# Maryland The Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission (MPTSC) certifies police officers, must revoke certification for felonies and other listed grounds, and sets the statewide disciplinary matrix used under the 2021 Police Accountability Act. Since 2023 the State has raised the academy minimum to 850 hours, set firmer deadlines for misconduct cases, and opened positive-feedback records to inspection. From October 1, 2026, officers on duty in Maryland, including federal officers, may not wear face coverings except as a Commission policy allows, and uniformed officers must display identification. Source: https://uscli.org/officer-certification-tracker/maryland ## At a glance - **Certifying body:** Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission (MPTSC), an independent commission in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. It certifies police officers, sets selection and training standards, and suspends or revokes certification ([Public Safety 3-202, 3-207, 3-209, 3-212](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gps§ion=3-209&enactments=false)). Correctional officers fall under a separate Correctional Training Commission, which was not reviewed for this page. - **Statute:** Public Safety Article, Title 3, Subtitle 2 (3-201 to 3-218): the Commission, certification, lapse, recertification, and revocation. Subtitle 1 (3-101 to 3-114): police accountability boards, administrative charging committees, the disciplinary matrix, trial boards, and deadlines (3-113). Subtitle 5: the Use of Force Statute (3-524), body cameras (3-511), and, from October 1, 2026, face coverings and identification. Public records: General Provisions 4-311 and 4-351. Rules: COMAR 12.04.01 (certification and training), 12.04.09 (boards and charging committees), 12.04.10 (Uniform State Disciplinary Matrix), and 12.04.11 (complaint mediation). - **Minimum standards:** The Commission “shall certify” an individual who meets Commission standards (or completed equal out-of-state training); submits to a mental health screening, a physical agility assessment, and a criminal history records check (3-209.1); and is a U.S. citizen, or a permanent resident and honorably discharged veteran with a pending citizenship application. Prior cannabis use is not a disqualifier. An applicant “shall” disclose all prior police employment under penalty of perjury and authorize release of full personnel and disciplinary records, and the hiring agency “shall” certify to the Commission that it reviewed the disciplinary record ([3-215(c)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gps§ion=3-215&enactments=false)). Entrance-level training is a minimum of 850 hours (COMAR 12.04.01.09A(2)). Selection and background rules are in COMAR 12.04.01.04 and .05. - **Decertification:** Discretionary: after a hearing opportunity, the Commission “may” suspend or revoke certification for violating or failing to meet Commission standards, violating the Use of Force Statute (3-524), or knowingly failing to report suspected child abuse. Mandatory: the Commission “shall revoke” the certification of an officer convicted of a felony, convicted of perjury or another misdemeanor relating to truthfulness and veracity, or who was fired or resigned while under investigation for serious misconduct or excessive force. The hearing requirement in 3-212(b) covers the discretionary actions only. Appeals go to court under State Government 10-222 and 10-223. After a revocation, an officer may not apply for recertification for 2 years ([3-212](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gps§ion=3-212&enactments=false), 3-214). - **Public decertification list:** No statutory public list found. The Commission “shall create a statewide database to track police officer decertifications due to improper use of force” (3-212(d)); the statute does not say whether it is public. The Commission must post an annual summary of serious officer-involved incidents and discipline by race, ethnicity, and sex, with no officer names (3-207(b)). - **National Decertification Index:** None found. No section of Public Safety 3-201 to 3-218 and no regulation in [COMAR 12.04.01](https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/12.04.01) names the Index. - **Continuing training:** By rule, an agency head “shall ensure” that each certified officer at or below first-line supervisor rank completes at least 18 hours of Commission-approved in-service training each calendar year ([COMAR 12.04.01.12A(1)](https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/12.04.01.12)). By statute, certification also requires a mental health assessment every 2 years and a physical agility assessment every year (3-209(e)), and in-service training on use-of-force de-escalation and antidiscrimination at least every 2 years (3-207(a)(17)). ## Changes, 2023 to 2026 - Oct 1, 2026 — **Face coverings barred and identification required for officers on duty in Maryland, including federal officers** — 2026 Laws ch. 612 (SB 1), adding Public Safety 3-207(p) and (q), 3-535, and 3-536 · Signed May 26, 2026; effective October 1, 2026 — “Law enforcement officer” here means a sworn member of a law enforcement agency of Maryland, another state, a political subdivision, or the federal government. Under 3-535, an officer “may not” wear a face covering while performing duty in the State except as authorized in the uniform policy adopted by the Commission. The section does not apply to an officer actively engaged in an undercover operation. A face covering is an opaque mask, garment, helmet, or headgear that conceals or obscures the face, such as a balaclava, ski mask, neck gaiter, or tactical mask. Clear shields, medical and surgical masks, breathing apparatus, underwater gear, motorcycle helmets, laser-protective eyewear, religious garments, tactical protective gear, and items needed for occupational safety or a reasonable accommodation are excluded. Under 3-536, an officer on duty in the State “shall” wear the agency name, the officer’s last name, and a badge or ID number on the outermost layer of clothing, and “shall” state them on request. Plainclothes, nonuniformed, and undercover officers are exempt from 3-536. — A violation of either section is a civil offense with a fine of up to $1,500 and counts as police misconduct under Subtitle 1. A police officer “may” issue a citation, and an adjudication “is not a criminal conviction for any purpose.” A misdemeanor penalty of up to 2 years and an immunity waiver were struck before passage. The Commission “shall” develop uniform policies; the face-covering policy may allow coverings only when “absolutely necessary” for officer health or safety, including in bad weather. Counties, municipalities, and State and local law enforcement agencies “may not” adopt any other policy on these subjects. The law applies to federal officers on its face; no court ruling on that was found. — **For officers:** On duty in Maryland in uniform, wear your agency, last name, and badge or ID number on your outer layer, and cover your face only as the Commission’s policy allows. — [2026 Laws ch. 612](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_612_sb0001e.pdf)[SB 1 (2026)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0001?ys=2026RS) - Nov 10, 2025 — **Charging-committee rules carry out the 2025 deadlines, reach agency-started complaints, and limit who can be charged** — COMAR 12.04.09.04B, .06E and F, and .07B(5) (proposed at 52:18 Md. R. 929; final at 52:22 Md. R. 1096) · Effective November 10, 2025 — New .06E: for alleged misconduct involving a member of the public, the investigating unit “shall” forward its findings to the administrative charging committee (ACC) within 334 days after a public complaint “or initiation of a complaint by the law enforcement agency in the absence of a complaint by a member of the public.” The statute speaks only of public complaints. The ACC decides or asks for more investigation within 30 days, and the process ends within 395 days after a public complaint. New .06F repeats the statute’s 1-year-and-1-day charging rule for misconduct under criminal investigation. Amended .04B says that for complaints not involving the public, agencies “shall” use the Uniform State Disciplinary Matrix when a complaint results in a charge, and charges “must” be filed within 1 year and 1 day under 3-113(c). New .07B(5): an ACC “may not” administratively charge an officer who was not the subject of the investigating unit’s findings, and must instead request more investigation into that officer. — **For officers:** A charging committee cannot charge you on another officer’s file; it must send your conduct back for its own investigation. — [COMAR 12.04.09](https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/12.04.09)[Maryland Register 52:18 (archived)](https://web.archive.org/web/20260117140543/https://dsd.maryland.gov/MDRIssues/5218/Assembled.aspx) - Oct 1, 2025 — **New deadlines for misconduct investigations and administrative charges** — 2025 Laws ch. 493 (SB 533), amending Public Safety 3-113 · Signed May 13, 2025; effective October 1, 2025 — For an incident involving a member of the public, unless the conduct is under criminal investigation, the investigating unit “shall” forward its findings to the ACC within 334 days after the public complaint is filed. The ACC “shall” decide or ask for more investigation within 30 days, and the whole process “shall” end within 395 days of the complaint. Before, the limit was 1 year and 1 day. For misconduct an ACC does not review, the agency “shall” file any charges within 1 year and 1 day after the appropriate official, as set by agency policy, learned of it. If the misconduct is under criminal investigation, charges are due within 1 year and 1 day after the date of: a timely finding that it is not criminal, the disposition of all criminal charges, or timely notice that the prosecutor declined to charge. — **For officers:** If your conduct is under criminal investigation, the 1-year-and-1-day charging clock starts only when the matter is found not criminal, the charges are disposed of, or the prosecutor declines to charge. — [2025 Laws ch. 493](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_493_sb0533e.pdf)[Public Safety 3-113](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gps§ion=3-113&enactments=false) - Feb 3, 2025 — **Accountability-board rules redefine “local governing body”** — COMAR 12.04.09.02B (proposed at 51:13 Md. R. 650) · Effective February 3, 2025 — The definition of “local governing body” in the police accountability board rules now names charter, code, and commission county bodies. The amendment does not change the misconduct deadlines. — **For officers:** No new duty for officers was identified. — [COMAR 12.04.09](https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/12.04.09) - Oct 1, 2024 — **Positive community feedback on officers: a uniform process, with agency records open to inspection** — 2024 Laws chs. 548 (HB 973) and 549 (SB 7), identical; amending General Provisions 4-311 and 4-351 and adding Public Safety 3-207(m) and 3-519.1 · Signed May 9, 2024; effective October 1, 2024 — The Commission “shall” create a simple, uniform process for the public to submit positive feedback on officers. Each agency “shall” adopt it, post it on the agency website if the agency has one, and keep a record of positive feedback for all officers. Those records “are subject to public inspection in accordance with” the Public Information Act. The same act adds positive-feedback records to the police misconduct records a custodian “may deny” under General Provisions 4-351(a)(4), and, when the officer did not solicit the feedback, to the records that are not personnel records under 4-311. So the records are open to inspection under the Act, subject to its exceptions. — **For officers:** Your agency must keep a record of public praise you receive. — [2024 Laws ch. 548](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/Chapters_noln/CH_548_hb0973t.pdf)[2024 Laws ch. 549](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/Chapters_noln/CH_549_sb0007e.pdf) - Aug 7, 2023 — **Academy minimum raised from 750 to 850 hours** — COMAR 12.04.01.09 and .14 (proposed at 50:10 Md. R. 409; adopted as proposed, 50:15 Md. R. 682) · Adopted July 12, 2023; effective August 7, 2023 — A Commission-approved entrance-level training program is now a minimum of 850 hours, up from 750. Before, hours used for firearms training and qualification could not count toward the minimum; now the Commission “may” count them. Field training still may not count. For an out-of-state or federal officer seeking a waiver of part of the academy, the Commission may now consider in-service training topics (each repeated annual topic once) and relevant specialized training toward the academy hours. The exclusion of firearms training for these lateral officers was removed. — **For officers:** If you transfer from another state or a federal agency, your in-service and specialized training may now count toward Maryland’s academy hours. — [Maryland Register 50:10 (archived)](https://web.archive.org/web/20231211122450/https://dsd.maryland.gov/MDRIssues/5010/Assembled.aspx)[Maryland Register 50:15 (archived)](https://web.archive.org/web/20231210200310/https://dsd.maryland.gov/MDRIssues/5015/Assembled.aspx) - Mar 20, 2023 — **Police complaint mediation program rules** — COMAR 12.04.11, adopted at 50:5 Md. R. 182 (implements Public Safety 3-207(d)) · Effective March 20, 2023 — The rules set up the Commission’s program under which agencies may refer eligible nonviolent public complaints to voluntary mediation outside the standard complaint process. Referral is optional for agencies. Under COMAR 12.04.09.06A, mediated complaints are still tracked with other citizen complaints and reported to the police accountability board. — **For officers:** A minor complaint against you may be offered mediation instead of the standard process. — [COMAR 12.04.11](https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/12.04.11) - Jan 9, 2023 — **Rules for accountability boards and charging committees, and the Uniform State Disciplinary Matrix, made permanent** — COMAR 12.04.09.01–.07 and 12.04.10.01–.05, adopted at 49:27 Md. R. 1111 · In force as emergency rules from September 6, 2022; permanent effective January 9, 2023 — The permanent rules are substantively the same as the emergency rules that expired December 27, 2022. 12.04.10: every agency “shall” adopt the Uniform State Disciplinary Matrix under Public Safety 3-105, and discipline for sustained violations is imposed under it. The matrix sets violation levels, a penalty range from counseling and reprimand through loss of leave, suspension, demotion, and termination, and aggravating and mitigating factors. Discipline may not be based on race, sex, gender identity, other listed traits, or the case’s public profile. 12.04.09: an ACC decides by majority vote, recommends discipline within the matrix, and may not charge an officer twice for the same conduct. An agency head may impose the ACC’s discipline or more within the range, but not less. The officer may accept or go to a trial board. — **For officers:** Discipline for a sustained violation must fall within the statewide matrix range. — [COMAR 12.04.10](https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/12.04.10)[COMAR 12.04.09](https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/12.04.09) ## Not yet in force and pending - **Uniform face-covering and ID policies:** ch. 612 requires the Commission to develop them. Whether it has issued them could not be checked from official sources on October 19, 2026. [2026 Laws ch. 612](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_612_sb0001e.pdf) - **Section numbers for the face-covering law:** the online Code returned “File Not Found” for Public Safety 3-535 and 3-536 on October 19, 2026. 2026 chs. 461 (SB 516) and 462 (HB 904), on body armor, also add a new 3-535 effective October 1, 2026, so the final numbering may differ. [2026 Laws ch. 461](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_461_sb0516t.pdf) Only enacted chapters and adopted rules were reviewed. COMAR 12.04.12 (special police and security guard training), adopted October 7, 2026 and effective October 26, 2026, covers security personnel, not certified police officers. ## Checked and unchanged - Public Safety 3-209 (certification) and 3-212 (suspension, revocation, and the use-of-force database): no substantive 2023–2026 change. 2025 chs. 261 and 262 (SB 280 and HB 1060) proposed new veteran wording in 3-209(a)(5)(ii), but the enacted chapter strikes that change except for deleting “of the United States armed forces.” - Public Safety 3-215 (prior-employment disclosure and record review), 3-524 (Use of Force Statute), and General Provisions 4-351 police misconduct records, other than the 2024 positive-feedback change: no 2023–2026 amendment found. - COMAR 12.04.01.10D (effective October 27, 2025): a cross-reference fix only. - Maryland Register issues 53:7 to 53:21 (2026) show no other Commission rule on officer certification. The only new Commission items are 12.04.12 (security guards) and proposed 12.04.13 (the Commission Fund). - Not counted: 2023 ch. 743 (body camera procurement); 2024 chs. 708 and 709 (wellness policies); 2025 chs. 510 and 511 (peer support); 2026 chs. 658 and 659 (autism and dementia training); and 2026 chs. 461 and 462 (body armor).