Maryland Dog Bite Law decides who pays when a dog injures someone — and the answer changes a great deal from one state to the next. This guide explains whether Maryland uses strict liability or the one-bite rule, how long you have to file, how leash and dangerous dog rules work, and exactly how a homeowners policy responds. Whether you own a dog in Maryland or you were bitten by one, Maryland Dog Bite Law is what determines the outcome.
Maryland Dog Bite Law is summarized here in plain English. Everything in this guide was verified against Maryland statutes, the state courts, and Insurance Information Institute claim data as of August 2026.
In This Maryland Dog Bite Law Guide:
Maryland Dog Bite Law: Strict Liability or One-Bite Rule?
Maryland is a strict liability state for dog bites. That means a dog owner is responsible for the injury even if the dog had never bitten anyone before and even if the owner did everything right. The victim does not have to prove the owner was careless.
The governing statute is Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-1901. Statutes are amended, so confirm the current text before relying on it in a claim.
Since April 8, 2014, proof that a dog caused personal injury or death creates a rebuttable presumption that the owner knew or should have known the dog had vicious or dangerous propensities, so the victim does not have to prove a prior bite.
If the dog was running at large when it caused the injury, the owner is strictly liable outright.
An owner can escape the presumption only by proving they neither knew nor should have known of the dog’s dangerous propensities, and in a jury trial the judge may not rule as a matter of law that the presumption has been rebutted before the jury returns its verdict.
Claims against non-owners (for example a landlord or keeper) still require proof the dog had previously behaved viciously or dangerously.
The Maryland rule is broad — it covers not just bites but other injuries a dog causes, such as knocking a person down.
Filing Deadline Under Maryland Dog Bite Law
A dog bite lawsuit in Maryland must be filed within 3 years of the date of the injury (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101). Miss that deadline and the claim is normally barred no matter how strong it is.
The deadline for notifying an insurance company is much shorter than the deadline for filing suit. Most homeowners policies require prompt notice, so report the incident to the insurer right away even if you have not decided whether to sue.
How Maryland Dog Bite Law Treats Leash Laws and Dangerous Dogs
Maryland has no general statewide leash statute; leash and running-at-large rules are set by each county and municipality, such as Montgomery County’s at-large ordinance. State law reaches the issue only indirectly, by imposing strict civil liability under § 3-1901 when a dog that is at large causes injury.
Md. Code, Crim. Law § 10-619 defines a dangerous dog as one that without provocation killed or inflicted severe injury on a person, or that bites or attacks after being declared potentially dangerous by a county or municipal authority.
The owner must keep the dog indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked pen when unattended on their property, must leash and muzzle (or otherwise securely restrain and muzzle) it off the property, and must give written notice to the determining authority and to any new keeper if the dog is transferred;
Violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to 2500.
Leash rules matter far beyond the ticket. In a strict liability state, breaking a leash ordinance is powerful evidence of negligence, and it can defeat an owner’s defense outright.
Maryland Dog Bite Law and Homeowners Insurance
Dog bites are normally paid under the personal liability section of a standard homeowners policy — Coverage E — not under the part that repairs your house. Renters policies carry the same liability coverage.
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Two other pieces of the policy come into play. Medical payments coverage (Coverage F) pays a modest amount of the injured person’s medical bills with no finding of fault, which often settles a minor bite quietly. And an umbrella policy sits above your liability limit — the single most useful thing a dog owner in Maryland can buy.
Coverage is not automatic. Most policies exclude injuries to people who live in your household, deliberate acts, and business-related animals. Some exclude a dog with a prior bite on record. Read the exclusions before you need them, not after.
Unique to Maryland: Md. Code, Ins. § 19-206.1 does not ban breed-based underwriting but requires a homeowner’s or renter’s insurer whose policy excludes losses caused by specific dog breeds to give the policyholder written notice identifying the excluded breeds. Section 3-1901 was enacted in 2014 (Ch. 48, S.B. 247) specifically to abrogate the pit-bull-only strict liability rule of Tracey v. Solesky and replace it with a breed-neutral standard. Prince George’s County, the last remaining Maryland jurisdiction with a pit bull ban, repealed it under CB-97-2025, effective February 2, 2026, replacing the ban with a permit, training, and expanded leash requirements.
Dog Bite Claim Costs in Maryland
Maryland Dog Bite Law decides who is liable. The claim figures below show what that liability actually costs when it lands.
State-level claim counts for Maryland were not available from the Insurance Information Institute at the time of writing. Nationally, dog bite and dog-related injury claims are among the costliest homeowners liability claims, and the average payout has risen every year for over a decade.
| Typical liability limit | $300,000 |
Maryland Dog Bite Law, Breed Restrictions and Insurance Exclusions
Maryland permits local breed-specific ordinances. Some cities and counties restrict or ban particular breeds, and violating a local ban can also be used against you in a civil claim.
Insurers in Maryland are generally free to refuse or surcharge coverage based on breed. This is a real risk — a policy can be non-renewed after an insurer learns which dog lives at the address.
Breeds most often excluded or surcharged by insurers:
- pit bull
- rottweiler
- doberman pinscher
- german shepherd
- chow chow
- akita
- presa canario
- wolf hybrid
Landlord and Property Owner Liability
A landlord is not covered by the § 3-1901 owner presumption; under § 3-1901(b) a claim against a non-owner requires proof the dog had previously acted viciously or dangerously. Under Matthews v. Amberwood Associates, 351 Md. 554 (1998), a landlord who knew of a dangerous dog kept in violation of the lease and in an area under the landlord’s control, and who took no step to abate the danger, can be held liable in negligence.
Under Maryland Dog Bite Law the tenant who owns the dog is the first target of a claim, but a landlord with knowledge of a dangerous animal can be pulled in alongside them.
If you rent out property in Maryland, this is worth taking seriously — see our guide to liability coverage and what happens when someone is hurt on your property.
Defenses Available Under Maryland Dog Bite Law
Defenses recognized in Maryland:
- Trespassing
- Provocation
- Victim committing a criminal offense against a person
- Contributory negligence (Maryland is a pure contributory negligence state
- Not comparative fault)
- Assumption of risk
- Police or military dog exemption
These defenses rarely erase a claim by themselves. They more often reduce what an owner pays, which under comparative fault rules can still be a substantial difference.
How to Lower Your Liability Risk
Maryland Dog Bite Law sets the standard you will be judged against. These are the steps that reduce both the chance of a bite and the size of the bill if one happens:
- Raise your liability limit. Going from $100,000 to $300,000 usually costs very little per year.
- Add an umbrella policy. $1 million of extra liability typically runs $150-$300 a year.
- Tell your insurer about the dog. A non-disclosed dog is a reason to deny the claim later.
- Check your local leash ordinance. A violation is evidence against you in a civil case.
- Secure the yard and post a sign. Fencing and gate latches prevent the bite in the first place.
- Document training and vet visits. A record of responsible ownership supports the defense that you had no notice the dog was dangerous.
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Official Sources & Resources
- Insurance Information Institute — dog bite liability: iii.org
- CDC — dog bite prevention: cdc.gov
- American Veterinary Medical Association: avma.org
- Maryland Insurance Administration: https://insurance.maryland.gov
- NAIC: naic.org
This is a plain-English summary of Maryland Dog Bite Law, not legal advice. Statutes change and every bite turns on its own facts — talk to a licensed Maryland attorney about a specific claim. Last verified August 2026. If something here looks out of date, please contact us.