Starting next week, speed camera fines in Maryland will be going up — as will the number of speed cameras stationed on roads in the state.

Passed earlier this year by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Wes Moore, HB182/SB118 goes into effect October 1st. It sets a new fine structure for violations from speed cameras, which start when a driver is caught going more than 12 miles per hour above the posted limit. The $40 fine for being caught going 12 to 15 miles per hour too fast will stay the same at $40, but anything above that is going up under the bill.

The changes are in line with a similar bump in fines for speeding through highway construction zones that went into effect at the start of 2025. Depending on whether workers are present and how fast a driver is going above the speed limit in a construction zone, fines range from $60 to $1,000. Those changes came in response to an accident in March 2023 that killed six construction workers on Interstate 695 in Baltimore County. Both vehicles involved were going over 100 miles per hour.

I-695 in Baltimore County is one of the roads that will have more speed cameras come October 1 thanks to other laws taking effect that day. SB338 allows Baltimore County to put up to eight cameras along I-695, and up to six on I-83. HB988 allows for cameras to go on the Intercounty Connector (State Route 200) in Montgomery County, while HB1173 allows more speed cameras to be placed on high-risk highways in Montgomery County.

Other vehicle-related laws taking effect October 1 in Maryland:

HB189/SB187 - Disqualifies any commercial driver’s license holder caught driving with a blood alcohol level of .08% or higher from driving a commercial motor vehicle for one year

HB191/SB40 - Requires companies and police departments that tow and take abandoned vehicles into custody to electronically notify owners of the vehicle through Maryland Vehicle Administration

HB288/SB210 - Increases the maximum duration - from 180 days to 300 days – of a Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) emergency status determination (which allows MDTA to adopt temporary adjustments to tolls, fees, mileage rate ranges, pricing periods, toll zones, or other charges without meeting specified public notice and comment requirements)

HB313/SB54 - Makes permanent a requirement for the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to make available specially designed vintage reproduction registration plates; MVA must charge an initial $100 and renewal fee of $25 for the vintage reproduction plates

HB343/SB390 - Authorizes a technician employed by or under contract with an agency to sign a statement in a citation alleging a speed monitoring system violation and swear to or affirm for evidentiary reasons that a speed monitoring system violation occurred

HB349 - Creates escalating penalties for speed camera violations on Maryland Route 210 in Prince George’s County; penalties depend on the excessiveness of the speed violation

HB436/SB707 - Repeals two-year limit on medical exemption for operating a vehicle with tinted windows

HB463/SB471 - Replaces Motor Vehicle Administration’s alcohol and drug education program with a three-hour Roadway Safety Driving Education Program that includes eight instruction topics

HB470/SB322 - Prohibits a person from advertising for, or promoting the sale of, an unlawful registration plate cover by falsely claiming that the registration plate cover is lawful in the State

HB516/SB381 - Generally prohibits an agency that implements and operates a speed or red light camera program from accessing or using a recorded image or associated data without a warrant, subpoena, or court order unless the access or use is for an appropriate traffic enforcement purpose, subject to certain exceptions

HB528/SB915 - Allows Baltimore County Police to enforce Maryland driving laws on private roads within the Queen Anne Village community in Owings Mills from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2028

HB681 - Exempts those whose annual income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level from having their Maryland driver’s license suspended for delinquent child support payments

HB707/SB618 - Eric’s ID Law; allows applicant for a license, identification card, or moped operator’s permit to indicate on the document that the applicant has a “nonapparent disability,” which includes developmental disabilities and intellectual disabilities

HB744/SB590 - Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act; adds offenses that constitute aggressive driving including leaving roadway to avoid traffic control device, driving on left side of the roadway in no-passing zone, failure to stop for pedestrian in crosswalk, failure to stop at stop signs, making excessive noise, spinning or skidding wheels, and motorcycles operating between lanes of traffic or vehicles; expands reckless driving to include driving a vehicle at a speed of at least 30 miles per hour above the posted speed limit; increases penalties for such offenses

HB1236 - Authorizes municipalities in Queen Anne’s County to decrease the maximum speed limit to not less than 15 miles per hour on a highway without performing an engineering and traffic investigation

HB1283 - Authorizes Charles County to regulate the operation of off-highway recreational vehicles, require owners of them register them with the county and pay an associated registration fee, and impose age restrictions on the operation of such vehicles

HB1371 - Authorizes an individual who operates a rented vehicle to use an electronic credential showing a representation of a valid driver’s license instead of a physical driver’s license

HB1375 - Authorizes a tow truck to display a portable variable message sign mounted on the truck while at the scene of a crash or a disabled vehicle; messaging sign must conform to the standards established by and display message approved for use by the State Highway Administration

HB1464 - Establishes an alternative registration process for owner of five or more rental fleet vehicles and requires the Motor Vehicle Administration to issue distinctive registration plates for rental vehicles registered under the alternative process

HB1465 - Requires the Maryland Transportation Authority to establish an installment payment plan program for a person who accumulates at least $300 in unpaid video tolls and civil penalties

HB1481 - Establishes Adapted Vehicle Access Pilot Program in the Maryland Department of Disabilities to provide adapted vehicles to eligible individuals who do not qualify for other programs offered by MDOD; program must prioritize individuals who reside in areas with limited access to public transportation