HB0169 • 2026

Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records - Good Cause

Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegate Ruff
Last action: 2026-01-29
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records - Good Cause

Authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement of any misdemeanor or felony conviction a certain period of time after the completion of the sentence, parole, probation, and any other form of mandatory treatment associated with the conviction; authorizing a court to grant a petition on a showing of good cause; and providing that a denial of a petition may not be appealed and a subsequent petition may not be filed for a certain period of time.

What This Bill Does

Authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement of any misdemeanor or felony conviction a certain period of time after the completion of the sentence, parole, probation, and any other form of mandatory treatment associated with the conviction; authorizing a court to grant a petition on a showing of good cause; and providing that a denial of a petition may not be appealed and a subsequent petition may not be filed for a certain period of time.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-29 House
Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-14 House
First Reading Judiciary
2025-10-27 House
Pre-filed
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records - Good Cause
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Racial Equity Impact Note

Official Summary Text

Authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement of any misdemeanor or felony conviction a certain period of time after the completion of the sentence, parole, probation, and any other form of mandatory treatment associated with the conviction; authorizing a court to grant a petition on a showing of good cause; and providing that a denial of a petition may not be appealed and a subsequent petition may not be filed for a certain period of time.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0169*

HOUSE BILL 169
E2 6lr1357
(PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Ruff
Requested: October 27, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Criminal Procedure – Expungement of Records – Good Cause 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement of any 3
misdemeanor or felony conviction a certain period of time after the completion of the 4
sentence, parole, probation, and any other form of mandatory treatment associated 5
with the conviction; authorizing a court to grant a petition on a showing of good 6
cause; providing that a denial of a petition may not be appealed and a subsequent 7
petition may not be filed for a certain period of time; and generally relating to 8
expungement of records. 9

BY adding to 10
Article – Criminal Procedure 11
Section 10–113 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2025 Replacement Volume) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Criminal Procedure 17

10–113. 18

(A) (1) A PERSON MAY FILE A PETITION FOR EXPUN GEMENT OF ANY 19
MISDEMEANOR CONVICTION NOT EARLIER THAN 5 YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION 20
OF THE SENTENCE , PAROLE, PROBATION, AND ANY OTHER FORM O F MANDATORY 21
TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVICTION FOR WHICH EXPUNGEMEN T IS 22
BEING REQUESTED. 23

2 HOUSE BILL 169

(2) A PERSON MAY FILE A PE TITION FOR EXPUNGEME NT OF ANY 1
FELONY CONVICTION NOT EARLIER THAN 7 YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE 2
SENTENCE, PAROLE, PROBATION, AND ANY OTHER FORM O F MANDATORY 3
TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVICTION FOR WHICH EXPUNGEMEN T IS 4
BEING REQUESTED. 5

(B) A PETITION UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE FIL ED IN THE COURT I N 6
WHICH THE PROCEEDING BEGAN. 7

(C) ON THE FILING OF A PE TITION FOR EXPUNGEME NT UNDER THIS 8
SECTION, THE COURT SHALL HOLD A HEARING. 9

(D) A COURT MAY GRANT A PE TITION FOR EXPUNGEME NT UNDER THIS 10
SECTION ON A SHOWING OF GOOD CAUSE. 11

(E) IN MAKING A FINDING OF GOOD CAUSE UNDER THIS SECTION , THE 12
COURT SHALL CONSIDER: 13

(1) THE NATURE OF THE CRIME; 14

(2) THE PERSON’S HISTORY AND CHARACTER; 15

(3) THE PERSON’S RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY; 16

(4) THE PERSON’S SUCCESS AT REHABILITATION; 17

(5) THE AMOUNT OF TIME SINCE THE CONVICTION; AND 18

(6) THE IMPACT THE CHARG E HAS ON THE PERSON ’S ABILITY TO 19
SECURE EMPLOYMENT , EDUCATION, HOUSING, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE , LICENSING, 20
AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC STABILITY. 21

(F) IF THE COURT DENIES A PETITION FOR AN EXPUNGEMENT UNDER THIS 22
SECTION: 23

(1) THE DENIAL MAY NOT BE APPEALED; AND 24

(2) THE PERSON WHO FILED THE PETITION MAY NOT FILE A 25
SUBSEQUENT PETITION FOR EXPUNGEMENT UNDER THIS SECTION FOR T HE SAME 26
CONVICTION FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS. 27

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2026. 29