§ 13-301
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/md/commercial-law/13-301A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
§13–301. IN EFFECT
Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices include any:
(1)False, falsely disparaging, or misleading oral or written statement, visual description, or other representation of any kind which has the capacity, tendency, or effect of deceiving or misleading consumers;
(2)Representation that:
(i)Consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services have a sponsorship, approval, accessory, characteristic, ingredient, use, benefit, or quantity which they do not have;
(ii)A merchant has a sponsorship, approval, status, affiliation, or connection which he does not have;
(iii)Deteriorated, altered, reconditioned, reclaimed, or secondhand consumer goods are original or new; or
(iv)Consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services are of a particular standard, quality, grade, style, or model which they are not;
(3)Failure to state a material fact if the failure deceives or tends to deceive;
(4)Disparagement of the goods, realty, services, or business of another by a false or misleading representation of a material fact;
(5)Advertisement or offer of consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services:
(i)Without intent to sell, lease, or rent them as advertised or offered; or
(ii)With intent not to supply reasonably expected public demand, unless the advertisement or offer discloses a limitation of quantity or other qualifying condition;
(6)False or misleading representation of fact which concerns:
(i)The reason for or the existence or amount of a price reduction; or
(ii)A price in comparison to a price of a competitor or to one’s own price at a past or future time;
(7)Knowingly false statement that a service, replacement, or repair is needed;
(8)False statement which concerns the reason for offering or supplying consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services at sale or discount prices;
(9)Deception, fraud, false pretense, false premise, misrepresentation, or knowing concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact with the intent that a consumer rely on the same in connection with:
(i)The promotion or sale of any consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer service;
(ii)A contract or other agreement for the evaluation, perfection, marketing, brokering or promotion of an invention; or
(iii)The subsequent performance of a merchant with respect to an agreement of sale, lease, or rental;
(10)Solicitations of sales or services over the telephone without first clearly, affirmatively, and expressly stating:
(i)The solicitor’s name and the trade name of a person represented by the solicitor;
(ii)The purpose of the telephone conversation; and
(iii)The kind of merchandise, real property, intangibles, or service solicited;
(11)Use of any plan or scheme in soliciting sales or services over the telephone that misrepresents the solicitor’s true status or mission;
(12)Use of a contract related to a consumer transaction which contains a confessed judgment clause that waives the consumer’s right to assert a legal defense to an action;
(13)Use by a seller, who is in the business of selling consumer realty, of a contract related to the sale of single family residential consumer realty, including condominiums and town houses, that contains a clause limiting or precluding the buyer’s right to obtain consequential damages as a result of the seller’s breach or cancellation of the contract;
(14)Violation of a provision of:
(i)This title;
(ii)An order of the Attorney General or agreement of a party relating to unit pricing under Title 14, Subtitle 1 of this article;
(iii)Title 14, Subtitle 2 of this article, the Maryland Consumer Debt Collection Act;
(iv)Title 14, Subtitle 3 of this article, the Maryland Door–to–Door Sales Act;
(v)Title 14, Subtitle 9 of this article, Kosher Products;
(vi)Title 14, Subtitle 10 of this article, Automotive Repair Facilities;
(vii)Section 14–1302 of this article;
(viii)Title 14, Subtitle 11 of this article, Maryland Layaway Sales Act;
(ix)Section 22–415 of the Transportation Article;
(x)Title 14, Subtitle 20 of this article;
(xi)Title 14, Subtitle 15 of this article, the Automotive Warranty Enforcement Act;
(xii)Title 14, Subtitle 21 of this article;
(xiii)Section 18–107 of the Transportation Article;
(xiv)Title 14, Subtitle 22 of this article, the Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act;
(xv)Title 14, Subtitle 23 of this article, the Automotive Crash Parts Act;
(xvi)Title 10, Subtitle 6 of the Real Property Article;
(xvii)Title 14, Subtitle 25 of this article, the Hearing Aid Sales Act;
(xviii) Title 14, Subtitle 26 of this article, the Maryland Door–to–Door Solicitations Act;
(xix)Title 14, Subtitle 31 of this article, the Maryland Household Goods Movers Act;
(xx)Title 14, Subtitle 32 of this article, the Maryland Telephone Consumer Protection Act;
(xxi)Title 14, Subtitle 34 of this article, the Social Security Number Privacy Act;
(xxii)Title 14, Subtitle 37 of this article, the Online Child Safety Act;
(xxiii) Section 14–1319, § 14–1320, or § 14–1322 of this article;
(xxiv)Section 7–304 or § 8–801 of the Criminal Law Article;
(xxv)Title 7, Subtitle 3 of the Real Property Article, the Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act;
(xxvi)Title 6, Subtitle 13 of the Environment Article;
(xxvii) Section 7–405(e)(2)(ii) of the Health Occupations Article;
(xxviii) Title 12, Subtitle 10 of the Financial Institutions Article;
(xxix)Title 19, Subtitle 7 of the Business Regulation Article;
(xxx)Section 15–311.3 of the Transportation Article;
(xxxi)Section 14–1324 of this article;
(xxxii) Section 14–1326 of this article;
(xxxiii) The federal Military Lending Act;
(xxxiv) The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act;
(xxxv)Section 11–210 of the Education Article;
(xxxvi) Title 14, Subtitle 44 of this article;
(xxxvii) Section 14–905 of the Real Property Article;
(xxxviii) Section 14–1327 of this article;
(xxxix) Title 14, Subtitle 13 of the Public Safety Article;
(xl)Section 12–6C–09.1 of the Health Occupations Article;
(xli)Title 14, Subtitle 45 of this article;
(xlii)Title 14, Subtitle 46 of this article;
(xliii) Title 14, Subtitle 47 of this article;
(xliv)Title 14, Subtitle 48 of this article;
(xlv)Title 14, Subtitle 49 of this article;
(xlvi)Section 14–2904 of this article;
(xlvii) Title 14, Subtitle 50 of this article; or
(xlviii) Section 13–411.1(c)(2) of the Transportation Article; or
(15)Act or omission that relates to a residential building and that is chargeable as a misdemeanor under or otherwise violates a provision of the Energy Conservation Building Standards Act, Title 7, Subtitle 4 of the Public Utilities Article.
§13–301. ** TAKES EFFECT JUNE 1, 2026 PER CHAPTERS 204 AND 205 OF 2025 **
Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices include any:
(1)False, falsely disparaging, or misleading oral or written statement, visual description, or other representation of any kind which has the capacity, tendency, or effect of deceiving or misleading consumers;
(2)Representation that:
(i)Consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services have a sponsorship, approval, accessory, characteristic, ingredient, use, benefit, or quantity which they do not have;
(ii)A merchant has a sponsorship, approval, status, affiliation, or connection which he does not have;
(iii)Deteriorated, altered, reconditioned, reclaimed, or secondhand consumer goods are original or new; or
(iv)Consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services are of a particular standard, quality, grade, style, or model which they are not;
(3)Failure to state a material fact if the failure deceives or tends to deceive;
(4)Disparagement of the goods, realty, services, or business of another by a false or misleading representation of a material fact;
(5)Advertisement or offer of consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services:
(i)Without intent to sell, lease, or rent them as advertised or offered; or
(ii)With intent not to supply reasonably expected public demand, unless the advertisement or offer discloses a limitation of quantity or other qualifying condition;
(6)False or misleading representation of fact which concerns:
(i)The reason for or the existence or amount of a price reduction; or
(ii)A price in comparison to a price of a competitor or to one’s own price at a past or future time;
(7)Knowingly false statement that a service, replacement, or repair is needed;
(8)False statement which concerns the reason for offering or supplying consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services at sale or discount prices;
(9)Deception, fraud, false pretense, false premise, misrepresentation, or knowing concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact with the intent that a consumer rely on the same in connection with:
(i)The promotion or sale of any consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer service;
(ii)A contract or other agreement for the evaluation, perfection, marketing, brokering or promotion of an invention; or
(iii)The subsequent performance of a merchant with respect to an agreement of sale, lease, or rental;
(10)Solicitations of sales or services over the telephone without first clearly, affirmatively, and expressly stating:
(i)The solicitor’s name and the trade name of a person represented by the solicitor;
(ii)The purpose of the telephone conversation; and
(iii)The kind of merchandise, real property, intangibles, or service solicited;
(11)Use of any plan or scheme in soliciting sales or services over the telephone that misrepresents the solicitor’s true status or mission;
(12)Use of a contract related to a consumer transaction which contains a confessed judgment clause that waives the consumer’s right to assert a legal defense to an action;
(13)Use by a seller, who is in the business of selling consumer realty, of a contract related to the sale of single family residential consumer realty, including condominiums and town houses, that contains a clause limiting or precluding the buyer’s right to obtain consequential damages as a result of the seller’s breach or cancellation of the contract;
(14)Violation of a provision of:
(i)This title;
(ii)An order of the Attorney General or agreement of a party relating to unit pricing under Title 14, Subtitle 1 of this article;
(iii)Title 14, Subtitle 2 of this article, the Maryland Consumer Debt Collection Act;
(iv)Title 14, Subtitle 3 of this article, the Maryland Door–to–Door Sales Act;
(v)Title 14, Subtitle 9 of this article, Kosher Products;
(vi)Title 14, Subtitle 10 of this article, Automotive Repair Facilities;
(vii)Section 14–1302 of this article;
(viii)Title 14, Subtitle 11 of this article, Maryland Layaway Sales Act;
(ix)Section 22–415 of the Transportation Article;
(x)Title 14, Subtitle 20 of this article;
(xi)Title 14, Subtitle 15 of this article, the Automotive Warranty Enforcement Act;
(xii)Title 14, Subtitle 21 of this article;
(xiii)Section 18–107 of the Transportation Article;
(xiv)Title 14, Subtitle 22 of this article, the Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act;
(xv)Title 14, Subtitle 23 of this article, the Automotive Crash Parts Act;
(xvi)Title 10, Subtitle 6 of the Real Property Article;
(xvii)Title 14, Subtitle 25 of this article, the Hearing Aid Sales Act;
(xviii) Title 14, Subtitle 26 of this article, the Maryland Door–to–Door Solicitations Act;
(xix)Title 14, Subtitle 31 of this article, the Maryland Household Goods Movers Act;
(xx)Title 14, Subtitle 32 of this article, the Maryland Telephone Consumer Protection Act;
(xxi)Title 14, Subtitle 34 of this article, the Social Security Number Privacy Act;
(xxii)Title 14, Subtitle 37 of this article, the Online Child Safety Act;
(xxiii) Section 14–1319, § 14–1320, or § 14–1322 of this article;
(xxiv)Section 7–304 or § 8–801 of the Criminal Law Article;
(xxv)Title 7, Subtitle 3 of the Real Property Article, the Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act;
(xxvi)Title 6, Subtitle 13 of the Environment Article;
(xxvii) Section 7–405(e)(2)(ii) of the Health Occupations Article;
(xxviii) Title 12, Subtitle 10 of the Financial Institutions Article;
(xxix)Title 19, Subtitle 7 of the Business Regulation Article;
(xxx)Section 15–311.3 of the Transportation Article;
(xxxi)Section 14–1324 of this article;
(xxxii) Section 14–1326 of this article;
(xxxiii) The federal Military Lending Act;
(xxxiv) The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act;
(xxxv)Section 11–210 of the Education Article;
(xxxvi) Title 14, Subtitle 44 of this article;
(xxxvii) Section 14–905 of the Real Property Article;
(xxxviii) Section 14–1327 of this article;
(xxxix) Title 14, Subtitle 13 of the Public Safety Article;
(xl)Section 12–6C–09.1 of the Health Occupations Article;
(xli)Title 14, Subtitle 45 of this article;
(xlii)Title 14, Subtitle 46 of this article;
(xliii) Title 14, Subtitle 47 of this article;
(xliv)Title 14, Subtitle 48 of this article;
(xlv)Title 14, Subtitle 49 of this article;
(xlvi)Section 14–2904 of this article;
(xlvii) Title 14, Subtitle 50 of this article;
(xlviii) Section 13–411.1(c)(2) of the Transportation Article; or
(xlix)Section 14–1329 of this article; or
(15)Act or omission that relates to a residential building and that is chargeable as a misdemeanor under or otherwise violates a provision of the Energy Conservation Building Standards Act, Title 7, Subtitle 4 of the Public Utilities Article.