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Bill

SB 404

Motor Vehicle Administration - Access to Digital Records - Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mary Washington

Allows Baltimore's housing department to access Motor Vehicle Administration digital records, expanding non-law-enforcement access to vehicle registration data.

Hearing canceled
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Bill Summary · SB 404

Legislative bill overview

SB 404 would grant the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development access to digital records maintained by the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). The bill appears designed to facilitate housing and community development initiatives by allowing this city department to obtain vehicle registration or ownership information from state motor vehicle records.

Why is this important

Access to MVA records could help the housing department identify property owners, verify residency, track absentee landlords, or support code enforcement and housing quality initiatives. However, this represents a significant expansion of which government agencies can access motor vehicle data, which traditionally has been restricted to law enforcement and limited administrative purposes.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy concerns: Motor vehicle records contain personal information (names, addresses, vehicle details); expanding access beyond traditional MVA uses raises questions about data security and whether individuals should be notified of such access
  • Scope ambiguity: The bill's language doesn't clearly specify which records, what data fields, or under what circumstances the housing department could access MVA information, creating potential for overly broad use
  • Precedent setting: Approving this access for one non-traditional agency could establish a precedent for other city departments or agencies to request similar data access

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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