Maryland

Maryland state law establishes domestic violence screening programs at state healthcare facilities. Additionally, state law requires domestic violence prevention training for barber and beauty professional licensure.

State law requires or encourages training for prevention of human trafficking among specified professions or in specific locations.14 Required for commercial drivers licensing and for lodging facilities staff.

State law mandates child sexual abuse (CSA) education to some or all students and some or all staff. See state law for details.

Maryland has 26 Domestic Violence Service Providers and 17 Rape Crisis Centers.17-

State policy protects survivors of IPV from insurance discrimination for health insurance and life insurance, but not for disability insurance or property insurance.

State law allows for court/protection orders to remove abusive partners and other violent perpetrators from a shared home.

State law allows for early lease termination for IPV, SV, or stalking survivors with protections from financial penalty. A survivor may terminate the lease early and vacate due to domestic violence/unlawful sexual behavior/stalking with required evidence.

State law requires landlords to change locks if an individual is a survivor of IPV and/or SV and provides a court order. Tenant may be financially responsible for the lock change. See individual state law.

State law prohibits landlords from evicting survivors due to the GBV they experienced.

As of 2023, the criminal definition of domestic violence does not include elements of economic coercion or abuse.

State law allows survivors to take leave from employment due to the consequences of abuse.

GBV survivors are not legally protected against employer discrimination or retaliation based on their status as a survivor.

State law allows survivors who must leave or quit work due to domestic violence-related circumstances to remain eligible for unemployment benefits. The claimant may need to show proof of violence or harassment to qualify.

As of 2024, the criminal definition of stalking is inclusive of online tactics (cyberstalking). Direct cyber components are included in the legal definition of stalking/harassment (electronic communication).

State law criminalizes AI-generated Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) as part of the definition of CSAM.

Additional state online safety laws prohibit sexual extortion (including of private images) and camera surveillance without consent. As of 2026, all U.S. states have criminalized nonconsensual distribution of intimate images.

Survivors of GBV can file for protective orders against stalking. Survivors of stalking, regardless of their relationship to the perpetrator, can file for protective orders, no-contact orders, or civil injunctions.

State policy mandates the establishment of a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team.

State law includes an extreme risk/red flag gun law allowing courts to temporarily limit an individual from purchasing or possessing firearms.

State law closes the “boyfriend loophole” present in federal law, prohibiting gun possession by those convicted of IPV (including dating partners).

State policy requires existence of a Rape Kit Tracking System.

State policy establishes or encourages some guidelines regarding submission or testing of newly submitted rape kits. Maryland is currently addressing backlogged kits through non-legislative means. As of 2024, there were an estimated 5,000+ untested rape kits in Maryland.

State policy establishes a Victims’ Right to Know for rape kit progress. Survivors have the right to information, upon request, of the location and results of their kit.