SB0525 • 2026

Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records - Good Cause

Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Senator M. Washington
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 2/17 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records - Good Cause

Authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement of any misdemeanor or felony conviction a certain period of time after the completion of the sentence, parole, probation, and any other form of mandatory treatment associated with the conviction; authorizing a court to grant a petition on a showing of good cause; and providing that a denial of a petition may not be appealed and a subsequent petition may not be filed for a certain period of time.

What This Bill Does

Authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement of any misdemeanor or felony conviction a certain period of time after the completion of the sentence, parole, probation, and any other form of mandatory treatment associated with the conviction; authorizing a court to grant a petition on a showing of good cause; and providing that a denial of a petition may not be appealed and a subsequent petition may not be filed for a certain period of time.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-05 Senate
Hearing 2/17 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-04 Senate
First Reading Judicial Proceedings
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records - Good Cause
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Racial Equity Impact Note

Official Summary Text

Authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement of any misdemeanor or felony conviction a certain period of time after the completion of the sentence, parole, probation, and any other form of mandatory treatment associated with the conviction; authorizing a court to grant a petition on a showing of good cause; and providing that a denial of a petition may not be appealed and a subsequent petition may not be filed for a certain period of time.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0525*

SENATE BILL 525
E2 6lr3306
CF HB 169
By: Senator M. Washington
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Criminal Procedure – Expungement of Records – Good Cause 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement of any 3
misdemeanor or felony conviction a certain period of time after the completion of the 4
sentence, parole, probation, and any other form of mandatory treatment associated 5
with the conviction; authorizing a court to grant a petition on a showing of good 6
cause; providing that a denial of a petition may not be appealed and a subsequent 7
petition may not be filed for a certain period of time; and generally relating to 8
expungement of records. 9

BY adding to 10
Article – Criminal Procedure 11
Section 10–113 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2025 Replacement Volume) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Criminal Procedure 17

10–113. 18

(A) (1) A PERSON MAY FILE A PE TITION FOR EXPUNGEME NT OF ANY 19
MISDEMEANOR CONVICTION NOT EARLIER THAN 5 YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION 20
OF THE SENTE NCE, PAROLE, PROBATION, AND ANY OTHER FORM O F MANDATORY 21
TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVICTION FOR WHICH EXPUNGEMEN T IS 22
BEING REQUESTED. 23

2 SENATE BILL 525

(2) A PERSON MAY FILE A PE TITION FOR EXPUNGEME NT OF ANY 1
FELONY CONVICTION NOT EARLIER THAN 7 YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE 2
SENTENCE, PAROLE, PROBATION, AND ANY OTHER FORM O F MANDATORY 3
TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVICTION FOR WHICH EXPUNGEMEN T IS 4
BEING REQUESTED. 5

(B) A PETITION UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE FIL ED IN THE COURT IN 6
WHICH THE PROCEEDING BEGAN. 7

(C) ON THE FILING OF A PE TITION FOR EXPUNGEME NT UNDER THIS 8
SECTION, THE COURT SHALL HOLD A HEARING. 9

(D) A COURT MAY GRANT A PE TITION FOR EXPUNGEME NT UNDER THIS 10
SECTION ON A SHOWING OF GOOD CAUSE. 11

(E) IN MAKING A FINDING O F GOOD CAUSE UNDER T HIS SECTION , THE 12
COURT SHALL CONSIDER: 13

(1) THE NATURE OF THE CRIME; 14

(2) THE PERSON’S HISTORY AND CHARACTER; 15

(3) THE PERSON’S RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY; 16

(4) THE PERSON’S SUCCESS AT REHABILITATION; 17

(5) THE AMOUNT OF TIME SINCE THE CONVICTION; AND 18

(6) THE IMPACT THE CHARGE HA S ON THE PERSON ’S ABILITY TO 19
SECURE EMPLOYMENT , EDUCATION, HOUSING, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE , LICENSING, 20
AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC STABILITY. 21

(F) IF THE COURT DENIES A PETITION FOR AN EXPUNGEMENT UNDER THIS 22
SECTION: 23

(1) THE DENIAL MAY NOT BE APPEALED; AND 24

(2) THE PERSON WHO FILED THE PETITION MAY NOT FILE A 25
SUBSEQUENT PETITION FOR EXPUNGEMENT UNDER THIS SECTION FOR T HE SAME 26
CONVICTION FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS. 27

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2026. 29