

Ability to work freely and cleared of obstruction; and

Ability to hold the door tightly closed.

The door handles are missing;

The latches are inoperative;

The door has broken hinges;

The doors are wired or held closed by any means not equivalent to the original design.

Fuel tank cap is not a proper fit; or

Fuel tank cap is missing.

The lamp is not an approved type;

The lamp is not in an approved position (see Regulation .22, diagrams 1—6):

The lamp is not functioning properly;

The lamp is not properly directed;

The lamp is not clearly visible;

The lamp has a cracked or broken lens;

The operating system is not of an approved type;

The operating system is not functioning properly;

A self-cancelling mechanism does not function properly;

A 1962 or newer model is not equipped with approved turn signals.

Coverage of engine compartment;

Attachment to the vehicle;

Height of air scoop;

Type of latch and keeper; and

Operating condition of same.

The hood does not cover at least the top of the engine compartment;

The hood is attached by a means other than the original design or equivalent;

The air scoop or bubble is higher than 1/3 the vertical height of the windshield (see Regulation .22, diagram 8);

The hood latch or keeper is not original equipment or equivalent;

The hood is not equipped with a safety latch;

The latch or keeper is not in proper operating condition;

The latch fails to hold the hood securely closed.

Tears;

Sharp or jagged edges;

Sufficient coverage of the wheel and tire, both from the body outward and to the front and rear of tires and wheels.

Any farm tractor;

Any vehicle registered as a farm truck;

Uncoupled truck tractors;

Pole trailers; or

Other vehicles where the construction is such that complete freedom around the wheel area is necessary to secure the designed use of the vehicle (see Regulation .22, diagrams 9—11).

The fender has tears, sharp or jagged edges;

The fender is not securely fastened to the body;

The fender does not extend outward from the body to cover the top of the wheel and tire;

The rear of all fenders does not extend downward to the horizontal centerline of the wheel (extreme bottom edge of fender or rear quarter panel);

The front of all fenders does not extend forward to at least within a 45-degree angle of the horizontal centerline;

Fenders have been extended downward to compensate for suspension modifications;

A motorcycle rear fender is improperly mounted or missing (front fender is not required);

A commercial vehicle or trailer is not equipped with flaps as required.

Provides required coverage of wheels and tires;

Is constructed of substantial materials;

Is securely attached to the fenders;

Has all edges rolled to eliminate sharp or jagged edges.

Exact date of the accident;

Driver's name (exact spelling);

If a fatal accident, deceased's name (exact spelling);

Pedestrian or bicyclist's name;

County;

Route number; and

Date of accident and MAARS report number, if known.

“Axle-load scale” means a scale, permanently installed in a fixed location, having a load-receiving element specially adapted to determining the combined weight of all wheels of a vehicle on:

“Law enforcement weighing” means the weighing of vehicles to determine compliance with those weights allowed in Transportation Article, Titles 13 and 24, Annotated Code of Maryland, and by permits issued by the State Highway Administration.

“Vehicle scale” means a scale adapted to weighing vehicles and possessing a platform or platforms on which all wheels of the vehicle may rest simultaneously.

“Weight enforcement officer” means a member of the State Police, or other law enforcement agency, who has been certified by the Secretary of State Police to weigh vehicles for enforcement purposes.

“Wheel load weigher” means a compact, self-contained, portable weighing device specially adapted to determine the wheel loads or axle loads of vehicles for the enforcement of weight laws.

Approaches to axle-load scales shall be straight, level, and in the same plane with the load-receiving elements of the scale.

Approaches at each end of the scale shall be of sufficient length to ensure the level positioning of vehicles during weight determinations.

After positioning an axle or group of consecutive axles of a vehicle on an axle-load scale, the brakes of the vehicle shall be released and reapplied.

A weight reading may not be taken until the weight indicator is stable.

Approaches shall be straight, level, and in the same plane with the load-receiving elements of the scale.

Approaches at each end of the scale shall be of sufficient length to ensure the level positioning of vehicles during weight determinations.

After the vehicle has been positioned, the brakes of the vehicle shall be released and reapplied. If the vehicle configuration requires a repositioning, the brakes shall be released and reapplied.

A weight reading may not be taken until the weight indicator is stable.

The weighing location shall be reasonably level. The roadway cross section may not exceed a 5 percent grade.

Wheel load weighers shall be employed on surfaces of sufficient firmness to prevent shifting of the scales.

All axles shall be weighed on the same plane. Groups of consecutive axles less than 12 feet apart shall be weighed simultaneously.

Wheel load weighers shall be employed in multiples of two. An entire axle shall be weighed at the same time.

Before each weighing the weight indicator shall be positioned on zero.

The wheels of the vehicle shall be driven straight upon each wheel load weigher and placed within the active weighing area.

After positioning the vehicle on the wheel load weighers, the brakes of the vehicle shall be released and reapplied.

If the weight indicator falls between graduations, it shall be rounded to the lower graduation.

When it is not possible or feasible to weigh a vehicle by any of the methods described in this regulation, a law enforcement officer may require the operator of a vehicle to travel to the nearest appropriate private or State-owned scale, which complies with the standards of §K(5), (6), and (7) of this regulation for the purpose of weighing the vehicle. This includes, but is not limited to, vehicles operating on a State Highway Administration permit and vehicles using routes which bypass a scale location.

Normally, a distance of approximately 10 miles may be considered reasonable for requiring an operator or a vehicle to proceed to a scale for weighing. Ten miles is not to be considered an absolute distance, since unusual circumstances may require travel in excess of 10 miles.

If a police officer has reason to believe that a vehicle is overweight, he may require the operator to wait for an enforcement officer capable of doing law enforcement weighing.

Under normal circumstances the operator will not be required to wait for more than 1 hour if the weight enforcement officer is on duty or more than 2 hours if the weight enforcement officer is off duty.

If the police officer has reason to believe that the suspected overweight meets the off-loading requirements of Transportation Article, Title 24, Annotated Code of Maryland, the operator may be required to wait for a longer time than in §I(2) of this regulation.

The specifications and tolerances for weighing devices used by law enforcement personnel shall be those for commercial and law enforcement devices as adopted by the National Conference on Weights and Measures, and included in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 44 except as it applies to the maintenance tolerances for wheel load weighers.

The maintenance tolerance for wheel load weighers shall be:

All weighing devices used in weight enforcement activities shall be periodically tested by one of the following:

The values of all weights or precision force measuring equipment used to determine the performance of weighing devices shall be certified periodically by comparison with Maryland State standards which are traceable to the National Standards or by comparison with the National Standards.

Wheel load weighers used by weight enforcement officers shall be certified semiannually by the State Police, or more frequently if considered necessary by the Secretary, to ensure the accuracy of the scales.

Axle-load and vehicle scales used by weight enforcement officers shall be certified semiannually by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures Section.

Privately owned scales used for enforcement purposes shall be certified by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures Section, within 6 months of the enforcement weighing.

Enforcement weighing done by weight enforcement officers shall use methods approved by the Secretary of State Police. Copies of these methods can be obtained from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division.

Weighing done by weight enforcement officers shall use equipment that meets the certification requirements in §K(5), (6), and (7) of this regulation.

Weight enforcement officers shall meet the training requirements of, and be certified by, the Secretary of State Police.

All weight enforcement officers shall use forms provided by the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. Completed forms will be forwarded to the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division which shall be the central repository for weight violations.

The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division shall be responsible for monitoring procedures and equipment used by weight enforcement officers.