PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor

Ch. 496

(2) If a disabled motor vehicle or disabled vehicle combination is carrying a
perishable commodity, the vehicle may be towed directly] by the safest and shortest
practical route possible to the [commodity's] VEHICLE'S destination.

(f) [(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, a person may not
engage in any emergency or secondary tow or any other tow of a motor vehicle or vehicle
combination that exceeds any applicable statutory weight and size restrictions under Title
24 of this article unless the person has obtained the appropriate annual blanket permit
under this subsection.

(2)     The State Highway Administration and the Department of State Police,
jointly, shall adopt regulations to implement this section.

(3)     The regulations adopted under this subsection shall specify criteria for:

(i) The issuance of appropriate annual blanket permits to those
vehicles which are of adequate size to safely perform any towing allowed under this
section;

(ii) The maximum weight, gross weight, axle weight, axle loads, or size
of vehicles and vehicle combinations that may be towed under this section;

(iii) The minimum size and equipment required of a tow truck that
tows vehicles or vehicle combinations under this section; and

(iv) An annual permit fee, not to exceed the lesser of $50 or the actual
cost of issuing permits under this subsection.

(4)     The State Highway Administration shall issue an appropriate annual
blanket permit to an eligible tow truck registered under this section or under the laws of
another state that meets the requirements of regulations adopted under this subsection.

(5)     (i) Subject to paragraph (6) of this subsection, a tow truck registered
in another state may obtain a blanket permit under this subsection.

(ii) The fee for a blanket permit issued to an out-of-state tow truck
under this paragraph is $100.

(6)     (i) The provisions of paragraph (5) of this subsection shall be
superseded and shall not apply to the issuance of any blanket permit to an out-of-state
tow truck if there exists a written reciprocal agreement between Maryland and the state in
which the out-of-state tow truck is registered that provides for:

1.       The issuance by the State Highway Administration of blanket
permits for out-of-state tow trucks under the same circumstances delineated under
paragraph (1) of this subsection; and

2.       The issuance by the state in which the out-of-state tow truck
is registered of substantially equivalent blanket permits to tow trucks registered in
Maryland for operation in that state.

(7)     The operator of a tow truck registered under the laws of another state
and operated under a blanket permit issued under this subsection may not tow a vehicle

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