Maryland Criminal Law — Identity Fraud — Artificial Intelligence and Deepfake Representations (SB 8)
Maryland · 2026 Md. Laws ch. 445 (SB 8)
This law makes it a crime to intentionally use artificial intelligence or a deepfake representation to impersonate, falsely depict, or claim to represent another person, or to create or distribute false records, with intent to cause harm, to induce someone to hand over personal identifying information, or to obtain a benefit, credit, good, service, or other thing of value. 'Deepfake representation' means synthetic media indistinguishable from an actual, identifiable human being, and a victim may bring a civil action.
Technical detail
2026 Md. Laws ch. 445 (SB 8) extends Maryland's identity-fraud statute to AI and deepfake representations used to impersonate a person or create false records to cause harm or obtain value, with penalties scaled to the value involved and a private civil cause of action for victims.
Who is protected: Individuals impersonated or harmed by AI-generated or deepfake impersonation and false records, and people induced to give up personal information or value.
Who must comply: Any person in Maryland who would use AI or deepfake representations for the prohibited impersonation or false-records purposes.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Maryland |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | Enacted (not yet in effect) |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 2026-10-01 |
| Enacted | 2026-05-12 |
| Citation | 2026 Md. Laws ch. 445 (SB 8) |
| Enforced by | Maryland state and local prosecutors and courts; victims may also pursue civil claims. |
| Private right of action | Yes — individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Penalties scale with the value involved: $1,500-$25,000 is a felony punishable by up to 5 years and/or a $10,000 fine; $25,000 or more is up to 10 years and/or a $15,000 fine; lower-value violations carry reduced penalties. |
| Topics | deepfakes · consumer protection |
| Last verified | 2026-06-16 |
| Official source | Maryland General Assembly — SB 8 (2026), Chapter 445 ↗ |
More AI rules in Maryland
- MD HB 1339 (Automated Decision Systems, 2026) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Maryland Online Data Privacy Act · In effect
- MD NCII Deepfake Law · In effect
- Maryland CSAM Law (computer-generated images) · In effect
- Maryland AI Governance Act (2024) · In effect
- Maryland HB 820 (AI in insurance utilization review) · In effect
Related deepfakes rules elsewhere
- Arkansas Frank Broyles Act AI amendment — voice and likeness protection (2025) · In effect
- Doe v. X.AI (Grok NCII deepfakes class action) · In effect
- xAI v. Harwood (Grok NCII Counter-Suit 2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Arizona HB 2133 deepfake sexual content — vetoed 2026 · Vetoed
- NY AG · In effect
- MI SOS Deepfake Election Policy · In effect
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