Captain Kristina N. Nelson, Commander
The Automotive Safety Enforcement Division (ASED) of the Maryland State Police is responsible, by law, for the State's Vehicle Safety Inspection Program, as well as the central repository and clearinghouse for Safety Equipment Repair Orders (SERO) issued by all law enforcement agencies throughout the State. Maryland law requires that virtually all used vehicles that are to be re-titled in this State have a complete vehicle safety inspection conducted prior to registration. The Division's responsibility and authority are provided under Title 23 of the Transportation Article. The Division also manages the Department’s Salvage Vehicle Inspection Program.
The ASED licenses approximately 1,600 inspection stations throughout the entire State. Division personnel are also responsible for supervising approximately 3,000 licensed inspection personnel. In 2010, licensed inspection stations conducted over 550,000 vehicle safety inspections.
The Division processes all SEROs issued statewide. The SERO program is the main enforcement tool for police officers observing vehicles with defective equipment, providing a process to ensure the defective equipment is properly repaired. There are currently 162 police departments in the State participating in the SERO program.
The Division provides personnel to perform post-collision investigations to determine if the vehicle's safety equipment meets minimum Maryland vehicle safety standards. This investigative service is provided statewide to all police agencies. Generally, the expertise from ASED personnel and investigative reports that ASED provides supports the traffic or criminal investigators’ cases.
The ASED's hours of operation are Monday through Friday (excluding state holidays) from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. ASED personnel can be contacted at the Glen Burnie MVA in building "D" (Garage located in the parking lot) and will answer questions, handle SEROs and assist with Division related matters. Division personnel are also available at select MVA locations on specific days and times. For additional information please contact us at MSP.ASED@maryland.gov.