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State consumer-law reference center

Maryland

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Section inventory39 entries
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State law changes and varies by facts. Only source-checked inventories appear below. “Research pending” is not legal guidance and never means DJC may market, enroll, contract, bill, or provide a regulated service in this jurisdiction.
State statute inventory

Consumer-protection authorities under review

39 section entries
Source checked

Maryland Consumer Protection Act — Consumer-Facing Core

Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 13-101–13-501

The consumer-facing definitions, unfair-practice, enforcement, penalty, and short-title sections were checked against Maryland’s official statute service and the 2025 Title 13 directory. Title 13 also contains agency administration, health advocacy, and assisted-living reporting subtitles, which are identified by the title-level source but are not represented as consumer causes of action.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-101

Definitions

Defines consumer, merchant, consumer credit, goods, services, realty, advertisements, and unfair practices.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-102

Findings and purpose

States the need for strong consumer protection and the Act’s remedial purpose.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-103

Legislative intent and local enforcement

Addresses statewide intent, local provisions, and enforcement authority.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-301

Unfair, abusive, or deceptive practices defined

Lists misrepresentations, omissions, failures, and incorporated statutory violations treated as unlawful.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-302

Deception or damage unnecessary

Explains that specified public enforcement does not require proof a consumer was actually deceived or damaged.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-303

Practices generally prohibited

Identifies the consumer transactions and merchant conduct covered by the prohibition.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-305

Prizes conditioned on purchases

Regulates prizes used as purchase or sales-promotion inducements.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-306

Unavailable gift or inducement

Requires a certificate when an advertised gift or inducement is unavailable.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-308

Electrical consumer products

Regulates specified representations and safety-related practices involving electrical products.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-311

Service contracts and merchandise

Prohibits requiring a service contract as a prerequisite to merchandise sales.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-312

Financial-record subpoena certification

Requires specified certification for subpoenas governed by the Financial Institutions Article.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-313

Fire-resistant insulating material

Regulates representations involving fire-resistant insulation.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-314

Work-at-home advertisements

Requires disclosures and prohibits specified work-at-home advertising practices.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-317

Identification information and card payments

Restricts collection or use of consumer identification information with credit-card payments.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-318

Card information and checks

Restricts use of credit-card information in connection with payment by check.

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Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-320

Employment programs requiring licensure

Regulates enrollment representations for programs leading to licensed or certified employment.

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Research map

Maryland consumer-credit categories

Research pending

Credit services and credit repair organizations

Licensing, registration, bonding, contracts, fees, cancellation, advertising, and prohibited practices.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • Covered-service definitions
  • License or registration requirements
  • Contract and disclosure language
  • Fee and cancellation restrictions
  • Advertising and prohibited practices
Research pending

Debt collection

State collection-agency licensing, prohibited conduct, validation-related rules, remedies, and regulator contacts.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • Collector and agency definitions
  • Licensing and exemptions
  • Communication and conduct restrictions
  • Civil remedies and enforcement
  • Complaint channels
Research pending

Consumer reporting and security freezes

State credit-reporting duties, freezes, protected-consumer freezes, identity-theft blocks, and remedies.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • Freeze placement and lifting
  • Fees and timing
  • Protected consumers
  • Identity-theft procedures
  • Enforcement and remedies
Authority identified

Identity theft, data breach, and privacy

Identity-theft crimes and recovery tools, breach notices, personal-information safeguards, and privacy rights.

  • Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 13-101–13-501
What the legal reviewer checks
  • Breach notice triggers and timing
  • Covered personal information
  • Security safeguards
  • Identity-theft reports and blocks
  • Attorney-general enforcement
Research pending

Garnishment and judgment protections

State exemptions, disposable-earnings limits, court procedures, bank-account protections, and employer duties.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • Wage and bank exemptions
  • Debt-specific limits
  • Claim-of-exemption procedure
  • Notice and hearing deadlines
  • Employer restrictions
Research pending

Repossession and deficiency balances

Notice, cure, repossession conduct, sale, accounting, redemption, and deficiency rules.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • Right-to-cure notices
  • Repossession restrictions
  • Sale notice and commercial reasonableness
  • Redemption
  • Deficiency accounting and defenses
Research pending

Small-dollar and consumer lending

Licensing, rates, fees, payment plans, disclosures, collection practices, and complaint resources.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • Covered loan definitions
  • License requirements
  • Rate and fee limits
  • Rollover or payment-plan rules
  • Enforcement
Research pending

Mortgage, housing, and auto finance

Servicing, foreclosure, homeowner, dealer-finance, motor-vehicle-sales, and related protections.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • Mortgage servicing and foreclosure
  • Homeowner notices and assistance
  • Dealer and sales-finance licensing
  • Auto disclosures
  • Complaints and remedies
Research pending

Medical and utility debt

Billing, collection, charity-care, utility termination, deposit, and payment-plan rules.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • Hospital and medical billing
  • Charity-care disclosures
  • Utility shutoff protections
  • Deposits and payment plans
  • Complaint agencies
Research pending

Military and veteran protections

State protections that may supplement federal servicemember and military-lending laws.

What the legal reviewer checks
  • State active-duty coverage
  • Interest or collection protections
  • Lease and contract rules
  • Court stays
  • Military legal-assistance contacts

Need information before review is complete?

Use the official state source, state attorney general, financial regulator, or legal-aid provider. Confirm current effective dates and amendments before relying on a section.

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