Several new Maryland driving laws now hit drivers harder in work zones, expand what you must do when passing a disabled car, and limit when police can search your vehicle over the smell of cannabis. The most expensive change is a sliding fine scale for work zone speed cameras that tops out at $1,000. Some of these rules are already active; others take effect October 1, 2025, with more changes possible in 2026.
Work Zone Camera Fines Now Scale With Your Speed
The Maryland Road Worker Protection Act of 2024 rebuilt how work zone speeding is caught and priced.1Maryland General Assembly. HB 513 – Maryland Road Worker Protection Act of 2024 Local jurisdictions can now place cameras on a wider range of roads instead of only expressways, and multiple cameras can operate within a single work zone.2Maryland General Assembly. HB 513 – Motor Vehicles – Work Zone Speed Control Systems – Revisions (Fiscal Note)
The old $40 flat fine doubled to $80 on June 1, 2024. On January 1, 2025, a graduated scale replaced it. What you pay now depends on how far over the limit you were, and the fine doubles when workers are on site:3Maryland SafeZones. Frequently Asked Questions
- 12–15 mph over: $60 ($120 with workers present)
- 16–19 mph over: $80 ($160 with workers present)
- 20–29 mph over: $140 ($280 with workers present)
- 30–39 mph over: $270 ($540 with workers present)
- 40+ mph over: $500 ($1,000 with workers present)
Cameras still only trigger at 12 mph or more above the posted limit.2Maryland General Assembly. HB 513 – Motor Vehicles – Work Zone Speed Control Systems – Revisions (Fiscal Note) These are civil penalties and do not add points to your license.
The Move Over Law Now Covers Any Vehicle With Flashers
Since October 1, 2022, Maryland’s move over law applies to every stopped vehicle displaying hazard lights, road flares, or another warning signal on the shoulder.4Zero Deaths Maryland. Move Over Law Before, the rule only covered emergency vehicles, tow trucks, service vehicles, and waste trucks. Now a neighbor changing a tire gets the same legal protection as a police cruiser.
When you approach any stopped vehicle showing a warning signal, Transportation Article § 21-405 gives you two choices:5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-405 – Operation of Vehicle on Approach of Emergency Vehicle
- Move into a lane not immediately next to the stopped vehicle, if you can do it safely.
- If changing lanes isn’t safe or practical, slow to a speed reasonable for the conditions.
Penalties climb with the harm caused. A basic violation is $110 and one point. If the violation contributes to a crash, it’s $150 and three points. If someone is killed or seriously injured, it’s $750 and three points.4Zero Deaths Maryland. Move Over Law
Cannabis Odor Alone Cannot Justify a Search
Since July 1, 2023, Maryland police cannot use the smell of cannabis as the sole basis to stop, arrest, or search you or your vehicle.6Maryland General Assembly. HB 1071 – Criminal Procedure – Reasonable Suspicion and Probable Cause – Cannabis (Enrolled) The restriction covers burnt and unburnt odor, the possession or suspected possession of cannabis, and the presence of money near cannabis. None of those, standing alone, is enough.7Maryland General Assembly. HB 1071 – Criminal Procedure – Reasonable Suspicion and Probable Cause – Cannabis
Impaired driving is still fair game. Officers can investigate if they see signs of impairment behind the wheel, and cannabis odor can still be one factor among several that together add up to probable cause.7Maryland General Assembly. HB 1071 – Criminal Procedure – Reasonable Suspicion and Probable Cause – Cannabis The practical shift is at the routine stop: smell alone no longer opens the door.
Evidence obtained through a search that violates this law is inadmissible in court, even if you consented to the search. That’s the enforcement teeth.
Stiffer Penalties for Reckless, Negligent, and Impaired Driving
Two laws take effect October 1, 2025. SB 590 raises penalties and point assessments for reckless, negligent, and aggressive driving, and expands the list of traffic offenses that can combine to support a reckless or aggressive driving charge. Under the related Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act, negligent driving now carries two points and fines up to $750.
SB 207 targets fatal and serious crashes involving impaired drivers. The MVA must revoke the license of any driver convicted of impaired driving that contributes to a crash causing death or life-threatening injury. Reinstatement is possible later, but only after a waiting period. What used to be a discretionary call is now automatic in the worst cases.
Local Governments Can Lower Speed Limits More Easily
Maryland’s default rule under Transportation Article § 21-803 requires a local authority to run an engineering and traffic investigation before changing a speed limit.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 21-803 – Alteration of Maximum Speed Limits by Local Authorities Several jurisdictions now have broader authority:
- Baltimore City can lower speed limits on any highway under its jurisdiction without a study.
- Calvert County can lower limits to 15 mph on specific roads without a study.
- Municipalities in Queen Anne’s County can lower limits to 15 mph without a study.
- Anne Arundel and Montgomery Counties can lower limits to 15 mph, but must complete an engineering investigation first.
SB 156, introduced this session, would expand local authority further, with a contingent effective date of October 1, 2026.9Maryland General Assembly. SB 156 Watch for new signs on residential streets and near parks. Local ordinances can be adopted and signs installed faster than most drivers notice.
Ignoring a Camera Ticket Costs Far More Than the Fine
Skipping a camera citation triggers a cascade. Unpaid work zone tickets put a non-renewal flag on your vehicle registration through the MVA.3Maryland SafeZones. Frequently Asked Questions You can’t renew until the citation and an additional $30 MVA fee are both paid. That $30 is charged per flag, so multiple unpaid tickets stack.
If it still goes unpaid, MVA fees can be referred to the Maryland Central Collection Unit, and the debt can be reported to credit agencies. A $60 civil penalty with no license points can turn into a registration hold, a collections account, and a credit report entry. Paying on time, or contesting the ticket within the deadline, keeps that from starting.