Bill > HB169

This bill, titled Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records - Good Cause, modifies existing Maryland law regarding the expungement, or removal, of criminal conviction records. It establishes specific waiting periods before a person can petition for expungement: 5 years after completing their sentence, parole, probation, or any other mandatory treatment for a misdemeanor conviction, and 7 years for a felony conviction. The bill mandates that a court must hold a hearing on any expungement petition and can grant it if the petitioner demonstrates "good cause." To determine good cause, judges must consider several factors, including the nature of the crime, the individual's history and character, their risk to public safety, their success in rehabilitation, the time elapsed since the conviction, and how the conviction impacts their ability to secure employment, education, housing, public assistance, licenses, and economic stability. If a petition is denied, the decision cannot be appealed, and the individual must wait at least three years before filing another petition for the same conviction. This Act is set to take effect on October 1, 2026.

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https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0169?ys=2026RS