Maryland driving laws set the speed limits, seat belt and phone rules, DUI thresholds, and points system that every driver on the state’s roads has to live with, and the penalties climb quickly once you move past a routine ticket. A minor speeding citation starts around $80. A DUI conviction can cost $1,000, a year in jail, and your license. Between those two ends sits a points system that quietly decides whether a bad stretch of tickets turns into a suspension.
Speed Limits and Speeding Fines
Where no sign posts a different number, Maryland’s default speed limits apply:
- Undivided roads in residential areas: 30 mph
- Divided roads in residential areas: 35 mph
- Undivided roads outside business and residential areas: 50 mph
- Divided roads outside business and residential areas: 55 mph
- Interstates and expressways: up to 70 mph where posted
No road that isn’t an interstate or expressway can post a limit above 55 mph, and 70 mph is the statewide ceiling.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-801.1 School zones, work zones, and some residential streets post lower.
The fine schedule effective October 2025 sets these ranges by how far over you were caught:
- 1 to 9 mph over: $80 to $120, 1 to 3 points
- 10 to 19 mph over: $90 to $130, 2 to 3 points
- 20 to 29 mph over: $160 to $200, 2 to 3 points
- 30 to 39 mph over: $290, 6 points
- 40 or more mph over: $530, 6 points
Highways posted at 65 or 70 mph carry higher fines in the 10-to-29 range, work zone speeding roughly doubles most amounts, and school zone speeding reaches $1,000 for 40 or more mph over.2Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule Once you’re 30 mph or more over the limit, the ticket is no longer just a speeding citation — see the reckless driving section below.
Seat Belts and Handheld Phones
Every driver and passenger has to wear a seat belt. Drivers are responsible for buckling children under 16 and for front-seat passengers who are 16 or older. Rear-seat passengers 16 and older must buckle up too, but enforcement in the back seat is secondary, meaning an officer can’t pull you over for that violation alone.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 22-412.3 – Mandatory Seat Belt Use The fine is $83.2Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule
You cannot hold a phone to talk, text, or browse while your vehicle is in motion.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 21-1124.2 Fines run up to $75 for a first offense, $125 for a second, and $175 for a third.2Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule Hands-free is fine. If distracted driving contributes to a crash that seriously injures or kills someone, penalties rise sharply.
DUI and Impaired Driving
Maryland separates driving under the influence (DUI) from driving while impaired (DWI). A blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher is DUI per se. A BAC between 0.07 and 0.08 creates a presumption of impairment for DWI. Driving under the influence of a controlled substance is illegal regardless of BAC.5Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Impaired Driving Laws
A first DUI carries up to a $1,000 fine, up to one year in jail, 12 points, and license revocation for up to six months.5Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Impaired Driving Laws A second offense raises the ceiling to $2,000 and two years in jail.6Maryland Courts. Maryland DWI and DUI Penalties Transporting a minor while under the influence is a separate charge on top.
By driving on Maryland roads you consent to chemical testing if an officer suspects impairment. Refusing a breath or blood test triggers a 270-day license suspension for a first refusal and a two-year suspension for a second, and those suspensions run through the MVA administrative process whether or not you’re convicted in court.7Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Alcohol Test Failure or Refusal
Reckless Driving and Criminal Traffic Offenses
Reckless driving is defined as operating a vehicle with willful disregard for the safety of others, or driving 30 mph or more over the posted limit. Conviction carries up to 60 days in jail, up to a $1,000 fine, and six points.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-901.1 Because 30 mph over the limit meets the definition automatically, a ticket at that level is a criminal misdemeanor, not just a fine.
Leaving the scene of an accident involving injury and vehicular manslaughter are also criminal. Manslaughter by vehicle involving gross negligence is a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine for a first offense.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code 2-209 – Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel
The Point System
The MVA tracks moving violations on a rolling two-year window. Points stack, and the response escalates:
- 3 to 4 points: warning letter
- 5 to 7 points: mandatory Driver Improvement Program
- 8 to 11 points: notice of license suspension
- 12 or more points: notice of license revocation
Suspension takes your driving privileges away temporarily. Revocation ends them, and you have to reapply for a new license after the revocation period. Points aren’t the only trigger. Your license can also be suspended for failing to appear in court, not paying fines, or refusing a chemical test during a DUI stop.
Driving on a Suspended License
Driving while your license is suspended or revoked is a separate crime. A first offense carries up to one year in jail, up to a $1,000 fine, or both. A second or subsequent offense within three years raises the ceiling to two years in jail.11Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 16-303 – Driving While Privilege Is Canceled, Suspended, Refused, or Revoked Judges regularly impose jail on repeat violations.
Speed Cameras and School Bus Cameras
Speed cameras can be deployed within a half-mile of any school once the zone is designated and signed. The fine from an automated speed camera is capped at $40, and no points are assessed.12Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. Automated Speed Enforcement School Zones The dollar figure is modest, but these cameras are common in the Baltimore and Washington suburban corridors and the tickets accumulate on a daily commute.
School bus cameras capture drivers who illegally pass a stopped bus. A camera citation is $250. If an officer pulls you over for the same violation instead, the penalty is up to $570 and three points.13Zero Deaths Maryland. Stop On Red — Knowing When to Stop for School Buses When a school bus displays flashing red lights, traffic in both directions must stop unless a physical median separates your lanes from the bus.14Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 22-228 – Special Equipment on School Vehicles
Other Rules Drivers Ask About
When you approach an emergency vehicle, tow truck, or service vehicle stopped with flashing lights, you have to move over to a non-adjacent lane if you safely can. If you can’t change lanes, slow down to a reasonable speed.15Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 21-405 Violations carry a fine and points.
Every motorcycle rider and passenger must wear MVA-approved protective headgear. Maryland’s helmet law is universal, with no age or experience exemption.16Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-1306 Motorcycles must run headlights at all times, including during daylight.17Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 22-222
Required Auto Insurance
Every registered vehicle must carry liability insurance meeting these minimums: $30,000 for bodily injury per person, $60,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $15,000 for property damage.18Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Insurance Requirements for Maryland Vehicles Driving uninsured can suspend your registration and trigger fines. A single serious crash can produce damages well above $30,000, and anything over the policy limit lands on you personally.
Tickets From Other States
A ticket you pick up in another state doesn’t disappear when you cross back. Maryland is a member of the Driver License Compact, an agreement among 47 states and the District of Columbia that shares information about traffic convictions and license actions.19National Center for Interstate Compacts. Driver License Compact A moving-violation conviction in a member state gets reported home, and the MVA treats it as if it happened in Maryland for points and suspension.
Maryland also participates in the Nonresident Violator Compact. Ignoring a ticket you received in another compact state can result in Maryland suspending your license until you clear it up.20The Council of State Governments. Nonresident Violator Compact
Fighting a Ticket
You have options after a citation, and the strongest ones usually depend on the details of the stop.
The most fundamental challenge is the stop itself. An officer needs reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or criminal activity to pull you over. If the stop lacked justification, evidence gathered after it, including DUI test results, can be suppressed.21Cornell Law Institute. Whren et al. v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996)
Equipment defenses come up often in speeding and DUI cases. Radar and lidar guns require regular calibration, and breathalyzers must be maintained and operated by a certified technician. If calibration records are missing, expired, or out of specification, the readings are open to challenge.