Privacy Law Library

Stop the Spam Calls Act of 2023

MD Stop the Spam Calls Act

Marketing · Communications

Maryland's mini-TCPA requires prior express written consent before a telephone solicitation uses an automated dialing system or a prerecorded message, and limits solicitation calls to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and three per day on the same subject. Solicitors must transmit accurate caller ID and may not spoof numbers or disguise their voice. A 2024 emergency amendment (ch. 214) adjusted exemptions and remedies.

Where
Maryland
Citation
Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-4501 to 14-4504
Status
In force
In force since
2024-01-01
Last amended
2024-04-25
Enforced by
Consumer Protection Division, Office of the Attorney General (14-4503(a)(1)); private actions by called parties (14-4503(a)(2))
People can sue
Yes
Penalties
Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice under Title 13 (14-4503(a)(1)). Called parties may sue for an injunction and the greater of $500 or actual damages, trebled for willful or knowing violations (14-4503(a)(2)).
Applies to
  • Persons making or causing telephone solicitations (as defined in Pub. Util. § 8-205), by call, text, or voicemail, to Maryland area codes, presumed to reach Maryland residents (14-4501(f), 14-4503(b))
  • Autodialer and prerecorded-message consent rule exempts isolated calls, qualifying nonprofit solicitations, established B2B sellers, repair contracts, single responsive calls, some existing-relationship communications, and public opinion research (14-4502(a)(1)-(2))

Practices it requires

  • Obtain the called party's prior express written consent, signed and clearly authorizing solicitations, before making a telephone solicitation using an automated system for selecting or dialing numbers or a recorded message.Com. Law 14-4502(a)(3); 14-4501(d)
  • Transmit the originating number and, when available, the caller name to caller ID, and do not spoof a different caller ID number to conceal identity.Com. Law 14-4502(b)
  • Do not make telephone solicitations between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. in the called party's time zone, or more than three times in 24 hours to the same person on the same subject.Com. Law 14-4502(c)(1)-(2)
  • Do not alter the caller's voice to disguise identity in order to defraud or to obtain personal information for fraudulent or unlawful use.Com. Law 14-4502(c)(3)

Sources

Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.

Unverified: last_amended uses the governor's approval date of the 2024 emergency act (2024-04-25) as its effective date; the specific changes it made were not reviewed.

Research reference, not legal advice.