09/30/2025
**This is not legal advice. Use for reference only**
Here are some of the new laws that will take effect October 1, 2025 that can be missed with the distractions on social media and main stream media.
Several other bills have been passed that will take effect Oct 1st not listed here.
Driving laws:
The Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act (HB 744/SB 590) expands what counts as reckless driving. Driving 30 mph or more over the posted limit will be classified as reckless driving. A conviction can result in jail time, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Six points will be added to the driver's record.
Automated cameras across the state will begin mailing out tiered tickets based on how much over the speed limit you’re driving.
* 12 to 15 MPH over the limit $40 fine.
* 16 to 19 MPH over the limit, $70 fine.
* 20 to 29 MPH over the limit, $120 fine.
* 30 to 39 MPH over the limit, $230 fine.
* 40 MPH over the limit and above $425 fine.
* Citations are still civil and will not count for any points on your license.
Negligent driving, considered less severe than reckless driving, will carry a higher fine of up to $750. Two points will also be added to the driver's record.
Aggressive driving will now be triggered by committing TWO or more listed traffic violations in a single driving period, reduced from THREE. A conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000.
Got your CDL permit? HB 189/SB 187, disqualifies commercial learner's permit holders from driving commercial vehicles for one year if they are caught operating any vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher.
Cannabis laws:
HB 413/SB 925 allows adults 21 or older to manufacture small "personal use" cannabis products under strict conditions. The law defines a personal use amount as up to 1.5 ounces of usable cannabis, 12 grams of concentrate, 750 milligrams of THC in products or two plants.
The law also raises felony thresholds for controlled substances, increases penalties for large-scale distribution and modifies penalties for fi****ms offenses. It allows certain individuals convicted under "volume dealing" or "drug kingpin" statutes before this law to file for sentence modifications.
Landlord/Tenant Law:
HB273: Alters a prohibition concerning the maximum penalty for the late payment of rent that a landlord may charge in a residential lease to prohibit a penalty in excess of 5% of the amount of the unpaid rent rather than of the amount due.
HB767: Requires a landlord to provide certain notice to a tenant when a court has issued a warrant of restitution for a failure of a tenant to pay rent, a breach of lease, or a tenant holding over under certain circumstances and establishes procedures and requirements for the ex*****on of a warrant for repossession.
HB1076: Requires a landlord to provide a tenant with written notice in a certain manner at least 24 hours in advance of when the landlord intends to enter a leased premises, except in the event of an emergency.
HB1367: Establishes a civil penalty of up to $50,000 for a person who falsifies information that is submitted in a report of the results of lead-contaminated dust testing or visual inspection of an affected property.
Criminal justice reform:
Expungement Reform Act (SB 432) shortens waiting periods for expungement, expands the list of eligible offenses and removes pardoned cannabis charges from public case search. Petitions for expungement may now be filed after five years for most misdemeanors, seven years for second-degree assault and 15 years for domestically related crimes.
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search system will also stop displaying records of cannabis possession convictions that have been pardoned by the governor.
Maryland Second Look Act allows individuals convicted between ages 18 and under 25 who have served at least 20 years to petition for a sentence reduction. Specific exclusions and limits apply.
Another bill, HB 1123, changes how parole is decided by requiring age to be considered, restructuring medical parole procedures, removing the governor's medical-parole veto and adding risk-assessment and hearing requirements.
The Organized Retail Theft Act of 2025creates a new felony offense for coordinated retail thefts across jurisdictions, allows aggregation of multiple thefts into one case, and requires courts to make a finding of organized retail theft where applicable.
Child Support Multifamily Adjustment:
Another bill, HB0275 Altering the definition of "adjusted actual income" under the State child support guidelines by requiring the deduction, from actual income, of an allowance for support for each child in the parent's home for whom the parent owes a legal duty of support but who is not subject to a support order; requiring that the amount of a certain allowance be subtracted from a parent's actual income before the court determines the amount of a child support award; etc.
