Maryland is now the 8th state in the U.S. to enact a ban on lead wheel balance weights, as Governor Larry Hogan signed the bill into law on May 4, 2017.

First proposed in September 2016, Maryland’s lead and mercury wheel balance weight law is for all vehicles within the state, but there’s plenty of time for tire dealers to be ready. Compliance dates are set for January 1, 2018 for state owned vehicles, and January 1, 2020, for all new and used vehicles registered within the state.

According to Gregory Parker, marketing director for Wegmann Automotive USA Inc., a manufacturer of wheel weights, the 32-month compliance timespan for new and used vehicles is the longest such timespan from signature to compliance of any other state legislation on the matter.

“What we have seen over the last several states to enact lead wheel weight laws, are lengthier compliance timeframes,” said Parker in a released statement. “The reason for the longer delay is that states are realizing that allowing businesses additional time to deplete old inventories is necessary and educating the market on the new law is extremely important for a successful transition.”