Maryland Digital Accessibility Law

WCAG 2.1 AA + Section 508 State-specific law

Maryland has a state-specific ICT accessibility regime administered by the Department of Information Technology (DoIT), grounded in State Finance & Procurement Art. 3.5-311 and implemented through COMAR 21.05.08.05 (the Nonvisual Access Clause) and COMAR 14.33.02 (nonvisual access standards), with DoIT's Digital Accessibility Policy adopting WCAG 2.1 Level AA and aligning with Section 508. The standards bind Executive Branch agencies, public higher-ed institutions, and their vendors, with several enumerated exemptions (Port Administration, USM, St. Mary's College, Morgan State). Unlike most states, Maryland imposes statutory civil penalties on non-compliant vendors of up to $5,000 for a first offense and up to $10,000 for a subsequent offense, enforced via a procurement-driven process (compliance reviewed within 18 months, 12 months to remediate); there is no clearly established private right of action under the state regime, so private enforcement runs through the federal ADA Title II baseline.

What the law requires

  • Responsible agency Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) (doit.maryland.gov/policies/Accessibility/Pages/default.aspx)
  • Adopted standard WCAG 2.1 Level AA (adopted by the DoIT Maryland Digital Accessibility Policy and aligned with DOJ Title II). The nonvisual-access regulatory standards (COMAR 14.33.02) incorporate and align with Section 508 / 36 CFR Part 1194 (29 U.S.C. 794d) and add Maryland-specific nonvisual-access requirements.
  • Who it covers All units and public institutions of higher education in the Executive Branch of State government, applied to procurement, development, maintenance, and provision of ICT, and binding on vendors/contractors via the Nonvisual Access Clause in solicitations and contracts. Exempt entities: Maryland Port Administration, public higher-education institutions (for academic/research purposes only), the University System of Maryland, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Morgan State University.
  • Private right of action No / Unclear - enforcement is procurement- and agency-driven. DoIT evaluates compliance within 18 months of contract award; on non-compliance the State issues written notice and the vendor has 12 months to remediate at its own expense. No clearly established private right of action under the state nonvisual-access regime; individuals rely on the federal ADA Title II framework for private enforcement.
  • Statutory damages / penalties Yes - civil penalty under COMAR 21.05.08.05 (Nonvisual Access Clause) of up to $5,000 for a first offense and up to $10,000 for a subsequent offense for vendor failure to provide compliant nonvisual access. Vendor must also defend, indemnify, and hold the State harmless for claims arising from non-compliant ICT.
  • Exemptions Clause/standard not required where ICT lacks nonvisual-access capability (no existing solution), is incidental, or where compliance would increase cost by more than 15%. Entity-level exemptions for the Maryland Port Administration, USM, St. Mary's College, Morgan State, and public higher-ed academic/research use. Federal ADA Title II undue-burden and fundamental-alteration defenses also apply to covered public entities.
  • Governing authority Md. Code, State Finance & Procurement (SF&P) Art. 3.5-311 (statutory mandate for the Nonvisual Access Clause); COMAR 21.05.08.05 (Nonvisual Access Clause, including civil penalties); COMAR 14.33.02.01-.12 (Information and Communication Technology Nonvisual Access Standards); plus the DoIT Maryland Digital Accessibility Policy adopting WCAG 2.1 AA.
  • Compliance deadline State nonvisual-access standards (COMAR 14.33.02 / 21.05.08.05) effective March 1, 2005. Per-contract: compliance evaluated within 18 months of award, with 12 months to remediate after notice. The DoIT Digital Accessibility Policy references the DOJ Title II web/mobile deadline (cited as April 24, 2026 for state/local governments of 50,000+; federal Title II compliance dates are Apr 24 2026 / Apr 26 2027 depending on population size).

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Official sources:
doit.maryland.gov/policies/Accessibility/Pages/Nonvisual-Access-Regulatory-Standards.aspx
doit.maryland.gov/policies/Accessibility/Pages/Maryland-Digital-Accessibility-Policy.aspx
law.cornell.edu/regulations/maryland/COMAR-21-05-08-05
mdrules.elaws.us/comar/14.33.02
regulations.justia.com/states/maryland/title-14/subtitle-33/chapter-14-33-02/
section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies/state/

Not legal advice. Informational summary compiled from the official sources cited above, last verified 2026-06-08. Requirements change; confirm against the primary source before relying on it. Federal ADA Title II applies regardless of state law (WCAG 2.1 Level AA; compliance April 26, 2027 for entities of 50,000+ population, April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special districts). See all states.