Here Are 10 More MD Laws Going Into Effect On Oct. 1, 2025

From medical debt to gun trafficking to unpaid child support, multiple bills will officially become law in Maryland on Wednesday.

Last week, Patch highlighted 10 new laws that will go into effect in Maryland on Oct. 1. The laws affect a range of issues, including financial assistance at hospitals, penalties for speeding and reckless and aggressive driving, and child custody.

In all, 430 pieces of legislation will become law on Wednesday.

• RELATED: Here Are 10 New MD Laws Going Into Effect On Oct. 1, 2025

Here's a look at 10 more new laws that will impact the lives of Marylanders:

Immigration And Victim Rights

A new law will expand who can certify U visa petitions. The U non-immigrant status (U visa) is a legal status reserved for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime. It also grants temporary status, work authorization and a pathway to lawful permanent residency for eligible victims and their qualifying family members. Starting Oct. 1, agencies like child protective services, labor departments and the Civil Rights Commission can participate in the certification process.

Medical Debt And Liens

Under this new law, creditors can no longer place liens on a person’s primary residence to collect a debt. It also protects residents from losing their homes due to unpaid medical bills.

Cannabis Reforms

Starting Oct. 1, residents 21 years and older can manufacture cannabis products or concentrated cannabis for personal use or for another adult living within the residence, so long as the manufacturing process does not involve the use of a volatile solvent.

A separate law going into effect on Wednesday will prohibit pardoned cannabis convictions from appearing on Maryland’s public Case Search system.

Gun Trafficking

As of Oct. 1, transporting firearms into Maryland for illegal sale or trafficking will be classified as a felony. The law will also require that the prosecution for an offense of trafficking a regulated firearm be instituted within 3 years after the offense was committed. The penalty on conviction is up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $25,000 or both.

Peace Order Expansion

This law expands the relief that may be included in a final peace order and alters the acts that constitute criminal harassment to include certain visual surveillance of an area of another person's residence where the other has a reasonable expectation of privacy. If someone violates that, they will be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction for a first offense, can be imprisoned for up to 90 days, fined $500 or both.

Prison Sentence Reduction

This law allows individuals to petition the court to reduce the duration of certain prison sentences if they were convicted between the ages of at least 18 and under 25, were not sentenced to life, are not sex offenders, have served at least 20 years of the term of confinement, and were not convicted of murder involving a victim who was a first responder who was killed in the line of duty.

Medical Debt On Credit Reports

This law prohibits consumer reporting agencies from providing a Maryland resident's medical debt, or any collection action against a consumer for medical debt, on reports. It also prohibits a person from using medical debt information from a consumer report for certain purposes and bars a health care facility, a health care practitioner, or an ambulance service from disclosing medical debt to a consumer reporting agency.

Estates And Unpaid Child Support

Under this new law, the payment of unpaid child support will be prioritized over certain other claims on the estate of a decedent who has insufficient assets to pay all claims in full.

Tenant Protections

This new law requires a landlord to provide a tenant with written notice at least 24 hours in advance of when the landlord intends to enter a leased property, except in the event of an emergency.

Personal Information And HOAs

As of Oct. 1, cooperative housing corporations, condominium associations and homeowners associations are prohibited from requiring certain sensitive information as a condition for residents to access recreational common areas. It defines "sensitive information" as an individual's Social Security card or Social Security number, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, birth certificate, racial or ethnic origin, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, religious or philosophical beliefs, or medical records.