Speed Camera Fines
Speed camera fines will change from a $40 flat fee to a sliding scale based on speed, with tickets ranging from $50 (12-15 miles over the limit) to $425 (40 or more mph over the limit).
Easier expungements
The Expungement Reform Act of 2025 allows people to pursue the expungement of certain criminal records faster than before and adds driving without a license and using a bad check or stolen credit card to the list of misdemeanor convictions that can be expunged.
Sentence Reconsideration
The Second Look Act, which will provide the right to petition for a sentence reconsideration hearing before a judge if a person has been imprisoned for at least 20 years and was between 18 and 24 years old at the time they committed their offense. People convicted of sex offenses, the death of a first responder and those sentenced to life without parole are ineligible to petition for sentence reconsideration under this law.
Lowered penalties for paraphernalia.
The penalties for the use, possession, delivery or sale of drug paraphernalia will be reduced from up to two years imprisonment and a $2,000 fine to one year of imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
Disability identification
Eric’s ID Law will allow people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to voluntarily add a colorful butterfly symbol to their IDs and driver’s licenses at the Motor Vehicle Administration. This will signify to police and other emergency personnel that they have a condition they may not be able to publicly disclose. The law is named after Eric Carpenter-Grantham, who has high-functioning autism. He created the symbol and lobbied for the bill’s passage.
Tenant Issues
· A new law prohibiting a penalty in excess of 5% of the amount of the unpaid rent rather than of the amount due is one of the new landlord/tenant laws.
· Landlords will now be required to provide a tenant with written notice of at least 24 hours in advance of when the landlord intends to enter a leased premises, except in the event of an emergency.
Reckless driving could lead to jail time.
The Sgt. Patrick Kepp Act will increase fines for excessive speeding and classify reckless driving as an offense with penalties of up to 60 days in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000. Driving 30 mph over the posted speed limit will be considered reckless or negligent driving.
The law is named in honor of Sgt. Patrick Kepp, who, as an on-duty police officer in Montgomery County, lost both of his legs after he was intentionally struck by a driver speeding over 100 mph.
“Organized Retail Crime law,”
This law creates a clear definition of organized retail crime, enables statewide data collection, and allows theft to be aggregated across jurisdictions, closing a loophole long exploited by criminals. Law enforcement can now track repeat offenders and combine offenses across counties.
New Laws Impacting Veterans
Starting Oct. 1, under the Braille Flag Memorial Act, the Department of Veterans and Military Families will be required to designate a place to house the “American braille tactile flag” at one or more of Maryland’s state veterans’ cemeteries to honor veterans who are visually impaired or blind. The flag must be tactile so veterans can read it, as developed by the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute.
Family benefits
Senate Bill 275 requires the State Government Article regarding military positions to be updated to include military families, including spouses and dependent children of a service member or veteran related by blood, marriage or adoption to match U.S. Department of Defense standards at the state level. This will help military family members with things like hiring preferences for employment.
Equitable health
The Health Equality for Service Members Act will go into effect Oct. 1. The law alters provisions of Maryland Code to provide certain benefits or privileges to members of the armed forces. For example, copies of medical records, such as birth and death certificates, will be free to veterans or service members, and the law will allow dependents of military members to remain on waitlists for services through the Developmental Disabilities Administration even if their guardian is deployed out of state.
State employment and the courts
Under the Judicial and Public Safety for Service Members Act, the state will waive the age requirement to be a Maryland correctional officer for veterans who have been honorably discharged or are reserve members of the U.S. armed forces. Currently, the minimum age requirement for civilians is 21. Court fees for documents typically issued by a clerk of court will also be waived for former or active members of the armed forces, including marriage records.
Free recreation
The Recreational Equality for Service Members Act will allow organizations that provide hunting, fishing and other outdoor opportunities for veterans to apply for grants to offset the cost of those activities. The law will also waive the requirement for veterans to obtain fishing licenses if they go fishing through governmental or nonprofit entities. Maryland fishing licenses will not lapse if a service member is deployed. Service members and veterans will also receive free admission to state parks.
[This information was compiled from numerous news sources]
