Maryland rules
What do Maryland's lawyer advertising rules require, and when must targeted letters go to Bar Counsel?
Maryland names a responsible lawyer in every ad, keeps copies three years, waits 30 days after an accident, and files targeted letters with Bar Counsel within 3 days.
By Santiago Alvarez, Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
Maryland's lawyer advertising rules are Rules 19-307.1 to 19-307.5 of the "Maryland Attorneys' Rules of Professional Conduct", adopted by the Supreme Court of Maryland and enforced by the "Attorney Grievance Commission" through Bar Counsel. Ordinary ads aren't filed or pre-approved; a comment to Rule 19-307.2 says the rule doesn't require review before an ad runs.
Three things shape Maryland marketing. Every ad names at least one lawyer responsible for it, and a copy is kept three years after its last use. A state statute bars sending a prospect a communication about an injury, accident or disaster until 30 days have passed. And a targeted message about a specific accident or a criminal or jailable traffic case must say "this is an advertisement" and be filed with Bar Counsel within 3 days of sending.
We read the rules on the Westlaw site the Judiciary links to and the statutes on the General Assembly's site on October 18, 2026. This is a plain summary for marketing planning, not legal advice. Check the current rule with your bar or law society. We work with law firms across the US and Canada, and also in Australia and the UK.
Which rules apply
Maryland splits lawyer advertising between five court rules and three statutes.
The court rules sit in Title 19, Chapter 300 of the Maryland Rules, published on govt.westlaw.com and "Current with amendments received through September 1, 2026." The statutes are in the Business Occupations and Professions Article.
| Rule or statute | What it covers | Marketing effect |
|---|---|---|
| Rule 19-307.1 | False or misleading communications | Comparisons only if they can be "factually substantiated" |
| Rule 19-307.2 | Advertising, records, paying for recommendations, the responsible lawyer | A named lawyer in every ad; copies kept three years; expenses line on "no fee" ads |
| Rule 19-307.3 | Direct contact with prospective clients | No in-person, live phone or real-time electronic solicitation; "Advertising Material" on targeted messages |
| Rule 19-307.4 | Fields of practice | Say what you practice; no certification paragraph |
| Rule 19-307.5 | Firm names and letterheads | No trade name that implies a government connection |
| BOP 10-605.1 | Timing after an injury, accident or disaster | Nothing sent for 30 days |
| BOP 10-605.2 | Targeted messages about accidents and criminal or traffic cases | "this is an advertisement"; file with Bar Counsel within 3 days |
| BOP 10-604 | Solicitation by anyone | No paying others to solicit; no using police accident reports to solicit |
Maryland's text doesn't follow the ABA's 2018 rewrite, so its rules read differently from the ABA Model Rules in places that matter, such as the named lawyer in every ad. Every state's approach is listed in our rules by jurisdiction hub. The rules that differ most from state to state are compared in our lawyer advertising rules guide.
Filing
Ordinary Maryland ads aren't filed, but targeted messages about accidents and arrests are.
Rule 19-307.2's comment [6] says the record rule "does not require that advertising be subject to review prior to dissemination." The filing duty comes from statute, and only for one kind of message.
Decide whether the message is covered
BOP 10-605.2 covers a message sent by a lawyer, or an agent or employee, to a prospective client about a specific injury, death, accident or disaster, or a criminal prosecution or jailable traffic offense, involving the recipient or a relative. Direct marketing not tied to a specific event isn't covered.
Wait if it's an injury matter
Under 10-605.1, nothing about a personal injury, wrongful death, accident or disaster goes out until the event is more than 30 days old.
Label it
"this is an advertisement" in a prominent place at the beginning and end; on the envelope and both ends of a letter or email; for at least five seconds at each end of a video.
File within 3 days
Send Bar Counsel a copy of the message, a sample envelope, and each recipient's name and the address, phone number or online address used. Identical messages can be filed once with a list, and later lists at least monthly.
The statute adds limits on content: no message in the form of a pleading or legal document, nothing on the envelope revealing the person's legal matter, and no hint that Bar Counsel or the State approved it. Neither statute applies to a message sent at the prospect's request. Under the general penalty in 10-606(c), a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to a year in jail, or both.
What every ad must include
Every Maryland ad names at least one lawyer responsible for its content.
Rule 19-307.2(d) says any communication under the rule "shall include the name of at least one attorney responsible for its content." There's no exception for short formats.
- A responsible lawyer's name (19-307.2(d)): in each ad, not only on the landing page.
- Records (19-307.2(b)): a copy or recording of each ad, kept at least three years after its last use, with when and where it ran. Comment [10] warns the records may need to last longer, because a lawyer must be ready to substantiate compliance.
- Expenses on no-fee offers (19-307.2(e)): an ad saying no fee is charged without a recovery must also say whether the client is liable for any expenses.
- Personal responsibility (19-307.2(f)): a lawyer in an advertising group, a referral service or any group program answers personally for Rules 19-307.1 to 19-307.5.
- Labels: general ads carry none. "Advertising Material" goes on targeted messages under 19-307.3(c), and the statute adds its own wording for accident and arrest messages.
Because records run from the last use, an evergreen search ad running for two years has to be kept until three years after it's paused. New Jersey's rule is similar but adds monthly website capture; see our New Jersey guide.
Results, comparisons and endorsements
Maryland bans results claims that create unjustified expectations and comparisons that can't be proven.
Rule 19-307.1 keeps Maryland's own three-part test: material misrepresentation, unjustified expectations about results, and comparisons that can't be "factually substantiated."
| Claim | Allowed? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Past verdicts and settlements | Only with an express, conspicuous statement that each case is different and the past record is no assurance of a favorable result; comment [1] says results ads are ordinarily precluded | 19-307.1(b), comments [1] and [2] |
| "Better" or any comparison with other lawyers | Only if it can be factually substantiated | 19-307.1(c) |
| Client reviews and testimonials | Only from a bona fide pre-existing client who actually benefited from the services; comment [1] says endorsements ordinarily create unjustified expectations | 19-307.1, comments [1] and [2] |
| "No fee unless we win" | Only with a statement of whether the client pays expenses | 19-307.2(e) |
| A firm name using "Maryland" or "Baltimore County" | Ordinarily a violation, the comment says, because it implies a government unit | 19-307.5(a) and comment [2] |
| Actors and dramatizations | Not named in the rules; a portrayal that misleads breaks 19-307.1(a) | 19-307.1(a) |
The firm name comment is the one that surprises marketers. It lists the proper name of a government unit, such as "Annapolis" or "Maryland State", and words like "community" or "neighborhood" as names that ordinarily violate the rule. Geographic names that aren't government units are ordinarily fine. Check campaign names, social handles and landing page brands against it, not just the firm's legal name. Our guide to bar rules for ad copy covers how we write around these limits.
Specialist and certified
Maryland's rule lets lawyers name their fields, and says nothing about certification.
Rule 19-307.4 has only two paragraphs: a lawyer may say they do or don't practice in particular fields, "subject to the requirements of Rule 19-307.1", and patent lawyers may use "Patent Attorney".
Unlike Delaware's and New Jersey's versions, Maryland's rule has no paragraph about certification by an accredited body, and the rules we read set up no state certification program. So "specialist", "expert" and "certified" are judged only by Rule 19-307.1: true, not misleading, and, if they compare you with other lawyers, provable. Comment [1] adds that a lawyer who practices only in certain fields may say so.
In practice we write "focuses on", "handles" or "practice limited to" for Maryland firms, and name any certifying body in full when a lawyer holds one. Delaware and West Virginia take firmer positions in their text; compare our Delaware guide. West Virginia's ban on certification claims is in our West Virginia guide.
Direct contact and paying for clients
Maryland bans live solicitation, adds a 30-day law, and limits who a firm may pay.
Rule 19-307.3 governs contact; Rule 19-307.2(c) and BOP 10-604 govern payment. The statute reaches anyone, not only lawyers.
- No live solicitation (19-307.3(a))
No in-person, live telephone or real-time electronic solicitation for pecuniary gain, unless the person is a lawyer or has a family, close personal or prior professional relationship with you.
- Never, in any form (19-307.3(b))
No solicitation when the person can't exercise reasonable judgment, has said they don't want it, or it involves coercion, duress or harassment. Comment [5] says that after an unanswered letter, further efforts may violate the rule.
- The 30-day statute (BOP 10-605.1)
It applies to audio recordings, online transmissions, fax, letters, telegraph, phone and video. Our reading: emails, texts and direct messages about an injury are covered until day 31.
- Paying for clients (19-307.2(c) and 10-604)
You may pay reasonable advertising costs, the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit referral service, and for a practice you buy, and you may make non-exclusive reciprocal referral deals the client is told about. Comment [7] bars paying anyone else for "channeling professional work". BOP 10-604 separately bars a lawyer from paying anyone to solicit clients, and bars non-lawyers from using police accident reports to solicit.
Maryland's rules don't mention lead generators by name. A platform that hands you a named person and charges per signed client looks like the "channeling" comment [7] bars, while paying per click for your own ad is advertising. Our guide to paying for leads sets out how other states draw that line. Virginia's comment, which allows paying for leads on conditions, is in our Virginia guide.
By channel
What Maryland's rules mean for each marketing channel.
No Maryland rule or statute names Google, Meta or ChatGPT. The named-lawyer rule is the one that changes every channel.
| Channel | What the rule means there | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Google search ads | A responsible lawyer's name in the ad; we pin it to description position 1, which Google says always shows | 19-307.2(d) |
| Local Services Ads | No Maryland rule, statute or court page we read mentions them; the listing still needs a named lawyer and no unprovable comparisons | 19-307.1, 19-307.2(d) |
| Facebook and Instagram ads | Named lawyer; expenses line on any no-fee offer; a message to a known victim about their injury waits until day 31 | 19-307.2(d), (e); BOP 10-605.1 |
| Social media posts | Posts are communications; a DM to someone about their arrest or accident is a covered message under the statute | 19-307.1; BOP 10-605.2 |
| Website and AI search content | Pages, FAQs and blog posts that ChatGPT and Google's AI answers read must be true and provable; keep dated copies | 19-307.1, 19-307.2(b) |
For criminal defense firms, the arrest side of BOP 10-605.2 is the rule to plan around: any text or letter to a person about their own or a relative's charge is labeled and filed. In our reading, ads in a feed aren't messages to a specific person, which is why we put that budget into Facebook and Instagram ads and search instead.
What we check
When we review a Maryland firm's ads, the lawyer's name and the outreach list come first.
These checks catch most Maryland problems before an ad or message goes out.
Name in every ad
Each search ad, Meta ad and video carries the name of a lawyer responsible for it, in text that always shows.
Firm and campaign names
No government unit names, and no words like "community" that suggest public funding, in the brand, handles or page titles.
Fee and claim lines
Expenses statement beside any no-fee promise; every comparison backed by a source we can show.
Outreach audit
Any text, email or letter to a specific person about an accident or a charge is held to day 31 where it applies, labeled, and logged for the 3-day Bar Counsel filing.
Archive
A dated copy of every ad version, kept three years from its last run.
In our client work, criminal and DUI practices grow on ads people choose to click. One case study is Three Weeks In, He Hit Record Months. Another is Nine Months In, Finally Only DUI Cases.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
The Maryland mistakes we see most in accounts firms bring to us.
Firm name only in the ad
Rule 19-307.2(d) asks for the name of at least one lawyer responsible for the ad's content, in every communication.
Texting accident victims in the first month
BOP 10-605.1 bars sending a communication about an injury or accident until the event is more than 30 days old.
Unfiled letters to new defendants
BOP 10-605.2 requires the "this is an advertisement" label and filing with Bar Counsel within 3 days of sending.
"No fee" with no expenses line
Rule 19-307.2(e) requires saying whether the client is liable for expenses.
A verdict with no disclaimer
Comment [2] to Rule 19-307.1 treats an ad citing past results as misleading unless it expressly says each case is different and the past record is no assurance of future success.
A brand that sounds official
Comment [2] to Rule 19-307.5 says names using a government unit, or words like "community", ordinarily violate the rule.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
Results from ads people chose to click, with no outreach to people who hadn't asked.
Identifying details are anonymized to protect our clients. Individual result, not a promise or prediction of any specific outcome for your firm.
FAQ
Questions lawyers ask us.
Straight answers to the questions that come up most.
Do Maryland lawyers file ads with the bar?
Ordinary ads, no. Comment [6] to Rule 19-307.2 says the rule doesn't require review before dissemination. The exception is a targeted message about a specific accident, disaster, criminal case or jailable traffic offense, which BOP 10-605.2 requires filing with Bar Counsel within 3 days of sending.
How long must Maryland lawyers keep copies of ads?
At least three years after the ad's last dissemination, with a record of when and where it was used, under Rule 19-307.2(b). Comment [10] notes that being ready to substantiate compliance may mean keeping records longer.
Can a Maryland lawyer contact someone after a car accident?
Not with a communication about the accident until more than 30 days have passed, under BOP 10-605.1, unless the person asked for it. After that, a targeted message must be labeled and filed under 10-605.2, and live solicitation stays barred by Rule 19-307.3(a).
Can a Maryland lawyer call themselves a specialist?
Rule 19-307.4 lets a lawyer say what fields they practice in and has no certification paragraph. Any "specialist" or "expert" claim is judged by Rule 19-307.1: it must be true, not misleading and, if comparative, factually substantiated.
Does Maryland require "Advertising Material" on ads?
Only on targeted solicitations to someone known to need help in a particular matter, under Rule 19-307.3(c). Messages about specific accidents or criminal cases also carry the statute's wording, "this is an advertisement", at the beginning and end.
Who enforces Maryland's lawyer advertising rules?
The "Attorney Grievance Commission", through the Office of Bar Counsel, which investigates and prosecutes violations of the rules. The statutes are criminal law: violating them is a misdemeanor under BOP 10-606(c). A firm that also advertises in the District follows DC's rules there; see our DC guide.
Where we do this
The services this guide touches.
What this looks like when we run it for a firm, with a demo for your practice on each page.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
Official pages we read when writing this page. Platforms and rules change, so check the current version before you act on any of it. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
- Maryland Judiciary, Rules (links the Maryland Rules on Westlaw)
- Maryland Rules, Rule 19-307.1, Communications Concerning an Attorney's Services (current through Sept. 1, 2026)
- Maryland Rules, Rule 19-307.2, Advertising
- Maryland Rules, Rule 19-307.3, Direct Contact with Prospective Clients
- Maryland Rules, Rule 19-307.4, Communication of Fields of Practice (amended effective April 1, 2017)
- Maryland Rules, Rule 19-307.5, Firm Names and Letterheads
- Maryland General Assembly, Business Occupations and Professions 10-605.1
- Maryland General Assembly, Business Occupations and Professions 10-605.2
- Maryland General Assembly, Business Occupations and Professions 10-604
- Maryland General Assembly, Business Occupations and Professions 10-606 (penalties)
- Maryland Judiciary, Attorney Grievance Commission and Office of Bar Counsel
Written by
Founder of Ad Hoc Digital. Leads strategy and works directly with every client firm on AI search, Local Services Ads, Google Ads and Meta ads.
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