# Courts and Judicial Proceedings (GCJ)

## Title 6. Personal Jurisdiction, Venue, Process and Practice

### Subtitle 1. Bases of Personal Jurisdiction

#### Section 6-101

(a)

  (1) For purposes of personal jurisdiction, venue, and service of process, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

  (2) "County" includes any federal enclave, reservation, or land within the geographical limits of the county.

  (3) "Resident" includes a person residing on a federal enclave, reservation, or land in the State or a county.

  (4) "State" includes any federal enclave, reservation, or land within the geographical limits of the State.

(b) It is the intention of the General Assembly to extend the personal jurisdiction and venue of courts of the State and the power to serve process of those courts to any person on federal enclaves, reservations, or lands within the State to the fullest extent permitted by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

(c) The jurisdiction of the United States over land acquired by it shall continue only so long as the United States owns, leases, or occupies the land.

#### Section 6-102

(a) A court may exercise personal jurisdiction as to any cause of action over a person domiciled in, served with process in, organized under the laws of, or who maintains his principal place of business in the State.

(b) This section does not limit any other basis of personal jurisdiction of a court of the State.

#### Section 6-102.1

(a) This section applies to an individual who, on or after October 1, 2017:

  (1) Accepts the election or appointment as a director of a Maryland corporation or a trustee of a Maryland real estate investment trust; or

  (2) Serves as a director of a Maryland corporation or a trustee of a Maryland real estate investment trust.

(b) An individual subject to this section is deemed, by the acceptance or service, to have consented to the appointment of the resident agent of the corporation or real estate investment trust or, if there is no resident agent, the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, as an agent on which service of process may be made in any civil action or proceeding brought in the State:

  (1)

    (i) By or on behalf of, or against, the corporation or real estate investment trust; and

    (ii) To which the individual is a necessary or proper party; or

  (2) Against the individual for an internal corporate claim as defined in Sec. 1-101 of the Corporations and Associations Article.

(c) The consent to service of process by an individual under subsection (b) of this section:

  (1) Is effective whether or not the individual is a director or trustee at the time a civil action or proceeding is commenced; and

  (2) Constitutes the consent of the individual that any process served in accordance with subsection (b) of this section has the same legal force and validity as if served on the individual.

(d) The appointment under subsection (b) of this section of the resident agent of a corporation or a real estate investment trust or the State Department of Assessments and Taxation as an agent for service of process is irrevocable.

#### Section 6-103

(a) If jurisdiction over a person is based solely upon this section, he may be sued only on a cause of action arising from any act enumerated in this section.

(b) A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a person, who directly or by an agent:

  (1) Transacts any business or performs any character of work or service in the State;

  (2) Contracts to supply goods, food, services, or manufactured products in the State;

  (3) Causes tortious injury in the State by an act or omission in the State;

  (4) Causes tortious injury in the State or outside of the State by an act or omission outside the State if he regularly does or solicits business, engages in any other persistent course of conduct in the State or derives substantial revenue from goods, food, services, or manufactured products used or consumed in the State;

  (5) Has an interest in, uses, or possesses real property in the State; or

  (6) Contracts to insure or act as surety for, or on, any person, property, risk, contract, obligation, or agreement located, executed, or to be performed within the State at the time the contract is made, unless the parties otherwise provide in writing.

(c)

  (1)

    (i) In this subsection the following terms have the meanings indicated.

    (ii) "Computer information" has the meaning stated in Sec. 22-102 of the Commercial Law Article.

    (iii) "Computer program" has the meaning stated in Sec. 22-102 of the Commercial Law Article.

  (2) The provisions of this section apply to computer information and computer programs in the same manner as they apply to goods and services.

#### Section 6-103.1

A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant in any civil proceeding arising out of the marital relationship or involving a demand for child support, spousal support, or counsel fees if the plaintiff resides in this State at the time suit is filed and the nonresident defendant has been personally served with process in accordance with the Maryland Rules and:

(1) This State was the matrimonial domicile of the parties immediately before their separation; or

(2) The obligation to pay child support, spousal support, or counsel fees arose under the laws of this State or under an agreement executed by one of the parties in this State.

#### Section 6-103.2

A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant alleged to be the father in a paternity proceeding if:

(1) The mother resides in this State at the time the suit is filed;

(2) The nonresident alleged father personally has been served with process in accordance with the Maryland Rules; and

(3) The act of conception is alleged to have occurred in this State.

#### Section 6-103.3

(a) In this section, "defamation" includes invasion of privacy by false facts.

(b) A court may exercise personal jurisdiction, to the fullest extent permitted by the United States Constitution, over any person who obtains a judgment in a defamation proceeding outside the United States against any person who is a resident of this State or has assets in this State for the purpose of providing declaratory relief with respect to that person's liability for the judgment or determining whether the judgment may not be recognized under Sec. 10-704 of this article if the Maryland resident or person who has assets in this State may have to take actions in Maryland to comply with the foreign defamation judgment.

#### Section 6-104

(a) If a court finds that in the interest of substantial justice an action should be heard in another forum, the court may stay or dismiss the action in whole or in part on any conditions it considers just.

(b)

  (1) When actions involving at least one of the same parties, with the same subject matter, issues, and defenses arising out of the same circumstances, are instituted in the District Court and a circuit court of the State, the party who filed the action in the District Court may file a motion in that court to remove the action to the circuit court for consolidation with the action pending in circuit court.

  (2) If the motion is granted, the court shall forward all pleadings to the circuit court.

  (3) An action removed to the circuit court and consolidated with an action in that court under the provisions of this section shall proceed in the circuit court, without regard to the amount in controversy, as if originally instituted in the circuit court.

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Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)