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Website accessibility law in Maryland

Last checked

Disability discrimination by a place of public accommodation is enforced through the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, not a statewide private lawsuit (§ 20-1013's direct civil action covers employment only). The statutory definition (§ 20-301) lists lodging, food, entertainment and retail establishments, with no mention of online-only businesses. Money is small and capped, and a promptly fixed accessibility-only violation yields no award (§ 20-1016(c)). Fees: § 20-1015 applies to employment civil actions; § 20-1202(d) allows fees in the three-county actions. On top of that, the federal ADA applies in Maryland as everywhere: a business that loses or settles a website accessibility suit pays the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees.

The law

Minimum per violation
None set
Can a person sue for money?
No
Attorney's fees under state law
Unconfirmed
Other money remedies
  • Commission-sought monetary relief paid to the complainant, capped at $500 (no prior adjudication), $1,000 (one prior in 5 yrs), $2,500 (two+ priors in 7 yrs); up to $25,000 for agent/employee acts not mitigated; caps lifted if malicious, § 20-1016(a)-(b), (e)
  • No monetary relief where the act was limited to an accessibility violation, the respondent promptly corrects after service, and has no prior complaint, § 20-1016(c)
  • Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties only: private civil action for damages under the county code, filed no sooner than 45 days after a county complaint and within 2 years, § 20-1202(b)-(c)
Websites
We found no court decision applying Maryland law to a website.

Verified against the official statute text, Oct 7, 2026. A summary, not legal advice.

The federal baseline

ADA Title III gives a private plaintiff no money damages, but a business that loses or settles pays the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees (42 U.S.C. § 12205). That fee-shifting is what makes a website claim expensive, in Maryland and everywhere else.

Lawsuits in Maryland

The lawsuit tracker has no indexed court records from Maryland yet.

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Questions

Can a business in Maryland be sued over an inaccessible website?

Yes. The federal ADA applies in every state, and a plaintiff can sue in federal court for an order to fix the site plus attorney's fees. Maryland law doesn't let a person sue for money directly; complaints go to a state agency. We found no court decision applying Maryland law to a website.

What is the minimum a Maryland court awards for a website accessibility violation?

Maryland law sets no fixed minimum per violation. Disability discrimination by a place of public accommodation is enforced through the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, not a statewide private lawsuit (§ 20-1013's direct civil action covers employment only). The statutory definition (§ 20-301) lists lodging, food, entertainment and retail establishments, with no mention of online-only businesses. Money is small and capped, and a promptly fixed accessibility-only violation yields no award (§ 20-1016(c)). Fees: § 20-1015 applies to employment civil actions; § 20-1202(d) allows fees in the three-county actions.

Do I pay the plaintiff's lawyer if I lose or settle in Maryland?

Under the federal ADA, yes: a business that loses or settles usually pays the plaintiff's attorney's fees (42 U.S.C. § 12205). Whether Maryland law adds its own fee award is unconfirmed.

Which accessibility standard should a Maryland business website meet?

The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses. The Justice Department's 2022 guidance points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA.