Hit and Run Laws Traffic Laws Criminal Law Maryland Laws

Maryland Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do

January 13, 202213 min read

Quick Summary

Governing statutes: Maryland Transportation Article, Sections 20-102 through 20-104; penalties in Section 27-113
Felony threshold: Accidents involving serious bodily injury or death
Maximum felony penalty (death): Up to 10 years in prison, $10,000 fine
Serious injury penalty: Up to 5 years in prison, $5,000 fine
Bodily injury penalty: Up to 1 year in jail, $3,000 fine
Property damage penalty: Up to 60 days in jail, $500 fine
Reporting deadline: 15 days for written report if accident involves injury or death
Fault system: Maryland follows "contributory negligence" rules

Last verified: March 2026. This guide reflects current Maryland Transportation Article, Title 20. Always consult a licensed attorney for legal advice specific to your situation.

Maryland Hit and Run Statutes

Maryland's hit and run laws are located in the Transportation Article, Title 20, and the corresponding penalty provisions are found in Title 27. The key sections include:

Maryland close-up of a vehicle license plate frame, plate blurred out

Section 20-102: Duty to Stop (Bodily Injury or Death)

This section requires drivers involved in accidents resulting in bodily injury or death to immediately stop their vehicle as close as possible to the scene without obstructing traffic more than necessary. The driver must remain at the scene until complying with the information exchange and aid requirements of Section 20-104.

Section 20-103: Duty to Stop (Property Damage)

This section covers accidents resulting only in damage to an attended vehicle or other attended property. The driver must return to and remain at the scene until they have exchanged the required information.

Section 20-104: Duty to Give Information and Render Aid

This section specifies what information must be exchanged and requires drivers to render reasonable assistance to any injured person, including arranging transportation to a medical facility if necessary or requested.

Section 27-113: Enhanced Penalties for Serious Offenses

This section establishes the felony penalty structure for hit and run accidents involving serious bodily injury or death.

Your Legal Obligations at the Scene

Under Maryland law, if you are involved in an accident that causes bodily injury, death, or property damage, you must fulfill specific duties. Failure to complete any of these obligations can result in criminal charges.

Stop immediately as close to the scene as possible without obstructing traffic more than necessary. If you have passed the scene, you must return promptly.

Remain at the scene until you have fulfilled all required duties under Section 20-104.

Render reasonable assistance to any injured person. This includes calling 911, arranging for medical transportation if needed or requested, and providing first aid if you are trained and able to do so.

Provide your information to any person injured in the accident, the driver or occupant of any damaged vehicle, the person attending any damaged property, and any police officer at the scene or investigating the accident. Required information includes:

Your name and address
Your vehicle registration number
Your driver's license (upon request, if available)

Report to police if no officer is present at the scene and the injured parties cannot receive your information due to their condition, you must immediately report the accident to the nearest authorized police authority.

File a written report within 15 days if the accident involves injury or death. This report must include your insurance information, policy number, and the name and address of your insurance agent.

Moving vehicles after property damage: If the accident involves only property damage, you may move the vehicle to avoid obstructing traffic. However, you must return to the scene and remain until all information exchange requirements are met.

Misdemeanor Hit and Run in Maryland

Property Damage Only (Section 20-103)

Failing to stop and exchange information after an accident involving only property damage is a misdemeanor punishable by:

Up to 60 days in jail
A fine of up to $500
Or both, plus possible license suspension at the court's discretion

Bodily Injury (Section 20-102(c)(2)(i))

Failing to stop and comply after an accident causing bodily injury (but not serious bodily injury or death) is punishable by:

Up to 1 year in jail
A fine of up to $3,000
Or both

Failure to Provide Information or Render Aid (Section 20-104(e))

Violating the duty to provide information or render reasonable assistance is a separate offense punishable by:

Up to 2 months in jail
A fine of up to $500
Or both

This charge can be brought in addition to charges under Sections 20-102 or 20-103, meaning a driver could face multiple charges from a single incident.

Felony Hit and Run in Maryland

Maryland imposes felony penalties for hit and run based on the severity of the injuries, with the knowledge requirement playing a central role.

Serious Bodily Injury (Section 27-113(d))

If the driver knew or reasonably should have known the accident might result in serious bodily injury, and serious bodily injury actually occurred, the offense is a felony punishable by:

Up to 5 years in prison
A fine of up to $5,000
Or both

Death (Section 27-113(e))

If the driver knew or reasonably should have known the accident might result in death, and death actually occurred, the offense is a felony punishable by:

Up to 10 years in prison
A fine of up to $10,000
Or both

Definition of Serious Bodily Injury

Under Section 20-102(c)(1), serious bodily injury means an injury that:

Creates a substantial risk of death
Causes serious permanent or serious protracted disfigurement
Causes serious permanent or serious protracted loss of function of any body part, organ, or mental faculty
Causes serious permanent or serious protracted impairment of the function of any body part or organ

The "knew or reasonably should have known" standard means prosecutors do not need to prove the driver had actual knowledge that someone was seriously injured or killed. If a reasonable person in the same circumstances would have recognized the likelihood of serious injury or death, the enhanced penalty applies.

Maryland Hit and Run Penalties at a Glance

Offense	Classification	Maximum Incarceration	Maximum Fine
Property damage only	Misdemeanor	60 days	$500
Failure to provide info/render aid	Misdemeanor	2 months	$500
Bodily injury	Misdemeanor	1 year	$3,000
Serious bodily injury	Felony	5 years	$5,000
Death	Felony	10 years	$10,000

Administrative Penalties

A hit and run conviction may result in driver's license suspension at the court's discretion. Points are also assessed against the driving record. Repeated traffic convictions can lead to license revocation by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA).

Maryland Crash Statistics

According to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for 2023:

Total motor vehicle deaths: 564 fatalities
Death rate: 9.1 per 100,000 population, below the national average of 12.2
Pedestrian fatalities: Approximately 26% of all traffic deaths, significantly higher than the national average of 18%
Motorcyclist fatalities: 89 deaths, representing 14% of total
Rural road fatalities: Only 6% of crash deaths occurred on rural roads, one of the lowest rates in the country
Alcohol involvement: Approximately 29% of fatally injured drivers had BAC of 0.08% or higher

Maryland's pedestrian fatality rate is notably higher than the national average, driven by urban density in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas. Nationally, NHTSA estimated 39,345 traffic fatalities in 2024, a 3.8% decrease from 2023.

How Fault Is Determined in Maryland

Maryland is one of only a handful of states that still follows the strict "contributory negligence" doctrine. This rule has significant consequences for accident victims.

Under contributory negligence:

If you are found to be even 1% at fault for the accident, you may be completely barred from recovering any compensation in a civil lawsuit
This makes Maryland one of the most defendant-friendly states for accident liability
The rule applies to all negligence claims, including those arising from hit and run accidents

For example, if another driver ran a red light and hit you, but a jury determined you were 5% at fault because you were slightly exceeding the speed limit, you could be barred from recovering any damages at all.

Practical advice: Because of Maryland's contributory negligence rule, it is critically important to never admit fault at the scene of an accident. Do not apologize, speculate about what happened, or make statements that could be interpreted as accepting responsibility. Focus on your legal obligations: stop, render aid, exchange information, and report the accident. Fault determination should be left entirely to investigators, insurance adjusters, and the courts.

Insurance Implications of a Hit and Run in Maryland

Understanding how insurance applies to hit and run situations in Maryland is essential for both drivers and victims.

For Hit and Run Victims

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage: Maryland law requires every auto insurance policy to include uninsured motorist coverage with minimum limits of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage. When a hit and run driver cannot be identified, your UM coverage steps in to compensate you for injuries and property damage.

Physical contact requirement: To make a UM claim for a hit and run in Maryland, you generally must show that the unidentified vehicle made physical contact with your vehicle or with you. "Phantom vehicle" claims (where the other vehicle caused you to swerve and crash without contact) are more difficult to pursue.

Contributory negligence in UM claims: Maryland's contributory negligence doctrine also applies to uninsured motorist claims. If you were even partially at fault, your UM claim could be denied.

For Convicted Drivers

Premium increases: Auto insurance rates will increase substantially after a hit and run conviction. Insurers treat hit and run as a major violation, and your premiums may double or triple.

Policy cancellation: Some insurers may decline to renew your policy, requiring you to obtain coverage through the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF), the state's insurer of last resort.

SR-22 filing: The court or MVA may require you to file an SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility, proving you maintain at least the state minimum insurance coverage.

Possible Defenses to Hit and Run Charges

Depending on the circumstances, the following defenses may be available:

Lack of knowledge: You were genuinely unaware that an accident occurred or that anyone was injured. This defense is stronger when the impact was minor, road noise was significant, or visibility was limited.
Fear for safety: You left because remaining at the scene would have put you in danger due to a hostile crowd, threatening behavior, or road rage from the other driver.
Medical emergency: You required immediate medical attention for your own injuries and drove to the nearest hospital or called 911.
Not the driver: You were not the person driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. This can arise when the vehicle was stolen or loaned to another person.
Compliance: The other party refused to exchange information or stated they were uninjured and did not want to file a report.

If you leave the scene for safety reasons, immediately report to the nearest police station and explain the circumstances. Prompt reporting demonstrates that you did not intend to flee and can significantly influence how prosecutors handle the case.

Statute of Limitations

For criminal hit and run charges in Maryland, the statute of limitations depends on the offense:

Misdemeanor offenses: Charges must generally be filed within 1 year
Felony offenses (serious injury or death): No statutory time limit applies to felonies in Maryland

For civil claims arising from a hit and run in Maryland:

Personal injury: 3 years from the date of the accident
Property damage: 3 years from the date of the accident
Wrongful death: 3 years from the date of death

Given Maryland's contributory negligence rule, victims should consult an attorney as early as possible to preserve evidence and protect their right to recovery.

Official References:

More Maryland Laws

Sources and References

Maryland Transportation Article Section 20-102(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
Maryland Transportation Article Section 20-103(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
Maryland Transportation Article Section 20-104(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
Maryland Transportation Code Section 20-102 (2024)(law.justia.com)
IIHS Fatality Facts 2023: State by State(iihs.org)
NHTSA 2024 Traffic Fatality Estimates(nhtsa.gov).gov
Maryland Insurance Administration: Uninsured Motorist Claims Advisory(insurance.maryland.gov).gov