Maryland
From US data breach notification laws: After a data breach, how fast must a business tell people, and who else must it tell?
Law: 14-3504
The section that holds the state's general breach notification duty for businesses, as the source names it.
14-3504
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl§ion=14-3504. Read 2026-11-01. Read once.
Days to tell residents: 45 days
The outer limit in days for telling affected residents, as stated. Blank where no number is stated. States start the clock differently, at discovery or at determining a breach happened, and the quote shows which.
not later than 45 days after the business discovers or is notified of the breach of the security of a system
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl§ion=14-3504. Read 2026-11-01. Checked by a second reader.
How fast, in the law's words: as soon as reasonably practicable
The law's own words for how quickly residents must be told, apart from any day count.
shall be given as soon as reasonably practicable
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl§ion=14-3504. Read 2026-11-01. Checked by a second reader.
Attorney general told: Yes
Yes if the source says the state attorney general or its equivalent must be told of a breach in at least some cases. Florida's Department of Legal Affairs and Oregon's Attorney General count.
a business shall provide notice of a breach of the security of a system to the office of the attorney general
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl§ion=14-3504. Read 2026-11-01. Checked by a second reader.
Residents before the AG is told: Not stated
The number of affected residents at which the attorney general must be told, as stated. Blank where no number is stated. The quote shows whether it means that many or more than that many.
No source we could use stated this. A blank never means no.
Days to tell the AG: Not stated
The deadline in days for telling the attorney general, as stated. Blank where no number is stated. Clocks differ: some run from the breach, and others from telling residents, as the quote shows.
No source we could use stated this. A blank never means no.
Encrypted data excepted: Yes
Yes if the text limits the duty to unencrypted data, or leaves encrypted data out. Stolen keys can undo this in several states.
when the data elements are not encrypted, redacted, or otherwise protected by another method
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl§ion=14-3501. Read 2026-11-01. Checked by a second reader.
Low-harm exception: Yes
Yes if the text lets a business skip notice after finding that harm or misuse is unlikely, or only counts breaches that create a real risk.
unless the business reasonably determines that the breach of the security of the system does not create a likelihood that personal information has been or will be misused
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl§ion=14-3504. Read 2026-11-01. Checked by a second reader.