Motor Vehicle Administration - Access to Digital Records - Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0404*

SENATE BILL 404
L2, P3 6lr1495
CF 6lr1484
By: Senator M. Washington (By Request – Baltimore City Administration)
Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Motor Vehicle Administration – Access to Digital Records – Baltimore City 2
Department of Housing and Community Development 3

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Motor Vehicle Administration to make a digital 4
photographic image or signature available to the Special Investigations Unit of the 5
Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development or its 6
successor; and generally relating to access to Motor Vehicle Administration records. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Transportation 9
Section 12–111 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14

Article – Transportation 15

12–111. 16

(a) IN THIS SECTION , “CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGE NCY” INCLUDES THE 17
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT OF THE BALTIMORE CITY DEPARTMENT OF 18
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OR ITS SUCCESSOR. 19

(B) The Administration shall keep a record of each application or other document 20
filed with it and each certificate or other official document that it issues. 21

[(b)] (C) (1) Subject to § 4–320 of the General Provisions Article, and except 22
as otherwise provided by law, all records of the Administration are public records and open 23
2 SENATE BILL 404

to public inspection during office hours. 1

(2) Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, the Administrator may 2
classify as confidential and not open to public inspection any record or record entry: 3

(i) That is over 5 years old; or 4

(ii) That relates to any happening that occurred over 5 years earlier. 5

(3) Subject to § 4–320 of the General Provisions Article, a record or record 6
entry of any age shall be open to inspection by authorized representatives of any federal, 7
State, or local governmental agency. 8

(4) Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, the Administrator may not 9
open to public inspection any record or record entry that is: 10

(i) All or part of a licensed driver’s public driving record; and 11

(ii) Over 3 years old. 12

(5) Subject to paragraph (6) of this subsection, the Administration may not 13
permit public inspection of a digital photographic image or signature of an individual, or 14
the actual stored data thereof, recorded by the Administration. 15

(6) The Administration may make a digital photographic image or 16
signature of an individual, or the actual stored data thereof, recorded by the Administration 17
available to: 18

(i) The courts; 19

(ii) Criminal justice agencies; 20

(iii) Driver license authorities; 21

(iv) The individual; 22

(v) The individual’s attorney; 23

(vi) Third parties designated by the individual; and 24

(vii) The Child Support Administration. 25

[(c)] (D) Except for records required by law to be kept in their original or other 26
specified form, the Administrator may order any record of the Administration to be kept on 27
microfilm or in other microform, and the original destroyed. 28

[(d)] (E) Except for records required by law to be kept longer, the Administrator 29
SENATE BILL 404 3

may destroy any record of the Administration that it has kept for 3 years or more and that 1
the Administrator considers obsolete and unnecessary to the work of the Administration. 2

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 3
October 1, 2026. 4