EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0963*
HOUSE BILL 963
R5 5lr0878
By: Montgomery County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Montgomery County – Highways – Maximum Speed Limits 2
MC 1–25 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing a local authority in Montgomery County to decrease the 4
maximum speed limit on a highway without performing an engineering and traffic 5
investigation; and generally relating to maximum speed limits in Montgomery 6
County. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Article – Transportation 9
Section 21–803(a)(1), (c), and (d) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Transportation 14
Section 21–803(a)(4) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Transportation 20 2 HOUSE BILL 963
21–803. 1
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (3) through (5) of this subsection, if, 2
on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, a local authority determines that 3
any maximum speed limit specified in this subtitle is greater or less than reasonable or 4
safe under existing conditions on any part of a highway in its jurisdiction, it may establish 5
a reasonable and safe maximum speed limit for that part of the highway, which may: 6
(i) Decrease the limit at an intersection; 7
(ii) Increase the limit in an urban district to not more than 50 miles 8
per hour; 9
(iii) Decrease the limit in an urban district; or 10
(iv) Decrease the limit outside an urban district to not less than 25 11
miles per hour. 12
(4) (i) This paragraph applies only to: 13
1. Anne Arundel County and Montgomery County; and 14
2. Municipalities located in Anne Arundel County and 15
Montgomery County. 16
(ii) 1. [A] SUBJECT TO SUBSUBPARAGRAPH 2 OF THIS 17
SUBPARAGRAPH , A local authority may decrease the maximum speed limit to not less than 18
15 miles per hour on a highway only after performing an engineering and traffic 19
investigation. 20
2. IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, A LOCAL AUTHORITY MA Y 21
DECREASE THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT ON A HIGHWAY UNDER SUBSUBPARAGRAP H 22
1 OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH WITHOUT PERFORMING A N ENGINEERING AND TR AFFIC 23
INVESTIGATION . 24
(iii) A local authority may not implement a new speed monitoring 25
system to enforce speed limits on any portion of a highway for which the speed limit has 26
been decreased under this paragraph. 27
(c) An altered maximum speed limit established under this section is effective 28
when posted on appropriate signs giving notice of the limit. 29
(d) Except in Baltimore City, any alteration by a local authority of a maximum 30
speed limit on a part or extension of a State highway is not effective until it is approved by 31
the State Highway Administration. 32 HOUSE BILL 963 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2025. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.