Child Support - Suspension of Driver's Licenses

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0347*

SENATE BILL 347
D4 6lr2079
SB 106/25 – JPR CF HB 412
By: Senator Muse
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

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 license 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
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 24
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 25

Article – Family Law 26
2 SENATE BILL 347

10–119. 1

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 2

(2) “License” has the meaning stated in § 11 –128 of the Transportation 3
Article. 4

(3) “Motor Vehicle Administration” means the Motor Vehicle 5
Administration of the Department of Transportation. 6

(b) (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, the 7
Administration may notify the Motor Vehicle Administration of an obligor with a 8
noncommercial or commercial license who is 120 days or more out of compliance[,] with the 9
most recent order of the court in making child support payments if: 10

(i) the Administration has accepted an assignment of support under 11
§ 5–312(b)(2) of the Human Services Article; or 12

(ii) 1. the recipient of support payments has filed an application 13
for support enforcement services with the Administration; AND 14

2. A. THE ADMINISTRATION VERIFI ES THAT 15
SUSPENSION OF THE OBLIGOR’S LICENSE OR PRIVILEGE TO DRIVE IS APPROPRIATE 16
BECAUSE THE OBLIGOR HAS THE FUNDS TO PAY BUT IS MAKING THE FR EE AND 17
CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO WITHHOLD PAYMENT; AND 18

B. OTHER COLLECTION AND ENFORCEMENT 19
MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. 20

(2) Upon notification by the Administration under this subsection, the 21
Motor Vehicle Administration: 22

(i) shall suspend the obligor’s license or privilege to drive in the 23
State; and 24

(ii) may issue a work–restricted license or work–restricted privilege 25
to drive in the State in accordance with § 16–203 of the Transportation Article. 26

(c) (1) Before supplying any information to the Motor Vehicle Administration 27
under this section, the Administration shall: 28

(i) VERIFY THAT SUSPENSION OF THE OBLIGOR ’S LICENSE OR 29
PRIVILEGE TO DRIVE I S APPROPRIATE AND send written AND ELECTRONIC notice of 30
the proposed action to the obligor, including notice of the obligor’s right to request an 31
investigation on any of the following grounds: 32
SENATE BILL 347 3

1. the information regarding the reported arrearage is 1
inaccurate; 2

2. THE MINOR CHILD IS RESIDING PRIMARILY WITH THE 3
OBLIGOR; 4

3. THE ADMINISTRATION REACHE D AN AGREEMENT 5
WITH THE OBLIGOR, OR THE COURT ISSUED AN ORDER FOR A SCHEDULED PAYMENT 6
OF THE ARREARAGES, AND THE OBLIGOR IS COMPLYING WITH THE AGREEMENT OR 7
THE ORDER; 8

[2.] 4. suspension of the obligor’s license or privilege to drive 9
would be an impediment to the obligor’s current or potential employment; or 10

[3.] 5. suspension of the obligor’s license or privilege to drive 11
would place an undue hardship on the MINOR CHILD, THE CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENT 12
RECIPIENT, OR THE obligor because of the obligor’s: 13

A. documented disability resulting in a verified inability to 14
work; or 15

B. inability to comply with the court order; and 16

(ii) give the obligor a reasonable opportunity to request an 17
investigation of the proposed action of the Administration. 18

(2) (i) Upon receipt of a request for investigation from the obli gor, the 19
Administration shall conduct an investigation to determine if any of the grounds under 20
paragraph (1)(i) of this subsection exist. 21

(ii) The Administration shall: 22

1. send a copy of the obligor’s request for an investigation to 23
the obligee by first–class mail; 24

2. give the obligee a reasonable opportunity to respond; and 25

3. consider the obligee’s response. 26

(iii) Upon completion of the investigation, the Administration shall 27
notify the obligor IN WRITING AND ELECTRONICALLY of the results of the investigation 28
and the obligor’s right to appeal to the Office of Administrative Hearings. 29

(3) (i) An appeal under this section shall be conducted in accordance 30
with Title 10, Subtitle 2 of the State Government Article. 31
4 SENATE BILL 347

(ii) An appeal shall be made in writing and shall be received by the 1
Office of Administrative Hearings within 20 days after the notice to the obligor of the 2
results of the investigation. 3

(4) If, after the investigation or appeal to the Office of Administrative 4
Hearings, the Administration finds that one of the grounds under paragraph (1)(i) of this 5
subsection exists, the Administration may not send any information about the obligor to 6
the Motor Vehicle Administration. 7

(5) The Administration may not send any informat ion about an obligor to 8
the Motor Vehicle Administration if: 9

(i) 1. the Administration reaches an agreement with the obligor 10
regarding a scheduled payment of the obligor’s child support arrearage or a court issues an 11
order for a scheduled payment of the child support arrearage; and 12

[(ii)] 2. the obligor is complying with the agreement or court order; 13
OR 14

(II) THE ADMINISTRATION INVEST IGATES ONE OF THE 15
GROUNDS UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)(I) OF THIS SUBSECTION AND DETERMINES THAT 16
SUSPENSION OF THE OBLIGOR’S LICENSE OR PRIVILEGE IS NOT APPROPRIATE. 17

12–201. 18

(q) “Voluntarily impoverished” means that a parent has made the free and 19
conscious choice, not compelled by factors beyond the parent’s control, to render the parent 20
without adequate resources. 21

Article – Transportation 22

16–203. 23

(a) In this section, “Child Support Administration” means the Child Support 24
Administration of the Department of Human Services. 25

(b) On notification by the Child Support Administration in accordance with § 26
10–119 of th e Family Law Article that an obligor is 120 days or more out of compliance 27
with the most recent order of the court in making child support payments, the 28
Administration: 29

(1) Shall suspend an obligor’s license or privilege to drive in the State; and 30

(2) May issue a work –restricted license or work –restricted privilege to 31
drive. 32
SENATE BILL 347 5

(c) (1) Prior to the suspension of a license or the privilege to drive in the State 1
and the issuance of a work –restricted license or work –restricted privilege to drive under 2
subsection (b) of this section, the Administration shall send written AND ELECTRONIC 3
notice of the proposed action to the obligor, including notice of the obligor’s right to contest 4
the accuracy of the information. 5

(2) Any contest under this subsection s hall be limited to whether the 6
Administration has mistaken the identity of the obligor or the individual whose license or 7
privilege to drive has been suspended. 8

(d) (1) An obligor may appeal a decision of the Administration to suspend the 9
obligor’s license or privilege to drive. 10

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

(e) The Administration shall reinstate an obligor’s license or privilege to drive in 14
the State if: 15

(1) The Administration receives a court order to reinstate the license or 16
privilege to drive; or 17

(2) The Child Support Administration notifies the Administration that: 18

(i) The individual whose license or privilege to drive was suspended 19
is not in arrears in making child support payments; 20

(ii) The obligor has paid the support arrearage in full; 21

(iii) The obligor has demonstrated good faith by paying the or dered 22
amount of support for 6 consecutive months; 23

(iv) The obligor is a participant in full compliance in an employment 24
program approved by the Child Support Administration; or 25

(v) One of the grounds under § 10 –119(c)(1)(i) of the Family Law 26
Article exists. 27

(f) The Secretary of Transportation, in cooperation with the Secretary of Human 28
Services and the Office of Administrative Hearings, shall adopt regulations to implement 29
this section. 30

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 31
October 1, 2026. 32