A Maryland law taking effect in 2026 bars manufacturers from punishing dealers who disclose available discounts below minimum advertised prices.
Most Maryland manufacturing and dealership owners don't realize that a provision buried in HB306—the Jack Fitzgerald Price Transparency Act—fundamentally changes how dealers can communicate pricing to customers without fear of retaliation.
Here's what changed: Under the old framework, a manufacturer could penalize a dealer for posting that a vehicle's listed price was only the manufacturer's minimum advertised price (MAP) and that a lower price was available. That penalty might come as a cut to incentives, reduced vehicle allocations, or other commercial consequences. The threat was real enough that many dealers simply didn't disclose available discounts, suppressing both price competition and their own potential revenue.
Effective October 1, 2026, Section 15–207(h)(3) of Maryland law explicitly prohibits manufacturers from penalizing dealers for price disclosures. Specifically, a dealer can now post on its website that the advertised price is the manufacturer's minimum advertised price and that a lower price is available—without the manufacturer being able to cut incentives, reduce allocations, or impose other retaliatory measures.
This matters because it removes a significant commercial threat. Dealers can now use price transparency as a legitimate competitive tool. A small dealership competing against larger chains can disclose its actual pricing without worrying that the manufacturer will respond by reducing their allocation of vehicles or cutting their incentive programs.
The provision directly affects Maryland dealers and the manufacturers they work with. If you're a dealer, you now have legal protection to post lower prices without manufacturer retaliation. If you're a manufacturer, you need to understand that this protection is now law—and that your dealer agreements and enforcement practices need to comply.
The law doesn't eliminate minimum advertised price policies themselves. Manufacturers can still set MAPs. What it eliminates is the ability to punish dealers for being transparent about what customers can actually pay.
Dealers should review their current website pricing practices and consider whether disclosures they previously avoided posting might now be both legal and commercially beneficial. Manufacturers should audit their dealer agreements and incentive programs to ensure they don't contain language or practices that would violate this provision once it takes effect.
The effective date is October 1, 2026—giving stakeholders time to adjust systems and policies before the law takes force.
For a detailed, business-specific summary of HB306 and related Maryland vehicle laws, consult your trade association or legal counsel.