Md. Code, Health - General § 18-316
This is the official text of Md. Code, Health - General § 18-316, part of Maryland’s Code, Health - General — covers public health regulation.
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.
§18–316.
Official statutory text
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an individual immediately shall report to the local police or sheriff if the individual:
(i) Knows that a dog, cat, or other warm blooded animal has bitten, scratched, or otherwise exposed an individual to a possible rabies infection; or
(ii) Suspects that an animal has rabies.
(2) In Frederick County, the individual shall report to the animal control center of Frederick County.
(b) On receipt of a report under this section, the police, sheriff, or animal control center staff shall:
(1) Notify the health officer for the county where the report is made; and
(2) Enforce all orders of the health officer and the public health veterinarian.
(c) If the public health veterinarian or the local health officer issues an order to surrender an animal that is suspected of having rabies, a person may not hide or secret the animal:
(1) In the custody of the person; or
(2) In the custody or with the cooperation of any other person.
(d) A person who fails or refuses to comply with any provision of this section or any order issued under this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $500.
(i) Knows that a dog, cat, or other warm blooded animal has bitten, scratched, or otherwise exposed an individual to a possible rabies infection; or
(ii) Suspects that an animal has rabies.
(2) In Frederick County, the individual shall report to the animal control center of Frederick County.
(b) On receipt of a report under this section, the police, sheriff, or animal control center staff shall:
(1) Notify the health officer for the county where the report is made; and
(2) Enforce all orders of the health officer and the public health veterinarian.
(c) If the public health veterinarian or the local health officer issues an order to surrender an animal that is suspected of having rabies, a person may not hide or secret the animal:
(1) In the custody of the person; or
(2) In the custody or with the cooperation of any other person.
(d) A person who fails or refuses to comply with any provision of this section or any order issued under this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $500.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
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.