The Maryland Transportation Code is the state’s full body of driving law, found in the Transportation Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. It covers how you drive, how you license yourself, how you title, register, insure, and equip a vehicle, and what happens when you break any of those rules. The Maryland Department of Transportation oversees the broader transit system, and the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) handles the day-to-day enforcement that reaches individual drivers: licenses, registrations, points, and suspensions.
Here is what the Code requires of you, organized around the situations drivers actually run into.
Rules of the Road You Can Be Ticketed For
Title 21 sets the behavior expected of every driver. The basic speed rule bars driving faster than is reasonable and prudent for conditions, and requires you to slow near intersections, curves, railroad crossings, pedestrians, and bad weather.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 21-801 – Basic Rule Posted limits are the ceiling, not a guarantee you are driving safely.
Signal continuously for at least the last 100 feet before any turn or lane change.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 21-604 – Turning Movements and Required Signals At uncontrolled intersections, yield to the vehicle on your right or to any vehicle already in the intersection. Slower traffic stays in the right lane except to pass or turn left, and when overtaking you may not pull back in until you have safely cleared the other car.
Pedestrians get strong protection. If someone is crossing in a crosswalk on your half of the road, or approaching from the next lane on the other half, you must come to a complete stop at any intersection without an operating traffic signal.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-502
Phones and Distracted Driving
Handheld phone use while driving is banned. You cannot operate a phone with your hands while the vehicle is in motion, except to start a call, end one, or power the phone on or off.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-1124.2 Learner’s permit holders and provisional license holders 18 or older cannot touch a handheld phone at all while driving.
Fines start at up to $75 for a first offense, $125 for a second, and $175 for a third or later offense.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-1124.2 Points attach only if the handheld violation contributed to a crash. On a first offense, a judge can waive the penalty if you bring proof you bought a hands-free accessory.
Texting while driving is a separate misdemeanor under Section 21-1124.1, with fines up to $500 and one point. If texting or handheld use causes a crash with death or serious bodily injury, the penalties climb to up to one year in jail, a $5,000 fine, and 12 points.
The Move Over Law
When you approach any stopped vehicle displaying warning signals, including police cruisers, ambulances, tow trucks, and ordinary cars with hazard lights on, you must move into a lane not immediately next to that vehicle. If you cannot safely change lanes, slow to a reasonable and prudent speed.5Zero Deaths Maryland. Move Over, Slow Down, It’s the Law
A standard violation is $110 and one point. Causing a crash by failing to move over raises the fine to $150 and three points, and if the crash results in death or serious injury the fine is $750 with three points.5Zero Deaths Maryland. Move Over, Slow Down, It’s the Law
DUI, DWI, and Implied Consent
Maryland separates alcohol-related driving into two offenses. Driving While Impaired (DWI) applies at a BAC of 0.07 or above and carries up to 60 days in jail, a fine up to $500, and eight points. Driving Under the Influence (DUI) applies at 0.08 or higher and brings up to one year in jail, a fine up to $1,000, and 12 points, which triggers automatic license revocation.
A second DUI conviction can bring up to two years in prison, fines up to $2,000, and at least a one-year license suspension. Alcohol-related suspensions range from 180 days to two years depending on BAC and prior convictions.
By holding a Maryland license, you have given implied consent to a chemical test if an officer has reasonable grounds to believe you are impaired. Refusing the test triggers a 270-day license suspension on the first refusal and a two-year suspension on later refusals. For comparison, failing a breath test at 0.08 or higher results in a 180-day administrative suspension on a first offense.
The Point System
Points accumulate on your MVA record for two years from the date of each violation, and the totals drive what happens to your license:
- 3 to 4 points: the MVA sends a warning letter.
- 5 to 7 points: you may be required to attend a driver improvement program or a points system conference.
- 8 to 11 points: license suspension.
- 12 or more points: license revocation.
Common values add up fast. Speeding under 10 mph over the limit is one point. Running a red light or speeding 10 mph or more over is two. Reckless driving is six. A DUI alone is 12. Improper turns and failure to yield are one point each, which looks minor until a few of them stack inside the two-year window.
An MVA-approved driver improvement course can reduce points for some drivers. Serious offenses like DUI do not qualify, and the MVA or the court will tell you if you are eligible.
What You Must Do After a Crash
If you are in an accident, stop immediately at the scene or as close as you safely can. When the accident involves bodily injury or death, each driver must file a written accident report within 15 days.
Leaving the scene is treated harshly. A general hit-and-run conviction carries up to 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, and up to eight points. If the crash causes severe bodily injury, hit-and-run becomes a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. If the crash results in death, the penalty can reach 10 years and a $10,000 fine.
Driver Licensing
Title 16 requires anyone driving on a Maryland highway to hold a valid license unless specifically exempt.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-101 – Drivers Must Be Licensed Most residents hold a Class C license for standard passenger vehicles. Commercial drivers must meet additional federal and state qualifications, and the MVA examines each applicant against the standards for the class sought.7Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-110 – Examination of Applicants
If you move to Maryland, you have 60 days to get a Maryland license and transfer your vehicle title and registration.8Maryland MVA. New Maryland Residents You surrender your old license and pass a vision screening. REAL ID-compliant Maryland licenses are available and require extra identity and residency documents; they let you board domestic flights and enter federal buildings.
New drivers go through a graduated system that begins with a learner’s permit, requires 60 hours of supervised practice with a licensed driver who is at least 21, and holds the permit for at least nine months before a provisional license. The provisional license carries its own passenger and nighttime restrictions.
Titling, Registration, and Insurance
Title 13 governs ownership. To drive legally you need a certificate of title, active registration, and a valid safety inspection from a licensed Maryland station. The title fee is $200.9Maryland MVA. Fees and Payment Options Passenger-car registration fees scale by shipping weight:
- 3,500 lbs or less: $120.50
- 3,501 to 3,700 lbs: $125.50
- Over 3,700 lbs: $191.50
Each total includes a $40 annual surcharge for the state’s emergency medical services system.9Maryland MVA. Fees and Payment Options A safety inspection certificate is valid for 90 calendar days from issuance, so if it expires before you finish registration you will need a new one. Dealer-held inventory gets a longer window of six months or 1,000 miles, whichever comes first.10Cornell Law Institute. COMAR 11.14.01.15 – Inspection Certificate
Minimum liability coverage is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 per accident for property damage. The same 30/60/15 minimums apply to uninsured motorist coverage, which is also mandatory. You must show proof of active insurance to register a vehicle, and the MVA monitors coverage continuously.
Letting coverage lapse is expensive. Registration is automatically suspended as of the date coverage ended. The MVA can assess $200 per uninsured vehicle for a lapse of one to 30 days, and starting on day 31 the fine grows by $7 per day, up to a maximum of $3,500 per violation within any 12-month period.11New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Transportation 17-106 – Suspension of Registration upon Lapse or Termination of Required Security To reinstate you must get new coverage, submit proof to the MVA, and pay the penalties.
Equipment Rules That Catch Drivers Out
Title 22 sets the physical standards for every vehicle on the road. Headlamps must work and be on from sunset to sunrise and whenever your wipers are running because of precipitation. Mirrors must give you a clear view of at least 200 feet behind the car. Exhaust systems need a functioning muffler. Tires must have at least 2/32 of an inch of tread and cannot have bulges or exposed cords.
Window tint rules differ by vehicle type. For sedans and passenger cars, all side windows and the rear window must let through at least 35% of light. For SUVs, vans, and light trucks, the front side windows still need 35% transmission, but the rear side windows and rear window can be any darkness as long as the vehicle has dual side mirrors.
Children under eight must ride in an appropriate child safety seat unless they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall.12Zero Deaths Maryland. Child Passenger Safety Children ages eight through 15 who are not in a child restraint must wear a seat belt.
Maryland also runs the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP). Most vehicles are tested on a biennial cycle, with newer vehicles and certain older ones exempt. If your vehicle fails, you must make repairs and pass a retest before you can renew registration.
Fighting a Traffic Ticket
The citation itself tells you what you need. The front lists the citation number used by the District Court and MVA, the officer’s name and ID, and the specific Transportation Article section charged.13Maryland Courts. District Court of Maryland – Sample Traffic Citation The back lists your options. For payable citations where jail is not a possibility, you have 30 days to respond.14Maryland Courts. Traffic Citations The main choices:
- Request a waiver hearing, where you plead guilty with an explanation and ask the judge to reduce the penalty.
- Request a trial, where you plead not guilty and present your defense before a judge.
- Prepay the fine, which counts as a guilty plea.
- Complete a driver improvement course if you are eligible.
Confirm that the name and address on the citation are correct, because the court sends everything about your case to that address.13Maryland Courts. District Court of Maryland – Sample Traffic Citation To request a hearing, complete the back of the citation and mail it to the District Court Traffic Processing Center at the address printed on the ticket; some courts also accept online submissions. The court mails a courtesy notice with your hearing date, time, and courtroom. If six weeks pass with no notice, call the clerk’s office at the court where the case was filed.
Do Not Skip Your Court Date
Failing to appear in response to a citation is itself a misdemeanor. The court can issue a bench warrant, and a failure-to-appear conviction carries a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, on top of whatever the original citation would have cost.15New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Criminal Procedure 5-212 – Failure to Appear in Response to Citation If you cannot make your date, contact the court in advance and ask for a postponement.