What Maryland law means for a contractor's website, phones and email

Does Maryland require your license number in ads and on your website?

Yes, for home improvement work. The Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) states on its advertising page that each home improvement advertisement must contain the name and license number of the contractor. The same page says ads cannot be deceptive, false or misleading, that a coupon cannot require the customer to present it before the contractor provides an estimate, and that an ad leaving out delivery or installation charges has to say so clearly.

The page does not define "advertisement" or mention websites, so treat the safe reading as the practical one: put your business name and MHIC number in the header or footer of every page, on your Google Business Profile, on vehicle lettering, on yard signs and in every paid ad. The Commission's FAQ lists painting, driveways and patios as home improvement, and the statute's definition in Business Regulation section 8-101 names fences, decks, porches, garages, landscaping and swimming pools, besides any alteration, repair or replacement of a dwelling or a structure next to it. That means most exterior trades are covered, but carpet installation and carpet cleaning are not, according to the Commission's FAQ. Our Maryland contractor license guide sorts out which trades fall under MHIC and which fall under other boards.

One more thing worth knowing: the Commission also says a contractor or salesperson may not offer a gift, bonus award or merchandise to an owner as an inducement. A price reduction or sale is not treated as a gift. If you run "refer a neighbor and get a gift card" offers on your site or in email, read section 8-503 of the Business Regulation Article before you launch them. Subsection (a) bars promising an owner compensation or a reward for placing home improvement business with others, and subsection (b) bars gifts and cash as an inducement. A promotional item worth $25 or less is allowed under subsection (c) if it is not tied to signing a contract.

Can you record calls in Maryland?

Only with everyone's consent. Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article section 10-402(c)(3) allows a person who is a party to a communication to intercept it where all of the parties have given prior consent. That makes Maryland an all-party consent state, and it applies to wire, oral and electronic communications.

For a business line, the working answer is simple. Start every call, inbound or outbound, with a short notice that the call is recorded or may be recorded. An AI receptionist needs the same line in its greeting, because the system records and transcribes the call. A caller who stays on after hearing the notice has been told; a caller who hears nothing has not consented. Our guide on recording business calls has a short script, and the state-by-state recording table shows how Maryland compares with its neighbors if your crews or customers cross state lines.

What does Maryland add to the federal telemarketing rules?

Federal rules apply everywhere in the country, including the TCPA and CAN-SPAM, and our guide to texting rules covers them. Maryland has its own layer, the Stop the Spam Calls Act of 2023, found in Commercial Law sections 14-4501 and 14-4502.

The state definitions matter in practice. Section 14-4501 defines "prior express written consent" as a signed written agreement from the called party, which can be an electronic signature. The agreement must authorize solicitations by call, text or voicemail using automated dialing, a prerecorded or artificial voice, or prerecorded voicemail. It must also list the phone number to be used and say clearly that the person does not have to sign it to buy anything.

Section 14-4502 then sets the limits:

• A solicitation that uses an automatic dialing system or plays a recorded message needs that prior express written consent.
• No solicitation overnight, from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. in the called party's time zone, and no more than three on the same subject in a 24-hour span.
• No hiding or faking your caller ID. Showing the seller's name and a customer service number is allowed.

The statute lists several exemptions from the consent requirement. Two matter to a service company: a single call responding to a customer's inquiry or request, and a solicitation for a contract to maintain or repair goods previously bought from the solicitor. The exemptions apply only to the consent rule in subsection (a), not to the hours, frequency and caller ID limits, so your follow-up sequences should still stop for the night. The Public Utilities Article, which the Commercial Law section points to, defines a telephone solicitation as an organized activity, program or campaign to sell or lease goods or services. Violations are enforced as unfair, abusive or deceptive trade practices under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.

What must a Maryland home improvement contract and online quote say?

Business Regulation Article section 8-501 sets the contract rules. The contract must be in writing, legible, clearly describe every document it incorporates, and be signed by each party. It must include:

• The contractor's name, address, phone number and license number, and the name and license number of any salesperson involved.
• Approximate start and substantial completion dates.
• A description of the work and materials, and the agreed price.
• Any monthly payment terms, finance charge and collateral.
• A notice with the Commission's phone number and website.

The owner must receive a copy signed by the contractor before work begins. If the work is secured by residential real estate, the first page needs a bold notice of at least 10-point type about the mortgage or lien risk and the owner's right to consult an attorney and rescind within three business days, and the owner initials it separately. A contract that fails these rules is not automatically invalid, per section 8-501(a), but you will have given a homeowner a reason to dispute it.

For your website this means an online "request a quote" form can collect the job details, but the quote itself is not the contract. Send the written contract with every required item, and keep your estimate emails clearly labeled as estimates.

A separate rule covers sales at the customer's door. The MHIC's FAQ says a home improvement sale made at the buyer's home falls under the Maryland Door-to-Door Sales Act, and states that the buyer can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day, or the seventh day if the buyer is 65 or older. The cancellation notice the statute itself prescribes, in Commercial Law section 14-302, speaks of three business days, so the two sources do not match on their face. Until you have confirmed the period with the Commission or a Maryland attorney, plan around the longer window the Commission states. If you sell washing, sealing or repairs after a knock on the door, do not start the work, and do not collect a deposit you cannot refund, during that window. The Act covers goods and services bought primarily for personal, family or household purposes, sales of $25 or more, and it counts a sale that follows the buyer's own invitation.

How does Maryland sales tax show up on invoices?

Maryland's general sales and use tax rate is 6% under Tax-General Article section 11-104, and the same section sets a 3% rate for the data, information technology and software publishing services in the table's third row. The tax applies to goods and to the services listed in section 11-101(m). Most residential services are not on that list, but several services a Maryland company might sell or buy are:

A pressure washing or window cleaning company that serves a business building should set its invoicing software to charge tax on that job, while the same service at a house is not on the list. The answering service definition excludes answering a phone when that is only incidental, under 5% of the provider's gross receipts. Whether your AI receptionist subscription is treated as an answering service is a question for the Comptroller, so ask before assuming. Register through Maryland Business Express and read our plain-English sales tax guide for how to separate taxable and nontaxable lines on one invoice.

Does Maryland's privacy law reach a small contractor?

The Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024 took effect October 1, 2025, according to the enacted text of Senate Bill 541, and the same text makes section 14-4612 apply only to processing on or after April 1, 2026, so ask the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division which duties apply from which date. Under Commercial Law section 14-4702, it applies to a business that operates in Maryland or targets Maryland residents and, in the preceding calendar year, controlled or processed the personal data of at least 35,000 consumers, not counting data handled solely to complete a payment transaction. A second test covers businesses that processed data of at least 10,000 consumers and earned more than 20% of gross revenue from selling personal data. A contractor with a few thousand customers is not close to either test. Section 14-4703 also lists exempt entities and data types, such as financial institutions and certain health information.

The risk is on the website side. If your site runs analytics and ad tracking across a large audience, ask whoever built it what data those tools collect. A site that never sells personal data and has a modest visitor count is unlikely to meet the test, but the statute counts consumers, not customers.

What does this mean for your setup?

Put your MHIC name and license number in the site header or footer and in every ad. Add a recording notice to the phone greeting and the AI receptionist script. Send marketing texts and calls only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., cap follow-ups at three a day on one subject, and keep signed written consent on file with the number and wording. Build contracts from the section 8-501 list. Tax commercial exterior cleaning if you do it. When a rule here affects your real contract or call script, confirm with the agency or a Maryland attorney.

Treat this as general information from October 2026, not legal or tax advice, and confirm current text with the agency before acting. If you are setting up a site, a phone line or a receptionist, our pages on websites, business phone systems and the AI receptionist explain how we build them, and starting a business in Maryland covers formation, licensing and workers' comp.

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