# Business Regulation (GBR)

## Title 7. Collection Agencies

### Subtitle 1. Definitions; General Provisions

#### Section 7-102

(a)

  (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

  (2) "Common ownership" means direct or indirect ownership of more than 50% of a person.

  (3) "Principal business" means a business activity of a person that comprises more than 50% of the total business activities of the person.

(b) This title does not apply to:

  (1) a bank;

  (2) a federal or State credit union;

  (3) a mortgage lender;

  (4) a person acting under an order of a court of competent jurisdiction;

  (5) a licensed real estate broker, or an individual acting on behalf of the real estate broker, in the collection of rent or allied charges for property;

  (6) a savings and loan association;

  (7) a title company as to its escrow business;

  (8) a trust company;

  (9) a lawyer who is collecting a debt for a client, unless the lawyer has an employee who:

    (i) is not a lawyer; and

    (ii) is engaged primarily to solicit debts for collection or primarily makes contact with a debtor to collect or adjust a debt through a procedure identified with the operation of a collection agency; or

  (10) a person who is collecting a debt for another person if:

    (i) both persons are related by common ownership;

    (ii) the person who is collecting a debt does so only for those persons to whom it is related by common ownership;

    (iii) the principal business of the person who is collecting a debt is not the collection of debts; and

    (iv) before collecting a debt, the person files with the Board:

      (1) the correct name of the person;

      (2) an address and telephone number of a contact person; and

      (3) the name of the person's resident agent.

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Md. Code Ann., Bus. Reg. (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)