A Maryland law taking effect October 1 starts the clock on a pilot program that will require certain repeat or high-point speeding offenders to drive vehicles fitted with technology that actively prevents them from exceeding the posted limit.
House Bill 107, enacted as Chapter 870, directs the Motor Vehicle Administration to establish the Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program by October 1, 2027. The effective date does not mean devices will immediately be installed next week; it authorizes the yearlong development of regulations, vendor standards and procedures needed before participation begins.
The statute defines an intelligent speed-assistance system as an aftermarket device that identifies the applicable speed limit and actively prevents a vehicle from going faster. It applies when points from speeding, racing or specified reckless-driving convictions reach the threshold for license suspension or revocation. Maryland generally suspends a license at eight points and revokes it at 12.
The enacted law sets different participation periods: 90 days for a first suspension, 180 days for a later suspension and one year for a revocation. MVA may issue a restricted license requiring the device. A driver who does not participate or complete the program remains suspended until the requirement is satisfied.
Costs, data and timing
Participants must pay a program fee set to cover state costs as well as private installation and monitoring charges, although MVA must waive its fee for people found indigent. A driver removed for violating program rules may be allowed back after 10 days, but three months are added to the remaining participation period.
The law also places limits on monitoring data. MVA or its vendor may use it to verify compliance or evaluate the pilot, and may share it for a court order, another legal requirement, a participant’s violation or anonymized research. The data generally must be destroyed within 30 days and may not be sold.
A legislative analysis estimates about 678 people a year could be subject to the program. It says MVA expects to need roughly eight months to build it and may hire an outside consultant because there are no federal standards specifically governing these aftermarket restriction devices. The analysis estimates consultant services could cost about $100,000 annually, although the duration is uncertain.
The program arrives as roadway deaths remain a major state concern even after a sharp improvement. The governor’s office reported that preliminary fatalities fell 18% in 2025, from 582 to 480. Maryland’s live crash dashboard showed 312 reported fatalities through September 25, 2026, compared with 365 at the same point a year earlier.
The technology pilot therefore represents a targeted enforcement tool, not a broad requirement for Maryland motorists. MVA must report participation, violations and completion data to the governor and General Assembly by December 30, 2030. Unless lawmakers extend it, the pilot terminates June 30, 2031.
