New laws mean tougher penalties for drunk, drugged, and reckless driving
As of October 1, 2025, a wave of new laws took effect in Maryland that are designed to crack down on impaired driving, expand driver education, and make life a little easier for residents interacting with the Motor Vehicle Administration. Signed earlier this year by Gov. Wes Moore, these changes aren’t just bureaucratic tweaks; they’re meant to save lives, streamline services, and adapt to the needs of Maryland drivers in 2025.
These changes include harsher penalties for those who put others at risk of being involved in a car accident, as well as small but meaningful updates, such as hidden disability notations on IDs. Whether you’re a daily commuter, a commercial driver, or someone who needs to renew your license, here’s what you need to know.
What changes for drivers convicted of impaired driving?
If you’ve ever lost sleep worrying about drunk or reckless drivers on the road, this part’s for you. Impaired driving turns a vehicle into a weapon. Even a split-second lapse in judgment can erase lives, shatter families, and leave communities struggling with preventable tragedy. Alcohol, drugs, or even fatigue slow reaction times, blur vision, and distort decision-making. This can transform an everyday drive into a gamble where the stakes are someone’s daughter, neighbor, or best friend coming home safe.
To address this, two major laws are tightening the screws on impaired driving, and the consequences are steeper than ever.
First, under House Bill 70 and Senate Bill 207, the MVA now has the authority to revoke the license of anyone convicted of impaired driving that results in a death or life-threatening injury or for fleeing the scene of a serious crash. That’s not just a slap on the wrist; it’s a five-year driving ban, with a possible reduction to two years if the offender meets strict criteria.
Commercial drivers aren’t off the hook, either. House Bill 189 and Senate Bill 187 mean that CDL holders caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher will face at least a one-year suspension. For commercial vehicles, the threshold remains at 0.04, and repeat offenders could face a lifetime ban.
But it’s not all about punishment. The MVA is also stepping up its efforts to prevent impaired driving in the first place. Thanks to House Bill 46 and Senate Bill 222, the agency is now part of the state’s Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council. The agency brings its expertise to the table as Maryland continues to strike a balance between legal cannabis and road safety.
What’s new for drivers with foreign licenses?
Maryland’s roads are shared by drivers from all over the world, and the state is making sure everyone’s on the same page when it comes to safety. The MVA’s three-hour safety course for foreign license holders is expanding beyond alcohol and drug education to cover traffic signs, pavement markings, administrative penalties, and work zone safety. House Bill 463 and Senate Bill 471 ensure that no matter where you learned to drive, you’ll know the rules of Maryland’s roads before you hit them.
What other risks do Maryland road users face?
Maryland’s roads face more than just the threat of impaired driving. While these new laws will help make our roads safer, other dangerous habits behind the wheel put lives at risk every day, including:
- Speeding: Excessive speed reduces reaction time and increases the severity of crashes, turning minor mistakes into fatal collisions.
- Distracted driving: Texting, eating, or adjusting the radio takes eyes off the road. Just a few seconds of distraction can lead to a lifetime of regret.
- Failure to yield: Ignoring right-of-way rules at intersections or crosswalks often results in devastating T-bone collisions or pedestrian injuries.
- Reckless driving: Aggressive maneuvers such as tailgating, weaving through traffic, or running red lights create unpredictable hazards for everyone on the road.
- Drowsy driving: Fatigue impairs focus and reflexes almost as much as alcohol, which makes long or late-night drives especially risky.
- Ignoring work zones: Speeding or failing to slow down in construction areas endangers workers and drivers alike, where lanes shift and hazards are constant.
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