{"id":373840,"date":"2016-10-28T13:44:16","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T18:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/maryland-law\/maryland-failure-to-appear-laws.html"},"modified":"2025-06-02T13:41:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:41:11","slug":"maryland-failure-to-appear-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/maryland-law\/maryland-failure-to-appear-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Maryland Failure to Appear Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Maryland Failure to Appear Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

A court date is an order to appear before a judge. In Maryland, as in most states, failure to appear at your court date is a criminal offense. Maryland courts treat a failure to appear as separate from the offense you failed to appear for, and any penalties may run concurrently with penalties for the failure to appear.<\/p>\r\n

Maryland’s failure to appear laws do not apply to parking citations, certain traffic offenses, or citations issued by Natural Resources police officers<\/a>. They apply to all other court appearances, including jury duty and subpoenas.<\/p>\r\n

If you fail to appear for a criminal case or other court appearance, the judge may issue a bench warrant for your arrest. A bench warrant means the judge issues it directly "from the bench" without an affidavit from a law enforcement officer. Once a judge issues a bench warrant, police can arrest you at any time, such as during a routine traffic stop. If you were out on bond, a bench warrant forfeits your bond.<\/p>\r\n

Maryland Failure to Appear Laws<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Failure to appear on a citation is a misdemeanor, with penalties of up to 90 days’ jail time and fines of up to $500<\/a>. The harm is not the possible penalty but its impact on your criminal case. Other things to be aware of:<\/p>\r\n