Maryland
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in Maryland. For more information, contact the Maryland Highway Safety Office.
| Aggressive Driver Actions Defined by Statute | Comments |
| At least three of the following: failure to obey traffic control device, overtaking and passing, passing on right, driving on laned roadways, following too closely, failure to yield right of way or speeding. | |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Handheld Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
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| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| Yes (Secondary) |
<18 w/ Learner or Provisional License (Secondary) |
Yes (Primary) |
Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <8 (and <57" and <65 lbs.) | 8 - 15 (or >57" or 65 lbs.) | $25 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Yes | |
Source: State Highway Safety Office.
| Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Admin. License Susp. on 1st Offense | Limited Driving Privileges During Susp. | Ignition Interlocks | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment | |||
| *Meeting Federal Requirements | ||||||||
| .15 | 45 days | Yes, under certain circum- stances |
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) convictions | Yes | Yes | |||
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
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| Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Min. Duration (Months) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Nighttime Driving Restriction | Passenger Restriction (except family, unless noted) |
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| 15 / 9 | 9 | 60 (10) | 16 / 6 | Midnight - 5 a.m. | First 5 mos.–no pass. <18 (secondary enforcement) |
Night: 18 | |
| Passenger: 16 / 11 | |||||||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Office.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| 1992 | <16 | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 5 | >40: vision test |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | >16 | Front | $25 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Office.
| State Law |
| Permitted |
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Office.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Frequency | Legality |
| Yes | Weekly | Upheld under state and federal Constitution |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violation / State Law | Permitted Locations/Criteria | Citation Issued To / Liability | Image Taken | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: Limited | Montgomery Co. school zones & residential; Prince George's Co. school zones; statewide school zones (by local ordinance) and work zones on expressways or controlled access highways | Registered owner/ Owner |
2 or more images of rear of vehicle and tag in any medium | $40 max.: no points ($500 max. in residential; $1,000 max. in work & school zones; points vary) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Red light: Permitted | Statewide | $75 max. civil penalty; no points or record; not moving violation; not used by insurers ($500 max.; 2 points) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rail: Limited | Montgomery Co. and Prince George's Co. | Vehicle, driver and tag | $100 max.; no points ($500 max.; 1 point) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violations Affected | Enhanced Penalties | Workers Must Be Present | Signs Must Be Present |
| Speeding | Up to $1,000 | No | Yes |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Office.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general information purposes only and is not to be considered legal authority. For clarification on any law, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.