Civil citations in Maryland are fine-only tickets for a small set of low-level offenses that the legislature has pulled out of criminal court. An officer with probable cause issues one on the spot, you pay a fine or contest it, and there is no jail exposure and no criminal conviction. Fines start as low as $25 and rarely exceed $250. Ignoring the citation, however, can turn a minor ticket into a suspended license or a debt in collections.
What Qualifies as a Civil Citation
Civil citations exist only for offenses the legislature has specifically designated as civil rather than criminal.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 10-126 – Citation; Civil Offense An officer cannot issue one for theft, assault, or any other crime that sits outside the statutory list. The qualifying categories are narrow: cannabis possession within certain quantity limits, smoking cannabis in public, open containers in a vehicle, and certain traffic infractions like parking and equipment violations. Each has its own fine ceiling and its own procedural rules, but they share the defining feature: money only, no imprisonment, and no criminal record.
Cannabis Possession
Maryland’s cannabis rules changed when recreational use became legal for adults 21 and older in July 2023. The old “less than 10 grams” threshold is gone. In its place are two quantity tiers that determine whether possession is legal, civil, or criminal.
The personal use amount is up to 1.5 ounces of usable cannabis, up to 12 grams of concentrated cannabis, cannabis products with up to 750 milligrams of delta-9-THC, or two or fewer cannabis plants.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 5-101 For anyone 21 or older, possessing the personal use amount is legal. For someone under 21, possessing that same amount is a civil offense with a fine of up to $100.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 5-601 – Possessing or Administering Controlled Dangerous Substance
The civil use amount is the tier above personal use: more than 1.5 ounces but no more than 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis, more than 12 grams but no more than 20 grams of concentrate, or products with more than 750 but no more than 1,250 milligrams of delta-9-THC.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 5-101 Possessing this amount is a civil offense for anyone, regardless of age, with a maximum fine of $250.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 5-601 – Possessing or Administering Controlled Dangerous Substance
Smoking cannabis in a public place is a separate civil offense with its own fine structure: up to $50 for a first finding of guilt and up to $150 for any subsequent finding.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 5-601 Anything above the civil use amount crosses into criminal possession, so the exact quantity matters.
Open Containers and Other Civil Offenses
Consuming alcohol or possessing an open container in the passenger area of a motor vehicle is a civil offense. The maximum fine is $25 plus $5 in court costs, and the statute explicitly states the violation is not a criminal conviction and carries no civil disabilities.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 10-126 – Citation; Civil Offense
Certain traffic violations, including parking and equipment infractions, sit under the same civil framework. The fines come from the relevant transportation statutes.
How to Contest a Civil Citation
You generally have 30 days after receiving a payable citation to choose one of the available options: pay the fine, request a waiver hearing, or request a trial.5Maryland Courts. Traffic Citation Information The citation itself should list the options and deadlines.
If you request a trial, the District Court mails a notice with the date, time, and location. The government has to prove the violation by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning it’s more likely than not that you committed it. That’s a lower standard than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” bar in criminal cases. The judge can impose a fine up to the statutory maximum for the offense. Lose at trial and you can appeal to the circuit court, generally within 30 days of the trial date.6Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. General Hearing Information
What Happens If You Ignore the Citation
This is where a minor ticket becomes a real problem. For traffic-related civil citations, failing to respond within 30 days triggers notification to the Motor Vehicle Administration, which can suspend your driver’s license.5Maryland Courts. Traffic Citation Information Driving on a suspended license is a criminal offense that carries potential jail time. A $25 open-container fine can cascade into something far worse if you leave it alone.
Skipping a scheduled trial produces the same result: MVA notification and license suspension. For non-traffic civil citations like cannabis possession, an unpaid fine is a debt the court can refer to collections. Court debts in collections can appear on your credit report for up to seven years. Whatever you plan to do about the citation, do it within the deadline.
Effect on Your Record and Expungement
A civil citation is not a criminal conviction and does not carry the civil disabilities that come with one.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 10-126 – Citation; Civil Offense You are not required to disclose it as a criminal history.
Civil citations do, however, appear in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search, a public database anyone can access online.7Maryland Courts. Court Records Employers, landlords, and licensing boards running background checks through that system can see the entry. The record shows a civil infraction, not a crime, and how much weight anyone gives it depends on context. A cannabis citation is unlikely to affect most job applications, but law enforcement roles and security-clearance positions bring closer scrutiny.
Maryland law allows people charged with civil offenses to petition for expungement of the associated police, court, and government records.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Procedure 10-105 Eligibility depends on how the case ended. If the citation was dismissed, you were acquitted, or the state entered a nolle prosequi, you can petition after three years, or immediately if you sign a general waiver releasing tort claims arising from the charge.
For cases where all charges result in acquittal, dismissal, or nolle prosequi entered on or after October 1, 2021, the court will expunge the record automatically after three years. You can also request earlier expungement by filing the appropriate form at no cost. Expungement is more limited when a citation ends in a finding of guilt and a paid fine. The statute lists specific qualifying dispositions, and a straight guilty finding may not fit neatly into them. If you were found guilty and paid, check with an attorney or Maryland Legal Aid about your specific eligibility before assuming the record clears on its own.