Child Support - Suspension of Driver's Licenses

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0412*

HOUSE BILL 412
D4 6lr2078
HB 110/25 – JUD CF SB 347
By: Delegates Simpson, Taylor, and Crutchfield Crutchfield, Moreno, Conaway,
and Woods
Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Child Support – Suspension of Driver’s Licenses 2

FOR the purpose of altering provisions of law relating to the authority of the Child Support 3
Enforcement Administration to notify the Motor Vehicle Administration of an 4
individual’s child support arrearages for the purpose of suspending the individual’s 5
driver’s l icense or privilege to drive under certain circumstances; and generally 6
relating to the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license or privilege to drive for 7
child support arrearages. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Family Law 10
Section 10–119(a) and 12–201(q) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Family Law 15
Section 10–119(b) and (c) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – Transportation 20
Section 16–203 21
2 HOUSE BILL 412

Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 3
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 4

Article – Family Law 5

10–119. 6

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 7

(2) “License” has the meaning stated in § 11 –128 of the Transportation 8
Article. 9

(3) “Motor Vehicle Adm inistration” means the Motor Vehicle 10
Administration of the Department of Transportation. 11

(b) (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, the 12
Administration may notify the Motor Vehicle Administration of an obligor with a 13
noncommercial or commercial license who is 120 days or more out of compliance[,] with the 14
most recent order of the court in making child support payments if: 15

(i) the Administration has accepted an assignment of support under 16
§ 5–312(b)(2) of the Human Services Article; or 17

(ii) 1. the recipient of support payments has filed an application 18
for support enforcement services with the Administration; AND 19

2. A. THE ADMINISTRATION VERIFI ES THAT 20
SUSPENSION OF THE OBLIGOR’S LICENSE OR PRIVILEGE TO DRIVE IS APPROPRIATE 21
BECAUSE THE OBLIGOR HAS THE FUNDS TO PAY BUT IS MAKING THE FR EE AND 22
CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO WITHHOLD PAYMENT; AND 23

B. OTHER COLLECTION AND ENFORCEMENT 24
MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. 25

(2) Upon notification by the Administration under this subsection, the 26
Motor Vehicle Administration: 27

(i) shall suspend the obligor’s license or privilege to drive in the 28
State; and 29

(ii) may issue a work–restricted license or work–restricted privilege 30
to drive in the State in accordance with § 16–203 of the Transportation Article. 31

HOUSE BILL 412 3

(c) (1) Before supplying any information to the Motor Vehicle Administration 1
under this section, the Administration shall: 2

(i) VERIFY THAT SUSPENSION OF THE OBLIGOR ’S LICENSE OR 3
PRIVILEGE TO DRIVE IS APPROPRIATE AND send written NOTICE AND, IF FEASIBLE, 4
ELECTRONIC notice of the proposed action to the obligor, including notice of the obligor’s 5
right to request an investigation on any of the following grounds: 6

1. the information regarding the reported arrearage is 7
inaccurate; 8

2. THE MINOR CHILD IS RESIDING PRIMARILY WITH THE 9
OBLIGOR; 10

3. THE ADMINISTRATION REACHE D AN AGREEMENT 11
WITH THE OBLIGOR, OR THE COURT ISSUED AN ORDER FOR A SCHEDULED PAYMENT 12
OF THE ARREARAGES, AND THE OBLIGOR IS COMPLYING WITH THE AGREEMENT OR 13
THE ORDER; 14

[2.] 4. suspension of the obligor’s license or privilege to drive 15
would be an impediment to the obligor’s current or potential employment; or 16

[3.] 5. suspension of the obligor’s license or privilege to drive 17
would place an undue hardship on the MINOR CHILD, THE CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENT 18
RECIPIENT, OR THE obligor because of the obligor’s: 19

A. documented disability resulting in a verified in ability to 20
work; or 21

B. inability to comply with the court order; and 22

(ii) give the obligor a reasonable opportunity to request an 23
investigation of the proposed action of the Administration. 24

(2) (i) Upon receipt of a request for investigation from the obligor, the 25
Administration shall conduct an investigation to determine if any of the grounds under 26
paragraph (1)(i) of this subsection exist. 27

(ii) The Administration shall: 28

1. send a copy of the obligor’s request for an investigation to 29
the obligee by first–class mail; 30

2. give the obligee a reasonable opportunity to respond; and 31

3. consider the obligee’s response. 32
4 HOUSE BILL 412

(iii) Upon completion of the investigation, the Administration shall 1
notify the obligor IN WRITING AND, IF FEASIBLE, ELECTRONICALLY of the results of the 2
investigation and the obligor’s right to appeal to the Office of Administrative Hearings. 3

(3) (i) An appeal under this section shall be conducted in accordance 4
with Title 10, Subtitle 2 of the State Government Article. 5

(ii) An appeal shall be made in writing and shall be received by the 6
Office of Administrative Hearings within 20 days after the notice to the obligor of the 7
results of the investigation. 8

(4) If, after the investigation or appeal to the Offic e of Administrative 9
Hearings, the Administration finds that one of the grounds under paragraph (1)(i) of this 10
subsection exists, the Administration may not send any information about the obligor to 11
the Motor Vehicle Administration. 12

(5) The Administration may not send any information about an obligor to 13
the Motor Vehicle Administration if: 14

(i) 1. the Administration reaches an agreement with the obligor 15
regarding a scheduled payment of the obligor’s child support arrearage or a court issues an 16
order for a scheduled payment of the child support arrearage; and 17

[(ii)] 2. the obligor is complying with the agreement or court order; 18
OR 19

(II) THE ADMINISTRATION INVEST IGATES ONE OF THE 20
GROUNDS UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)(I) OF THIS SUBSECTION AND DETERMINES THAT 21
SUSPENSION OF THE OBLIGOR’S LICENSE OR PRIVILEGE IS NOT APPROPRIATE. 22

12–201. 23

(q) “Voluntarily impoverished” means that a parent has made the free and 24
conscious choice, not compelled by factors beyond the parent’s control, to render the parent 25
without adequate resources. 26

Article – Transportation 27

16–203. 28

(a) In this section, “Child Support Administration” means the Child Support 29
Administration of the Department of Human Services. 30

(b) On notification by the Child Support Administration in accordance with § 31
10–119 of the Family Law Article that an obligor is 120 days or more out of compliance 32
HOUSE BILL 412 5

with the most recent order of the court in making child support payments, the 1
Administration: 2

(1) Shall suspend an obligor’s license or privilege to drive in the State; and 3

(2) May issue a work –restricted license or work –restricted privilege to 4
drive. 5

(c) (1) Prior to the suspension of a license or the privilege to drive in the State 6
and the issuance of a work –restricted license or work –restricted privilege to drive under 7
subsection (b) of this section, the Administration shall send written NOTICE AND, IF 8
FEASIBLE, ELECTRONIC notice of the proposed action to the obligor, including notice of 9
the obligor’s right to contest the accuracy of the information. 10

(2) Any contest under this subsection shall be limited to whether the 11
Administration has mistaken the identity of the obligor or the individual whose license or 12
privilege to drive has been suspended. 13

(d) (1) An obligor may appeal a decision of the Admin istration to suspend the 14
obligor’s license or privilege to drive. 15

(2) At a hearing under this subsection, the issue shall be limited to whether 16
the Administration has mistaken the identity of the obligor or the individual whose license 17
or privilege to drive has been suspended. 18

(e) The Administration shall reinstate an obligor’s license or privilege to drive in 19
the State if: 20

(1) The Administration receives a court order to reinstate the license or 21
privilege to drive; or 22

(2) The Child Support Administration notifies the Administration that: 23

(i) The individual whose license or privilege to drive was suspended 24
is not in arrears in making child support payments; 25

(ii) The obligor has paid the support arrearage in full; 26

(iii) The obligor has demonstrated good faith by paying the ordered 27
amount of support for 6 consecutive months; 28

(iv) The obligor is a participant in full compliance in an employment 29
program approved by the Child Support Administration; or 30

(v) One of the grounds und er § 10 –119(c)(1)(i) of the Family Law 31
Article exists. 32

6 HOUSE BILL 412

(f) The Secretary of Transportation, in cooperation with the Secretary of Human 1
Services and the Office of Administrative Hearings, shall adopt regulations to implement 2
this section. 3

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 4
October 1, 2026. 5

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.