Public Safety - Law Enforcement Officers - Identification

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1415*

HOUSE BILL 1415
E4 6lr2880

By: Delegate Moreno
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Safety – Law Enforcement Officers – Identification 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to 3
develop a certain model policy requiring the use of worn identification by a law 4
enforcement offi cer in the course of duty; requiring a law enforcement agency to 5
adopt a policy consistent with the model policy developed by the Commission; 6
requiring a certain law enforcement officer to wear identification while in the 7
performance of duty in the State, with a certain exception; and generally relating to 8
identification by law enforcement officers. 9

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Public Safety 11
Section 3–201(a) and (b) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

BY adding to 15
Article – Public Safety 16
Section 3–207(p) and 3–535 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21

Article – Public Safety 22

3–201. 23

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 24

2 HOUSE BILL 1415

(b) “Commission” means the Maryland Police Training and Standards 1
Commission. 2

3–207. 3

(P) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION THE FOLLOWIN G WORDS HAVE THE 4
MEANINGS INDICATED. 5

(II) “IDENTIFICATION” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 3–535 6
OF THIS TITLE. 7

(III) “LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY” HAS THE MEANING STATED 8
IN § 3–535 OF THIS TITLE. 9

(IV) “LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER” HAS THE MEANING STATED 10
IN § 3–535 OF THIS TITLE. 11

(2) (I) THE COMMISSION SHALL DEVE LOP A MODEL POLICY 12
REQUIRING THE USE OF IDENTIFICATION BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN THE 13
COURSE OF DUTY CONSISTENT WITH § 3–535 OF THIS TITLE. 14

(II) THE MODEL POLICY DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION 15
SHALL INCLUDE LANGUAGE AFFIRMING THE STATE’S INTEREST IN: 16

1. PROMOTING PUBLIC SAFETY; 17

2. PREVENTING LAW ENFOR CEMENT IMPERSONATION ; 18
AND 19

3. PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 20

(III) THE MODEL POLICY DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION 21
SHALL ADDRESS: 22

1. THE SIZE , PLACEMENT, CONTRAST, AND LEGIBILITY 23
OF IDENTIFICATION , INCLUDING REQUIREMEN TS TO ENSURE VISIBIL ITY OF THE 24
IDENTIFICATION FROM A REASONABLE DISTANCE; 25

2. THE W AY IDENTIFICATION MU ST BE DISPLAYED ON 26
DIFFERENT TYPES OF U NIFORMS, OUTERWEAR, AND PROTECTIVE CLOTH ING, 27
INCLUDING JACKETS, VESTS, AND RAIN GEAR; 28

3. IDENTIFICATION REQUI REMENTS FOR 29
PLAINCLOTHES OR NONU NIFORMED LAW ENFORCE MENT OFFICERS WHEN 30
HOUSE BILL 1415 3

EXERCISING OR PURPORTING TO EXERCISE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY IN THE 1
STATE, INCLUDING THE USE OF REMOVABLE OR TEMPORARY IDENTIFICATION THAT 2
CAN PROMPTLY BE DISPLAYED; 3

4. NARROWLY TAILORED CIRCUMSTANC ES IN WHICH 4
IDENTIFICATION MAY BE TEMPORARILY OBSCURED DUE TO AN IMMEDIATE THREAT 5
TO LAW ENFORCEMENT O FFICER SAFETY OR PUB LIC SAFETY AND ANY 6
DOCUMENTATION OR AFTER–ACTION REPORTING REQUIRED FOR DEVIATIONS; AND 7

5. TRAINING REQUIREMENT S FOR NEW AND CURREN T 8
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI CERS ON THE IDENTIFI CATION REQUIREMENT S 9
ESTABLISHED UNDER § 3–535 OF THIS TITLE. 10

(3) A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY WITH LAW ENFORCEM ENT 11
OFFICERS OPERATING IN THE STATE SHALL ADOPT A POLICY CONSISTENT WITH THE 12
MODEL POLICY DEVELOPED BY THE COMMISSION UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 13
SUBSECTION. 14

3–535. 15

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 16
INDICATED. 17

(2) “IDENTIFICATION” MEANS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OF FICER’S 18
AGENCY OR DEPARTMENT , LAST NAME , AND A BADGE NUMBER OR OTHER 19
IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. 20

(3) “LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY” INCLUDES A LAW ENFOR CEMENT 21
AGENCY OF: 22

(I) THE STATE; 23

(II) ANOTHER STATE; 24

(III) A POLITICAL SUBDIVIS ION OF THE STATE OR ANOTHER 25
STATE; AND 26

(IV) THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 27

(4) “LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER” MEANS: 28

4 HOUSE BILL 1415

(I) A MEMBER OF A LAW ENFO RCEMENT AGENCY WHO IS 1
AUTHORIZED, OR PURPORTS TO BE AUTHORIZED, TO EXERCISE LAW ENFORCEMENT 2
AUTHORITY IN THE STATE; OR 3

(II) A CONTRACTOR W ORKING FOR A LAW ENF ORCEMENT 4
AGENCY WHO IS AUTHORIZED, OR PURPORTS TO BE AUTHORIZED, TO EXERCISE LAW 5
ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY IN THE STATE. 6

(B) (1) A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SHALL WEAR IDENTIFICATION ON 7
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER’S MOST OUTER LAYER O F CLOTHING WHILE IN 8
THE PERFORMANCE OF DUTY IN THE STATE. 9

(2) ON REQUEST OF ANOTHER, A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SHALL 10
VERBALLY DISCLOSE ID ENTIFICATION WHILE I N THE PERFORMANCE OF DUTY IN 11
THE STATE. 12

(C) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A LAW ENFOR CEMENT OFFICER 13
ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN AN UNDERCOVER OPERATION. 14

(D) (1) A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI CER WHO KNOWINGLY AND 15
WILLFULLY VIOLATES THIS SECTION: 16

(I) IS GUILTY OF A MISDE MEANOR AND ON CONVIC TION IS 17
SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 2 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING 18
$2,000 OR BOTH; AND 19

(II) WAIVES ALL IMMUNITY IN A CIVIL ACTION FOR DAMAGES 20
BASED ON THE VIOLATION. 21

(2) A VIOLATION OF THIS SE CTION CONSTITUTES PO LICE 22
MISCONDUCT FOR PURPOSES OF SUBTITLE 1 OF THIS TITLE. 23

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2026. 25