Legislative



ABATE – Motorcyclist Rights Lobbying

ABATE of Maryland, Inc. is the only organization in Maryland exclusively engaged in representing the rights of Maryland motorcyclists. We maintain a presence in Annapolis, your state Capitol, from the ABATE of Maryland state office. Local chapters throughout the state provide the foundation for our organization.
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Every Monday night during the Maryland legislative session (Mid-January thru early April), we meet at the state office at approx. 5:30pm. We discuss our plan for the evening and then walk over to the office buildings and eventually the State House. Meet us there and see how the Maryland General Assembly works. The MGA Session usually begins on second Wednesday of January and continues for 90 days. Our first Monday Night Lobbying Event will be the first Monday after the session convenes. We hope to see you there!

Get a carpool together and meet us in Annapolis! And don’t forget to keep checking for emails, abate FB events, or website announcements about calls to action, hearing schedules and more! 

Let’s see how many people we can get to work the halls for ABATE! Your legislators want to see YOU! The Senators and Delegates always ask if there is someone from their District. It would be great if we could always say yes to that question! Come to Annapolis and BE ABATE!

​Call the ABATE office at 410-263-9185 with any questions.

ABATE Legislative Goals

Each year, we discuss the issues important to BIKERS, and develop a plan for our next legislative session. For 2027, we are considering soem of the following issues:

• Freedom of Choice regarding helmet use
• Turn signal use - changing lanes
• Lane filtering

ABATE Legislative History

A Few of our Previous Accomplishments
   

• Helmet Choice: ABATE successfully repealed the Maryland helmet mandate in 1979, as the Federal act tying funds to the mandate was repealed. However, the Feds repeatedly attempted to tie funding to a motorcycle helmet mandate and Maryland once again passed a helmet mandate in 1992. ABATE has been working on various versions of a helmet modification since that time, in an attempt to provide adult riders with the Freedom of Choice regarding helmet usage.

 

• Right-of-Way Bill: After several years of trying, and the death of then State Executive Director Marty Schultz by a right of way violator, the bill to increase penalties for right of way violations to $1,000- and 180-day loss of license was passed and enacted (passed 2008, SB712 / HB 1231). In 2025, ABATE supported bills that require that a person charged with reckless or negligent driving must appear in court and may not prepay the fine if the reckless or negligent driving contributed to an accident that resulted in the death of another person. Finally, in Maryland, as of October 1, 2025, a reckless or negligent driving ticket now will be a “Must Appear" violation.

 

• Motorcycle Profiling: This bill obtained ABATE’s endorsement and full support. The bill required that all police agencies in Maryland receive training at both the entry level and in-service to understand what constitutes profiling of motorcyclists and how to avoid profiling of individuals based on the fact that they wear motorcycle related clothing or paraphernalia and/or ride a motorcycle. This bill passed and was signed into law with only one no vote. (2016 – SB 233)

 

• MTA Toll Increase – Amended: After intense lobbying by ABATE, significant toll for vehicles with 3 or more axles, including motorcycles with sidecars or trailers, was amended to exclude motorcycles when using cash lanes.

 

• License Plate Re-Size: ABATE worked to specify the dimensions of an MVA registration plate for motorcycles. This legislation brought the size of the registration plates for motorcycles in Maryland to a standardized size of 4” x 7” that is commonly used in many other states. (2008 – HB844)

 

• Night-Time Awareness Auxiliary Lighting: This legislation authorizes specific auxiliary lighting for motorcycles, allowing for blue dot illumination, standard build running lights, LED’s, and strips that can be added to protect the motorcyclist by adding increased visibility by others. (2008 – HB 1168)

 

• Definition of a motorcycle: This was passed as an emergency measure and signed by Gov. O’Malley in 2008. This bill officially changed the definition to allow a motorcycle with two wheels in the front to accommodate the new style that was developed and being sold in Maryland. The definition has many ramifications when it comes to insurance and accident reporting / statistics. (2008 – HB 221)

 

• Motorcycle Parking in Public Facilities: This legislation was passed to require that public parking facilities allow motorcycle parking in the facility, subject to the charges established by the facility. (2011 – HB1282)

 

• Registration Plates for Motorcycles – Individuals with Disabilities: ABATE supported this bill and worked to get favorable votes in both committees, and unanimous votes of support on the House and Senate floor. (2013 HB374 / SB212)

 

• Motor Vehicles – Checkpoints – Prohibition on Targeting Motorcycles: ABATE worked tirelessly to get 33 Delegate sponsors and 11 Senate sponsors for these bills, as they were cross filed. The legislation was passed, unanimously on the house and senate floors, and prohibits a police officer at a motor vehicle checkpoint from targeting only motorcycles for inspection or evaluation; creating a specified exception to the prohibition for a police officer at a motor vehicle checkpoint established as part of a police search or investigation; providing for the construction of a provision of law governing obedience to a lawful order or direction of a police officer; etc. (2015 – HB 917 / SB 716)

 

• Maryland Lemon Law Extended to Motorcycles: Extending application of the Maryland Automotive Warranty Enforcement Act to motorcycles by altering the definition of a "motor vehicle" to include a vehicle that is registered in this State as a Class D (motorcycle) vehicle. ABATE helped write the bill wording and worked both chambers to assist is passing this bill into law (1998, SB10 & HB206)