Before you start

Maryland residency and two proofs of a Maryland address
A booked MVA appointment
Maryland minimum liability insurance in place before you register
Certified English translation of any non-English licence
The vehicle's out-of-state title, not just the registration

Step-by-step

1
Book the MVA appointment first
Appointment availability, not the 60-day rule, is what actually determines when you get this done. Book as soon as you have a Maryland address you can evidence with two documents.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Establish whether you convert or test
A valid licence from another US state generally converts on surrender. A foreign licence usually means the knowledge test, and often the skills test, unless a specific reciprocity arrangement applies. Confirm your own country's treatment with the MVA before booking, because the answer changes how many appointments you need.
OnlineWho: YouBefore booking
3
Budget the titling excise tax, not just the fees
Maryland charges an excise tax when a vehicle is titled, assessed on the vehicle's value with credit given in defined circumstances for tax paid elsewhere. It is far larger than the registration fee and it is the number people fail to plan for. Check the current rate and the new-resident treatment with the MVA before you move the car.
In personWho: YouWithin 60 days
4
Get insurance quotes on the exact address before choosing a neighbourhood
Maryland premiums are territory-rated finely, and Baltimore City ZIP codes price higher than the counties around them. Quote the real address with the real car for a city block and a county one and compare the monthly total including rent. Maryland requires uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection is offered with a written waiver option — read what you are waiving.
OnlineWho: YouBefore signing a lease
5
Expect the VEIP notice
Baltimore City is one of the jurisdictions inside Maryland's Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program, along with Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford, Carroll and the Washington-side counties. A notice arrives some months after registration; testing is on a fixed cycle thereafter and there are self-service kiosks as well as staffed stations.
In personWho: You
6
Work out whether you need the car every day
The light rail runs north–south, the single metro line runs north-west to Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Charm City Circulator runs free downtown loops, and MARC's Penn Line reaches Washington in around 40 minutes from Penn Station. Living car-free is genuinely possible in a narrow band of neighbourhoods and genuinely difficult outside it — decide before you commit to a parking-free rowhouse.
OnlineWho: You
7
Understand rowhouse parking before you sign
Most of the city's dense neighbourhoods have no off-street parking and run residential permit parking areas, with permits tied to the address and limited guest provision. In Canton, Federal Hill and Fells Point the practical difference between a house with a rear parking pad and one without is significant and permanent.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign or out-of-state driver licence, with certified English translation if needed
Passport, visa and I-94 for lawful-presence proof, if applying for a REAL ID licence
Social Security number, or an SSA denial letter
Two proofs of a Maryland residential address
The vehicle's out-of-state title and a Maryland insurance certificate

Things most newcomers don’t know

The excise tax at titling is the number nobody budgets for.

People arriving from a state with cheap registration see Maryland's licence fee and relax. The excise tax is charged when the vehicle is titled and is assessed on its value, which for a recent car is a four-figure sum. Credit is available in defined circumstances for tax already paid elsewhere. Check the treatment for new residents with the MVA before you drive the car into the state.

Source: Maryland MVA

Insurance is rated at ZIP level, and the city line is a rating boundary.

Baltimore City ZIP codes price above the counties around them, sometimes by enough to change which neighbourhood is actually cheaper once rent and premium are added together. It is a five-minute exercise to quote two addresses and it is the most useful thing you can do before viewing anything.

Source: Maryland Insurance Administration

Maryland enforces against out-of-state plates deliberately.

The MVA runs a standing campaign aimed at people keeping another state's registration on a car garaged in Maryland, because it costs the state excise tax and insurance revenue. Enforcement is real, penalties accrue daily once a warning is issued, and 'I am only here temporarily' is not the exemption people assume it is.

Source: Maryland MVA — Plate Where You Live

Car-free is possible here in a way it is not in most US cities this size — in about six neighbourhoods.

Mount Vernon, Charles Village, downtown, Federal Hill, Fells Point and Canton have enough walkable density, circulator coverage and rail access to work without a car, and the MARC Penn Line makes commuting to Washington realistic. Ten minutes further out that stops being true abruptly. Do not generalise from the core to the city.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Letting the 60-day window elapse and accruing daily penalties on out-of-state plates.
Budgeting for registration fees and being blindsided by the titling excise tax.
Signing a lease in a permit-parking rowhouse block without checking permit availability.
Waiving personal injury protection without understanding what it covers.
Assuming a car brought from a non-emissions state escapes VEIP in Baltimore City.
Planning to take the skills test in a rental car, which most agreements forbid.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.