Title 26. Prohibitions and Penalties — Subtitle 1. School Security
Statutes in effect as of October 1, 2026.
Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 26-101 (2026)
Title 26. Prohibitions and Penalties
Subtitle 1. School Security
§ 26–101LinkCopy Citation
(a)
A person may not willfully disturb or otherwise willfully prevent the orderly conduct of the activities, administration, or classes of any institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education.
(b)
A person may not molest or threaten with bodily harm any student, employee, administrator, agent, or any other individual who is lawfully:
(1)
On the grounds or in the immediate vicinity of any institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education;
(2)
On a school vehicle;
(3)
At an activity sponsored by a school that is held off school property; or
(4)
On property that is owned by a county board and is used for administrative or other purposes.
(c)
A person may not threaten with bodily harm any employee of any institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education at home by any means, including in person, by telephone, or by electronic mail. This prohibition applies only to threats arising out of the scope of the employee’s employment.
(d)
In addition to the penalties provided in this section or in § 6-409 of the Criminal Law Article, on application by the governing board of any institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education, the circuit court of the county in which the institution is located may issue an injunction restraining any specific activities that violate this section.
(e)
Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $2,500, imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or both.
(f)
(1)
On or before December 1, 2022, and each December 1 thereafter, each county board of education, including the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, shall report to the Department on the number of school disruptions in the county in violation of this section for the immediately preceding school year.
(2)
A county board shall report the information required under paragraph (1) of this subsection in the following manner:
(i)
The disruptions shall be sorted into the following categories:
(1)
Attendance;
(2)
Arson, fire, or explosives;
(3)
Dangerous substances;
(4)
Sex offenses; and
(5)
Attack with a weapon, threats, or fighting; and
(ii)
Each incident of disruption shall be disaggregated by:
(1)
The race, ethnicity, disability status, and gender of the individual;
(2)
The actions taken against an individual by the local school or county board resulting from a violation, including suspensions of fewer than 10 days, suspensions of 10 days or more, and expulsions; and
(3)
Referrals for prosecution.
(3)
On or before February 1, 2023, and each February 1 thereafter, the Department shall submit to the Maryland Center for School Safety and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly a report on incidents of school disruptions in public schools in the State from a compilation of the reports submitted to the Department under paragraph (1) of this subsection and disaggregated in the manner required under paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(4)
Each county board shall include information on school disruptions from the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 school years in its report to the Department for the report due on December 1, 2022.
Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 26-102 (2026)
Title 26. Prohibitions and Penalties
Subtitle 1. School Security
§ 26–102LinkCopy Citation
(a)
In this section, “school resource officer” means a law enforcement officer as defined under § 1–101(e) of the Public Safety Article who has been assigned to a school in accordance with a memorandum of understanding between the chief of a law enforcement agency as defined under § 3–101(b) of the Public Safety Article and the local education agency.
(b)
The governing board, president, superintendent, principal, or school resource officer of any public institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education, or a person designated in writing by the board or any of these persons, may deny access to the buildings or grounds of the institution to any other person who:
(1)
Is not a bona fide, currently registered student, or staff or faculty member at the institution, and who does not have lawful business to pursue at the institution;
(2)
Is a bona fide, currently registered student at the institution and has been suspended or expelled from the institution, for the duration of the suspension or expulsion; or
(3)
Acts in a manner that disrupts or disturbs the normal educational functions of the institution.
(c)
Administrative personnel, authorized employees of any public institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education, and persons designated in subsection (b) of this section may demand identification and evidence of qualification from any person who desires to use or enter the premises of the institution.
(d)
The governing board of any public institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education may enter into an agreement with appropriate law enforcement agencies to carry out the responsibilities of this section when:
(1)
The institution is closed; or
(2)
None of the persons designated in subsection (b) of this section are present in the buildings or on the grounds of the institution.
(e)
A person is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or both if he:
(1)
Trespasses on the grounds of any public institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education;
(2)
Fails or refuses to leave the grounds of any of these institutions after being requested to do so by a person designated in subsection (b) of this section as being authorized to deny access to the buildings or grounds of the institution; or
(3)
Willfully damages or defaces any building, furnishing, statue, monument, memorial, tree, shrub, grass, or flower on the grounds of any of these institutions.
Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 26-103 (2026)
Title 26. Prohibitions and Penalties
Subtitle 1. School Security
§ 26–103LinkCopy Citation
(a)
(1)
Unless locally approved by the county board of education, a person may not drink or possess any alcoholic beverage on the premises of any public school.
(2)
A person who drinks or possesses any alcoholic beverage and causes a public disturbance at any elementary or secondary school athletic contest may not refuse to comply with a request by a law enforcement officer to stop drinking and causing the public disturbance. If the person complies with the first request, he may not be charged under this section.
(b)
(1)
Any person under 18 years of age who violates the provisions of this section shall be issued a citation and be subject to the dispositions for a violation under Title 3, Subtitle 8A of the Courts Article.
(2)
Any person 18 years old or older violating the provisions of this section shall be issued a citation and be subject to § 10-119 of the Criminal Law Article.
Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 26-104 (2026)
Title 26. Prohibitions and Penalties
Subtitle 1. School Security
§ 26–104LinkCopy Citation
(a)
In this section, “school bus driver” means the driver of a school vehicle as defined in § 11–154 of the Transportation Article while employed by or under contract with a local school system.
(b)
A person may not obstruct, hinder, or interfere with a school bus driver while the school bus driver is engaged in the performance of the school bus driver’s official duties.
(c)
Any person who violates subsection (b) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both.