GLEN BURNIE, MD – Following through on the Hogan Administration’s pledge to improve customer service and open job opportunities for Marylanders, a new law effective October 1, 2017 will allow the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) to automatically expunge all eligible driving records, since clean driving records are frequently a requirement for job applications.
“Improving customer service by simplifying and increasing access to government resources is one of our administration's top priorities,” said Governor Hogan. “This automatic expungement process fulfills these goals and will be a tremendous benefit to all Marylanders seeking employment."
House Bill 1017, an MDOT MVA Departmental Bill that passed during the 2017 legislative session, eliminates the process of applying to have your driving record expunged for Maryland residents. The law also will allow more people to have their driving record expunged because, for the first time, the only suspensions that delay expungement eligibility will be those related to driver safety. Certain suspensions, such as child support noncompliance, will no longer prevent someone from having entries removed from a driving record. More than 600,000 Marylanders will benefit from this new law.
All Maryland driving records will be reviewed prior to October 1, and action will be automatically taken to expunge eligible driving records. No action is required from Maryland residents to initiate or complete expungements.
“This new process will continue our efforts to provide premier customer service, while at the same time maintaining the safety and integrity of the driving record,” said MDOT Secretary Pete K. Rahn.
The Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF), which supported House Bill 1017, applauded the new expungement process. “A significant number of Maryland job seekers are unable to clear their driving records because they are unaware of the process or have non-driving related offenses that prohibit expungement of the record,” said Caryn York, JOTF Executive Director. “We are thrilled Maryland workers will face less restrictions to expungement of their driving records and that this will be a step further in securing stable employment.”
The new law is a continuation of the Hogan Administration’s effort to improve efficiency and responsiveness in state government. Several efficiencies will be created at MDOT MVA, including removal of unnecessary information from records and reduction in employee time spent reviewing expungement requests. | 
