Statute of Limitations for Class B / 2nd Degree Felony in Maryland

Overview

Maryland’s statute of limitations (SOL) rules determine how long the State has to file a criminal charging document after an alleged offense. For this topic, Maryland’s general/default SOL period is 3 years under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-106.

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

In practice, that typically means the State must file the charging document within 3 years of the offense date (for most matters that fall under Maryland’s general SOL framework). DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator can help you estimate the deadline you should look for—especially when you’re working backward from an offense date or checking a potential filing-date question.

Limitation period

Maryland’s general statute of limitations is 3 years for qualifying criminal charging actions under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-106.

What “3 years” means operationally

To estimate the general SOL deadline, use this practical approach:

• Start point: the offense date (the date the alleged conduct occurred).
• End point: the last date the State can file the charging document within the limitation window.
• Baseline estimate: offense date + 3 years.

If you know the offense date but not the filing date, you can:

1. calculate the presumptive “SOL deadline,” then
2. compare it to when the charging document was filed to gauge whether the filing appears time-barred under the general rule.

Common ways SOL deadlines get misread

Even when the period is “just 3 years,” small timing details can change the computed deadline:

• Which date counts as the offense date: if the facts involve an event with a range of dates, uncertainty about the specific offense/incident date can shift the deadline.
• Exact calendar timing: SOL calculators convert “3 years” into a specific calendar date (including leap years and day/month alignment).
• Case timing changes: certain legal events can pause or alter the timeline (covered next).

Key exceptions

Maryland’s general/default SOL period of 3 years under § 5-106 can be affected by exceptions that change how the clock runs. The jurisdiction data provided does not show a class-specific “Class B / 2nd degree felony” sub-rule, so the most actionable workflow is to look for events that could have tolled (paused) or interrupted the SOL.

Here are the exception types to look for when verifying the timeline:

• Tolling events (pause the clock): certain legal actions or circumstances may suspend the limitation period.
• Interruption (restart or break the period): some procedural/jurisdictional events can affect whether time continues uninterrupted.
• Multiple alleged offenses: each alleged offense typically has its own SOL analysis tied to its own offense date, even if charges are grouped.

How exceptions change your estimate

The simple offense date + 3 years estimate is a starting point. If an exception applies, the effective deadline may become:

• later than the baseline (if the clock was paused), or
• different than a straight calendar addition (if the period restarted or was otherwise affected).

DocketMath is designed to make the baseline calculation transparent so you can see how your inputs produce the output before you account for docket-specific exception facts.

Statute citation

Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-106 provides the general statute of limitations framework used for this topic, including the general 3-year limitation period referenced in the jurisdiction data.

Because the provided jurisdiction information does not identify a claim-type-specific sub-rule for “Class B / 2nd degree felony,” the safe default for a baseline estimate is:

• apply the 3-year general period under § 5-106.

(This is a practical modeling approach for estimating deadlines, not legal advice.)

Use the calculator

For a baseline SOL estimate, use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator: /tools/statute-of-limitations.

Suggested inputs for a Maryland baseline estimate

When using the calculator, enter (as available):

• Jurisdiction: Maryland (US-MD)
• Rule selection: General rule (per Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-106)
• Offense date: the date the alleged conduct occurred
• Filing date (optional): the date the charging document was filed, so you can compare it to the computed deadline

What you should expect as output

With the general rule selected, DocketMath should produce:

• a calculated SOL deadline based on the 3-year period, and
• if you enter a filing date, a comparison indicating whether the filing appears within or outside the baseline window.

How outputs change when inputs change

Try these common “what-if” comparisons:

• If the offense date shifts forward by 30 days, the computed SOL deadline generally shifts forward by roughly the same magnitude (since it’s anchored to offense date + 3 years).
• If the filing date stays the same, a later offense date can change the result from “likely outside” to “likely within” under the baseline general rule.

Workflow tip

Use the tool in two passes:

1. Pass 1: offense date only → capture the baseline SOL deadline.
2. Pass 2: offense date + filing date → see how close the filing is to the baseline.

If the filing is near the computed deadline (for example, within weeks), that’s a signal to look for potential tolling or interruption facts in the docket record.

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Maryland and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — Tool comparison
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — How-to guide
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — Tool comparison