ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland lawmakers are weighing legislation that would require drivers to clear snow and ice from their vehicles before driving, as winter weather continues to create hazardous conditions on roadways statewide.
House Bill 474, known as the “Clear Before You Drive” Act, would prohibit motorists from operating or towing a vehicle without first removing accumulated snow and ice that poses a threat to people or property. The requirement would apply to all exposed vehicle surfaces, including roofs, hoods, trunks, windshields and windows, as well as the tops of trailers and semitrailers.
Under the proposal, violations would be enforced as a secondary offense, allowing police to issue citations only after stopping a driver for another suspected traffic violation.
For noncommercial vehicles, fines would start at $25 for a first offense and increase to $200 for fourth and subsequent violations. Commercial vehicle operators would face higher penalties, with fines escalating to $1,000 for repeated offenses. If a violation contributes to a crash resulting in property damage, serious injury or death, the bill authorizes fines of up to $1,000 for noncommercial vehicles and $1,500 for commercial vehicles.
The bill is being considered during the same period that authorities have reported multiple incidents involving unsecured ice, including a recent case in Anne Arundel County in which a sheriff’s deputy was injured after ice flew from another vehicle and shattered a patrol cruiser’s windshield. Officials have said the legislation is part of broader winter safety efforts and was introduced prior to that incident.
House Bill 474 received its first reading on Jan. 23, 2026, and is sponsored by Delegates Patterson, Korman, Harrison and Turner. The bill is currently under review in the House Environment and Transportation Committee and would take effect Oct. 1, 2026, if approved.
The full text of House Bill 474 is available below:
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Should be a primary offense citation with a harsher fine than $25.
Can’t clear ice off the top of anything, good luck with this pointless law that nobody will enforce
Yes u can get ice off car. Turn Vehicle on and turn heat on high defrosting the windows for about 20 min and ice will come off.
I used both sides of a regular house broom to get it all off the vehicle
Hot take from the lazy right here, folks.
It was and is simply impossible to remove ice from the top of my car in this weather. This is just another example of the harsh, punitive culture of Maryland’s state government. Mindless!!
Manufactures should be required to put heating systems, whether duct or element to aid in melting or loosen the snow/ice buildup for easy removal
Another personal piggy bank tax but let’s not forget folks, MD is a sanctuary state. I think these politicians could use their time more wisely on some better issues like ILLEGALS CANT GET LICENSES AND DRIVE HERE! But I’m sure the Dems will figure.it.out since elections are coming up. That and a few more people will have to die as a sacrifice to padding those numbers. Collateral damage, but it’s ok. It’s the Democrats, they’re Untouchable.
Only thing democrats are good at. Imposing more regulations and revenue on citizens