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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*sb0483*
SENATE BILL 483
E2 6lr2087
CF HB 360
By: Senators McKay, Smith, Sydnor, Waldstreicher, Love, and Muse
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Procedure – Automated Expungement Shielding 2
(Clean Slate Act of 2026) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services 4
and the Judiciary to expunge shield all cases meeting certain criteria on or before a 5
certain date; requiring the Department and the Judiciary to expunge shield certain 6
newly eligible cases on a monthly basis; and generally relating to expungement 7
shielding. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Criminal Procedure 10
Section 10–301(a) through (e) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2025 Replacement Volume) 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Criminal Procedure 15
Section 10–112.1 10–303.1 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2025 Replacement Volume) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Criminal Procedure 21
2 SENATE BILL 483
10–301. 1
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 2
(b) “Court record” has the meaning stated in § 10–101 of this title. 3
(c) “Criminal justice unit” has the meaning stated in § 10–201 of this title. 4
(d) “Police record” has the meaning stated in § 10–101 of this title. 5
(e) “Shield” means to render a court record and police record relating to a 6
conviction of a crime inaccessible by members of the public. 7
10–112.1. 10–303.1. 8
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 9
INDICATED. 10
(2) (I) “DISPOSITION” MEANS THE OUTCOME OF A CRIMINAL 11
CHARGE OR CASE RECORDED IN ELECTRONIC COURT RECORDS. 12
(II) “DISPOSITION” INCLUDES AN ACQUITTA L, A DISMISSAL, A 13
NOLLE PROSEQUI, A FINDING OF GUILTY, A PROBATION BEFORE JUDGMENT, A PLEA 14
OF GUILTY, A PLEA OF NOLO CONTENDERE, MARKING THE CHARGE “STET” ON THE 15
DOCKET, AND AN ORDER OF AN APPELLATE COURT ENDING A CRIMINAL CASE. 16
(III) “DISPOSITION” DOES NOT REFER TO TH E OUTCOME OF A 17
CRIMINAL SENTENCE. 18
(3) “EXPUNGE” MEANS TO: 19
(I) REMOVE ALL REFERENCES TO A SPECIFIED CRIMINAL CASE 20
FROM THE CENTRAL REPOSITORY; AND 21
(II) REMOVE FROM PUBLIC V IEW ALL ELECTRONIC C OURT 22
RECORDS RELATING TO THE CASE , WITHOUT NEEDING TO R EDACT PHYSICAL OR 23
ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS, RECORDINGS, OR AUDIO OR VISUAL MEDIA. 24
(B) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2028, THE DEPARTMENT AND THE JUDICIARY 25
SHALL EXPUNGE ALL CASES IN WHICH: 26
(1) (I) ALL CHARGES OR DISPO SITIONS IN THE CASE ARE LISTED 27
UNDER § 10–105(A) OF THIS SUBTITLE; 28
SENATE BILL 483 3
(II) THE CASE IS ELIGIBLE UNDER § 10–107 OF THIS SUBTITLE; 1
AND 2
(III) AT LEAST 3 YEARS HAVE PASSED SI NCE THE DATE OF THE 3
DISPOSITION OF THE CASE; OR 4
(2) (I) ANY CONVICTIONS IN T HE CASE ARE MISDEMEA NOR 5
CONVICTIONS LISTED UNDER § 10–110(A) OF THIS SUBTITLE, OTHER THAN: 6
1. ASSAULT IN THE SECOND DEGREE UNDER § 3–203 OF 7
THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE; AND 8
2. ANY CHARGE MARKED IN ELECTRONIC COURT 9
RECORDS AS A DOMESTICALLY RELATED CRIME UNDER § 6–233 OF THIS ARTICLE; 10
(II) THE CASE IS ELIGIBLE UNDER §§ 10–107 AND 10–110(D)(2) 11
AND (3) OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND 12
(III) AT LEAST 7 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE DISPOSITION OF 13
THE CASE, EXCEPT THAT IF THE P ERSON IS CONVICTED O F A NEW CRIME DURING 14
THE 7–YEAR PERIOD , THE ORIGINAL CONVICT ION OR CONVICTIONS A RE NOT 15
ELIGIBLE FOR EXPUNGEMENT UNLESS T HE NEW CONVICTION BE COMES ELIGIBLE 16
FOR EXPUNGEMENT. 17
(C) (1) BEGINNING AUGUST 1, 2028, THE JUDICIARY SHALL, ONCE PER 18
MONTH, IDENTIFY ALL CASES T HAT ARE NEWLY ELIGIB LE FOR EXPUNGEMENT 19
BASED ON THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 20
(2) PROMPTLY AFTER MAKING EACH DETERMINATION R EQUIRED 21
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE JUDICIARY SHALL 22
ELECTRONICALLY NOTIF Y THE DEPARTMENT OF ALL CAS ES THAT ARE NEWLY 23
ELIGIBLE FOR EXPUNGEMENT. 24
(3) WITHIN ONE MONTH OF T HE NOTIFICATION REQUIRE D UNDER 25
PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE DEPARTMENT AND THE JUDICIARY 26
SHALL EXPUNGE ALL NEWLY ELIGIBLE CASES. 27
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “TECHNICALLY ELIGIBLE FOR EXPUNGEMENT ” 28
MEANS THAT , BASED ON THE NATURE OF A CHARGE OR CONVI CTION A ND THE 29
RELEVANT TIME THAT H AS ELAPSED , A PERSON WOULD BE EL IGIBLE TO FILE A 30
PETITION FOR EXPUNGEMENT UNDER SUBTITLE 1 OF THIS TITLE. 31
4 SENATE BILL 483
(B) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2028, THE JUDICIARY SHALL SHIELD ALL CASES 1
IN WHICH ALL CHARGES IN THE CASE ARE TECH NICALLY ELIG IBLE FOR 2
EXPUNGEMENT. 3
(C) (1) BEGINNING AUGUST 1, 2028, THE JUDICIARY SHALL, ONCE PER 4
MONTH, IDENTIFY ALL CASES I N WHICH ALL CHARGES IN THE CASE ARE NEWL Y 5
TECHNICALLY ELIGIBLE FOR EXPUNGEMENT. 6
(2) WITHIN 1 MONTH OF IDENTIFYING A CASE UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) 7
OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE JUDICIARY SHALL SHIELD THE CASE. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
October 1, 2026. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.