# Maryland SB 0203: Vehicle Laws - Exceptional Hauling Permits for Farm Products Maryland SB 0203, Vehicle Laws - Exceptional Hauling Permits for Farm Products, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Nick Charles (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-04-08 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 52) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0203-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland SB 0203 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Vehicle Laws - Exceptional Hauling Permits for Farm Products - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2024-10-09 - Last action: 2025-04-08, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 52 - Sponsor: Nick Charles (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 4 - Subjects: Vehicle Laws - Equipment and Inspections, Farmers and Farming -see also- Agriculture; Farmland, Highways, Interstate Affairs, Milk Products, Motor Vehicle Inspection, Motor Vehicle Operation, Penalties and Sentences -see also- Death Penalty, Permits -see also- Building Permits, Records -see also- Land Records; Vital Records, Reports, State Highway Administration, Storage, Transportation -see also- Aircraft; Airports; Boats; etc, Trucks, Weights and Measures - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (179 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Farm haulers face revised compliance rules: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, drivers must carry their permit, on paper or electronically, and current maintenance-inspection proof for each vehicle. Maryland vehicles need required state inspection proof; out-of-state vehicles in interstate transport need required federal inspection proof. Exempt veh… - Farm haulers get revised load limits: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, farm-product permit combinations can weigh up to 88,000 pounds with five axles. The limit is 95,000 pounds with six or more axles. Single axles are capped at 20,000 pounds, and tandem-axle groups at 40,000 pounds. The law removes the stated tolerances of 1,000 pounds for… - Milk haulers gain interstate access with limits: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland allows fluid-milk haulers with exceptional hauling permits to use interstate highways. This interstate exception does not extend to other farm products. Permit eligibility requires farm products as the only load, loaded in fields, from farm bulk-milk tanks, or el… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Nick Charles (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Mary-Dulany James (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: C. Anthony Muse (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: William C. Smith (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris West (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-31 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 133 | 0 | 2 | | 2025-01-30 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 46 | 0 | | ## Actions (14) - 2025-04-08: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 52 - 2025-03-31: Returned Passed (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Third Reading Passed (133-0) (House) - 2025-03-28: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House) - 2025-03-28: Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-03-17: Hearing 3/20 at 1:00 p.m. (House) - 2025-01-31: Referred Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-01-30: Third Reading Passed (46-0) (Senate) - 2025-01-28: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-01-28: Favorable with Amendments {483223/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings (Senate) - 2025-01-08: First Reading Judicial Proceedings (Senate) - 2025-01-06: Hearing 1/14 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate) - 2024-10-09: Pre-filed (Senate) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-04-08: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_52_sb0203t.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-01-28: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0203t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-01-08: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0203f.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law) - HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed) ## Sources - [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_52_sb0203t.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0203t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0203f.pdf) ## Related - [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS) - [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS) - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS) - [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS) - [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS) - [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills) - [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0203-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).