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<chapter num="18" heading="Disposition and Records of Traffic Citations: Citation Accountability" title_num="11" subtitle_num="17">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Definitions.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Terms Defined.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>“Administration” means the Motor Vehicle Administration.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>“Chief executive officer” means the sheriff, superintendent of police, commissioner of police, police chief, deputy or assistant chief of police, or an individual having an equivalent title who is appointed or employed by a government agency to exercise equivalent supervisory authority.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>“Designee” means a supervisory police officer.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>“Disposition of traffic citation” means a traffic citation that has been accounted for by:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Trial;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Dismissal of the charges or other official action by a judge of the court;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Forfeiture of the collateral (if authorized by the court);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>Payment of a fine;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(e)">
          <text>Nolle pros;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(f)">
          <text>Stet;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(g)">
          <text>Voided; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(h)">
          <text>Police report.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>“Inventory withdrawal form” means a requisition form issued by the Administration that authorizes the release of traffic citations to a law enforcement agency.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>“Law enforcement agency” means:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>A governmental police force or law enforcement agency of the State, county, or municipality which has by statute, ordinance, or common law, the authority for enforcing the general traffic laws of this State;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>The Investigative Division of the Administration, which has the authority to issue citations as specified in Transportation Article, §12-104.1, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>“Outstanding traffic citation” means a traffic citation that has not been issued by a police officer or accounted for by the court.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>“Police officer” means an individual who has the authority to write traffic citations in this State.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(9)">
        <text>“Police report” means a report, submitted to the Administration by a law enforcement agency, which explains why the citations cannot be located.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(10)">
        <text>“Traffic citation” means a Maryland Uniform Complaint and Citation.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Inventory Withdrawal.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>The Administration shall provide inventory withdrawal forms to law enforcement agencies for use in obtaining traffic citation books from the Administration.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Law enforcement agencies shall acknowledge receipt of traffic citation books on the inventory withdrawal form by returning the Administration's copy to the Administration immediately.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Law Enforcement Agency Distribution.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Traffic citation books may be issued to police officers as determined appropriate by the chief executive officer or the chief executive officer's designee.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>A traffic citation book may not be reassigned to another police officer or another law enforcement agency without the prior authorization of the Administration.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>Police officers shall complete the traffic citations as instructed by the District Court.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>The law enforcement agency shall dispose of each copy of the five-part traffic citation in the manner required by the District Court.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="E.">
      <text>Police officers may not lend, borrow, or share traffic citations.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" heading="Records.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>The law enforcement agency shall keep its copy of every citation, or a record of every citation, for at least 3 years after issuance.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>The chief executive officer or the chief executive officer's designee shall submit a police report on official letterhead advising the Administration within 5 days of a lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed traffic citation.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>The Administration shall make periodic requests to law enforcement agencies for the disposition of all outstanding traffic citations.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>Upon request by the Administration, the chief executive officer or designee of each law enforcement agency shall account for the disposition of traffic citations in a format and within the time required by the Administration.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="Authority">Transportation Article, §§12-104(b) and 26-407, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date: September 28, 1992 (19:19 Md. R. 1709)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .03 amended effective November 22, 2004 (31:23 Md. R. 1654)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>