Md. Code, Criminal Procedure § 13-509
This is the official text of Md. Code, Criminal Procedure § 13-509, part of Maryland’s Code, Criminal Procedure — sets the procedural rules for criminal cases.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§13–509.
Official statutory text
(a) The forfeiting authority shall surrender the motor vehicle on request to the owner if the forfeiting authority determines, independent of the decision of the seizing authority, that the total circumstances of the case as listed under § 13–507(b) of this subtitle do not justify forfeiture.
(b) In a proceeding under this subtitle, the court may determine, based on the circumstances listed in § 13–507(b) of this subtitle, whether the seizing authority or forfeiting authority abused its discretion or was clearly erroneous:
(1) in recommending the forfeiture of a motor vehicle; or
(2) in not surrendering on request a motor vehicle to an owner.
(b) In a proceeding under this subtitle, the court may determine, based on the circumstances listed in § 13–507(b) of this subtitle, whether the seizing authority or forfeiting authority abused its discretion or was clearly erroneous:
(1) in recommending the forfeiture of a motor vehicle; or
(2) in not surrendering on request a motor vehicle to an owner.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a criminal defense matter in Maryland?
See all Maryland Criminal Defense lawyers
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.