New Maryland laws that kick in Oct. 1

Hundreds of bills passed by Maryland lawmakers earlier this year will become law come Oct. 1.

From legislation surrounding masked police to rap lyrics, here are some that may affect you.

Transparency in law enforcement

Earlier this year, lawmakers passed a bill that will prohibit law enforcement officers working in the state, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, from using face coverings or masks. The Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission will also have to develop a uniform policy that will require officers to wear visible identification while on duty, including the agency and department they work for, their last name and their badge number.

Officers who don’t comply are subject to a civil penalty and could be fined up to $1,500.

We Are CASA, an immigration advocacy organization, testified in support of the bill, arguing that “masked law enforcement put vulnerable communities at heightened risk of serious crime.”

Predatory Pricing Act and cash payments

Gov. Wes Moore led the charge to restrict dynamic pricing — electronic labels that allow retailers to adjust prices in real time — in grocery stores. The legislation requires retailers to keep their prices the same for at least one business day and bans the use of personal data to set individualized prices for groceries.

Lawmakers have banned businesses from refusing cash payments for purchases of certain essential goods under $300 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Essential goods include food, beverages, personal hygiene products, health products and gas.

We Are CASA testified in support of the bill, saying that cash is the most accessible and reliable form of payment for many Marylanders.

Merchants will have two opportunities to comply. After that, the Office of the Attorney General can issue a $500 fine for each violation, then $1,000 for subsequent violations.

Vulnerable Road User Protection Act of 2026

Under the legislation, the State Highway Administration will implement speed cameras in safety corridors and areas deemed at high risk for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Maryland Chiefs of Police Association and the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association supported the bill, saying the program will give communities a “proactive option” to reduce dangerous driving behavior.

Speeding fines will range from $40 to $425, depending on “excessiveness of violation,” according to the bill.

PACE Act

Maryland will become the third state, following California and Louisiana, to restrict the way prosecutors can use creative expression like rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland testified in support of the bill, citing concerns about the ambiguity in interpreting creative and cultural expressions as facts in court.

“Rap lyrics have been introduced as evidence to portray defendants as violent or dangerous individuals, without proper consideration of the artistic nature of the expression or the context in which it was created,” it wrote in its testimony.

For lyrics to be admitted as evidence, the prosecution must prove that they were meant to be literal and closely related to the alleged crime.

New gun laws

Maryland is moving toward a ban on “machine gun convertible pistols” — including popular Glock handguns — which can be easily modified with a rapid-fire switch.

On Oct. 1, Maryland’s Department of State Police will start its review of which guns fit the category. By Jan. 1, the sale or purchase of these firearms will be illegal. Anyone who owns one before Jan. 1 will not be required to give it up.

An unauthorized purchase or sale would be a misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both.

The state also added legislation that requires firearms dealers to notify the secretary of State Police after break-ins and burglaries at their stores, as well as a new law that requires those operating gun buyback programs to fully destroy all guns they receive.

Stalking penalties and longer temporary protective orders

Another bill is increasing the length of temporary protective orders from seven days to up to 14. The orders give protection to victims of domestic abuse while they wait for a hearing on the final protective order. The bill also requires a final protective order hearing to be held no later than 14 days after the temporary order is issued, rather than seven days after the order is served.

House of Ruth Maryland, a domestic violence legal clinic, testified in support of the bill, which also added forms of relief to the orders. Courts can now order respondents, or those whom the order is filed against, to pay for certain losses or expenses, including medical costs, repairs to damaged property, relocation costs, transportation costs and attorney fees, according to the legal clinic.

“Adding these forms of reimbursement to the types of relief available in a final protective order will serve to enhance the safety of domestic violence survivors and their children,” the organization said in its testimony.

Lawmakers also increased the penalties for people found guilty of stalking who have a prior offense. Maximum fines are doubling from $5,000 to $10,000, with a maximum prison sentence increasing from five to 10 years.

Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act

The legislation limits how much of a prospective tenant’s criminal record can be reviewed by a landlord. Landlords must make a conditional offer of housing before checking an applicant’s criminal history and must provide a reason if they decide to withdraw their offer.

Additionally, under the legislation, landlords who manage five or more residential units can’t require a prospective tenant to submit to a drug or alcohol test.

Health Care for the Homeless, a Baltimore-based medical clinic, testified in support of the bill, saying the legislation ensures that Marylanders are given “an equitable opportunity” to secure housing. The legislation reduces systemic barriers to housing, especially for people with criminal records.

“Many individuals experiencing homelessness face criminalization due to survival behaviors, and for the merely living their private lives in public,” Health Care for the Homeless wrote in its testimony. “These records become lasting obstacles to navigate in the pursuit of stable housing, which is the very thing that can actually change the trajectory of one’s life.”

Lawmakers also passed legislation that bans landlords from refusing to rent to people with housing subsidies because of their income, credit history, credit score or lack thereof.