Maryland's association sign-protection window grew to 45 days, and it was law the day it was signed
Maryland's association sign-protection window grew to 45 days, and it was law the day it was signed
2026-09-12 · Maryland · Legislation
What happened. Maryland lengthened the window in which a community association may not restrict candidate or ballot-proposition signs from 30 days to 45 days before voting begins — and made it effective immediately rather than on the usual 1 October date. The Governor signed both cross-files on 28 April 2026: House Bill 855 became Chapter 289 and Senate Bill 758 became Chapter 288.12
Of everything the 2026 session did to Maryland community-association law, this is the only piece already in force. The EV-charging act waits for October, the insurance act for October 2027. This one has been binding since April, which matters because Maryland's general election falls on 3 November 2026.
What changed, precisely
The act repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, three parallel provisions — one for each Maryland community-association form:
- Real Property § 11-111.2 — condominiums
- Real Property § 11B-111.2 — homeowners associations
- Corporations and Associations § 5-6B-23 — cooperative housing corporations
The protected display period now opens 45 days before the start of early voting rather than 30. Practitioners reading the enacted text report the post-election protection is unchanged at seven days.3
The timing hook is the one detail worth reading twice. The clock runs from the start of early voting, not from election day — so in Maryland, where early voting opens well before the election itself, the practical protected period is considerably longer than “45 days before the election” would suggest.
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Related Maryland HOA Topics
- House Bill 855, Maryland General Assembly 2026 Regular Session — bill record, Chapter 289, approved 28 April 2026, effective upon enactment; House 128-0, Senate 45-0 ↩
- Senate Bill 758 (2026), Common Ownership Communities – Candidate or Proposition Signs – Display Period — Chapter 288, the cross-file enacted alongside HB 855 ↩
- Whiteford Taylor Preston, 2026 Maryland Legislative Update for Common Ownership Communities (45 days before start of early voting; seven-day post-election window) ↩
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