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.
| Hand-held 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 (Primary eff. 10/1/13) |
<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") | 8 - 15 (or >57") | $50 (eff. 10/1/13) |
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 | |||||
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 | All (secondary for rear seats - eff. 10/1/13) |
$50 (eff. 10/1/13) |
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.