Vehicle Laws - Eluding Police - Penalties

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0349*

SENATE BILL 349
R5 6lr2091
CF 6lr1268
By: Senator A. Washington
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Vehicle Laws – Eluding Police – Penalties 2

FOR the purpose of altering certain penalties for attempting to elude a police officer when 3
that attempt results in the death of another person; and generally relating to 4
penalties for eluding a police officer. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Article – Transportation 7
Section 21–904 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12

Article – Transportation 13

21–904. 14

(a) In this section, “visual or audible signal” includes a signal by hand, voice, 15
emergency light or siren. 16

(b) If a police officer gives a visual or audible signal to stop and the police officer 17
is in uniform, prominently displaying the police officer’s badge or other insignia of office, a 18
driver of a vehicle may not attempt to elude the police officer by: 19

(1) Willfully failing to stop the driver’s vehicle; 20

(2) Fleeing on foot; or 21

(3) Any other means. 22
2 SENATE BILL 349

(c) If a police officer gives a visual or audible signal to stop and the police officer, 1
whether or not in uniform, is in a vehicle appropriately marked as an official police vehicle, 2
a driver of a vehicle may not attempt to elude the police officer by: 3

(1) Willfully failing to stop the driver’s vehicle; 4

(2) Fleeing on foot; or 5

(3) Any other means. 6

(d) (1) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this 7
section that results in bodily injury to another person. 8

(2) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this 9
section that results in death of another person. 10

(e) (1) In this subsection, “crime of violence” has the meaning stated in § 11
14–101 of the Criminal Law Article. 12

(2) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this 13
section while the driver is attempting to elude a police officer who is signaling for the driver 14
to stop for the purpose of apprehending the driver for the commission of a crime of violence 15
for which the driver is subsequently convicted. 16

(f) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a person 17
convicted of a violation of this section is subject to: 18

(i) For a first offense, imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine 19
not exceeding $1,000 or both; and 20

(ii) For a second or subsequent offense, imprisonment not exceeding 21
2 years or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both. 22

(2) A person convicted of a violation of subsection (d)(1) or (e) of this section 23
is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both. 24

(3) A person [convicted of a violation of] WHO VIOLATES subsection (d)(2) 25
of this section is GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON CONVICTION IS subject to: 26

(I) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE , imprisonment not exceeding [10] 5 27
years or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both; AND 28

(II) FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE, IMPRISONMENT 29
NOT EXCEEDING 10 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000 OR BOTH. 30

SENATE BILL 349 3

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