Maryland
Maryland Extortion and Blackmail Laws: Penalties (2026)
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 17, 2026). · 13 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Yes. Blackmail is a crime in Maryland, although no Maryland offense uses that name: the Criminal Law Article, Title 3, Subtitle 7, makes it extortion. Threatening, with intent to unlawfully extort anything of value, to accuse someone of a crime or of something that would bring them into contempt or disrepute, or to cause injury, emotional distress, economic damage or property damage, is a felony punishable by up to 10 years when the threat is spoken (Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-705) or written (§ 3-706). Extortion by force, economic injury or immigration-related threats is graded by value under § 3-701, and sexual extortion is a separate crime under § 3-709.
Information last verified on October 17, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Maryland's criminal extortion statutes in Criminal Law §§ 3-701 to 3-709, the robbery statute (§ 3-402), the offense of using a minor in producing sexual images (§ 11-207(a)(1)) and the limitations period for sexual extortion in Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-106(hh). It does not cover what to do if you are being threatened or how to get images taken down (see our sextortion scams guide), the crime of sharing intimate images itself (see revenge porn laws by state), federal offenses (covered on our extortion and blackmail laws by state hub), or local ordinances.
What is extortion in Maryland?
Maryland does not have one extortion statute. Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the Criminal Law Article contains several parallel offenses, and which one applies depends on the kind of threat and how it was made.
Extortion by force, economic injury or immigration threats (§ 3-701). The base section reads:
"A person may not obtain, attempt to obtain, or conspire to obtain money, property, labor, services, or anything of value from another person with the person's consent, if the consent is induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened: (1) force or violence; (2) economic injury; (3) destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of any immigration or government identification document with intent to harm the immigration status of another person; or (4) notification of law enforcement officials about another person's undocumented or illegal immigration status."
The prohibition covers attempting and conspiring to obtain, as well as obtaining. The section's list does not include threats to accuse someone of a crime or to reveal something damaging. Those threats are covered by §§ 3-704, 3-705 and 3-706.
Extortion by verbal threat (§ 3-705). A person, "with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, labor, services, or anything of value from another, may not verbally threaten to" accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute, or to cause physical injury, inflict emotional distress, cause economic damage, or cause damage to property.
Extortion by writing (§ 3-706). The same intent and the same threat list apply to a person who knowingly sends or delivers, or makes and parts with, "a writing threatening to" do any of those things. The section applies to any writing, "whether or not the writing is signed," and whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or other mark.
False accusation to extort (§ 3-704). A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort, "may not falsely accuse or threaten to falsely accuse another of a crime or of anything that, if the accusation were true, would tend to bring the other into contempt or disrepute."
Is blackmail a crime in Maryland?
Yes, under other names. None of §§ 3-701 through 3-709 uses blackmail as the name of an offense. The conduct people usually mean by blackmail, demanding money in exchange for not revealing something embarrassing or not reporting a crime, matches the threat list in §§ 3-705 and 3-706: threatening to accuse any person "of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute," with the intent to unlawfully extort.
Is extortion a felony in Maryland?
It depends on the section. Verbal and written extortion under §§ 3-705 and 3-706 are felonies at any value. Extortion under § 3-701 is a felony at $1,000 or more and a misdemeanor below that. Two sections, § 3-704 (false accusation to extort) and § 3-709 (sexual extortion), are labeled misdemeanors but each sets a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Each offense section states its own penalty. Under § 3-701(c), the felony tiers are:
"(1) If the value of the property, labor, or services is at least $1,000 but less than $10,000, a person who violates this section is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both. (2) If the value of the property, labor, or services is at least $10,000 but less than $100,000, a person who violates this section is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 15 years or a fine not exceeding $15,000 or both. (3) If the value of the property, labor, or services is $100,000 or more, a person who violates this section is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 25 years or a fine not exceeding $25,000 or both."
Below $1,000, § 3-701(d) makes it "the misdemeanor of extortion," punishable by up to 18 months, a $1,000 fine, or both. Section 3-701(e) requires a prosecution for a felony under that section to be "instituted within 5 years after the crime was committed."
Maryland extortion penalties
| Offense | Statute | What it prohibits | Class | Statutory penalty range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extortion | Crim. Law § 3-701 | Obtaining, attempting or conspiring to obtain anything of value with consent induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force or violence, economic injury, or listed immigration-related threats | Felony at $1,000 or more; misdemeanor under $1,000 | Under $1,000: up to 18 months, $1,000 fine, or both. $1,000 to under $10,000: up to 10 years, $10,000, or both. $10,000 to under $100,000: up to 15 years, $15,000, or both. $100,000 or more: up to 25 years, $25,000, or both |
| Extortion by verbal threat | § 3-705 | With intent to unlawfully extort, verbally threatening to accuse of a crime or of something bringing contempt or disrepute, or to cause physical injury, emotional distress, economic damage or property damage | Felony | Up to 10 years, $10,000 fine, or both |
| Extortion by writing | § 3-706 | With intent to unlawfully extort, knowingly sending or delivering a writing that makes one of the § 3-705 threats | Felony | Up to 10 years, $10,000 fine, or both |
| False accusation to extort | § 3-704 | With intent to unlawfully extort, falsely accusing or threatening to falsely accuse another of a crime or of something tending to bring contempt or disrepute | Misdemeanor (as labeled) | Up to 10 years, $10,000 fine, or both |
| Extortion by a State or local officer or employee | § 3-702 | An officer or employee wrongfully obtaining or attempting to obtain anything of value with consent obtained under color or pretense of office, under color of official right, or by actual or threatened force or violence | Felony at $1,000 or more; misdemeanor under $1,000 | Under $1,000: up to 18 months, $500 fine, or both. $1,000 to under $10,000: up to 10 years, $10,000, or both. $10,000 to under $100,000: up to 15 years, $15,000, or both. $100,000 or more: up to 25 years, $25,000, or both. Each felony tier adds a permanent bar from State or local employment, notwithstanding any pardon |
| Compelling surrender of public-work compensation | § 3-703 | A State or local officer or employee inducing a person employed in publicly financed work, by force, intimidation or threat, to give up compensation the person is entitled to | Felony | Up to 5 years, $5,000 fine, or both |
| Coercing contributions | § 3-707 | Conduct solely to coerce or intimidate another to contribute money, goods, materials or services to a social, economic or political association or organization (picketing in a labor dispute excluded) | Misdemeanor | Up to 90 days, $100 fine, or both; each day is a separate violation |
| Sexual extortion | § 3-709 | Causing another, by a listed threat, to engage in sexual activity or to be the subject of a visual representation or performance showing intimate parts or sexual activity | Misdemeanor (as labeled) | Up to 10 years, $10,000 fine, or both |
| Using a minor in producing sexual images | § 11-207(a)(1) | Causing, inducing, soliciting or knowingly allowing a minor to engage as a subject in the production of obscene matter or a visual representation or performance depicting a minor in sadomasochistic abuse or sexual conduct | Felony | First violation: up to 10 years, $25,000 fine, or both. Subsequent violation: up to 20 years, $50,000 fine, or both |
| Robbery | § 3-402 | Committing or attempting to commit robbery | Felony | Up to 15 years |
What kinds of threats count?
The threat lists differ by section, and the wording matters.
- Section 3-701: wrongful use of actual or threatened "force or violence," "economic injury," destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation or possession of an immigration or government identification document "with intent to harm the immigration status of another person," or "notification of law enforcement officials about another person's undocumented or illegal immigration status."
- Sections 3-705 and 3-706: threats to "accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute," or to "cause physical injury to a person," "inflict emotional distress on a person," "cause economic damage to a person," or "cause damage to the property of a person."
- Section 3-704: a false accusation, or a threat to make one, of a crime or of anything that would tend to bring the person into contempt or disrepute.
What must be sought also differs. Sections 3-701, 3-704 and 3-705 name "money, property, labor, services, or anything of value"; § 3-706 names "money, property, or anything of value."
Is it extortion to threaten to sue or report someone in Maryland?
The statutes answer this only through their own words. Sections 3-705 and 3-706 reach a threat to accuse any person of a crime or of something that would bring contempt or disrepute, but only when it is made "with the intent to unlawfully extort." Neither section mentions lawsuits, complaints or online reviews by name.
Two sections contain written exclusions:
"This section does not apply to legitimate efforts by employees or their representatives to obtain certain wages, hours, or working conditions." (§ 3-701(a))
"This section does not apply to a good faith reasonable notice of dishonor and warning of criminal prosecution under Title 8, Subtitle 1 of this article given by a holder of an instrument to the maker of the instrument." (§ 3-706(a)(2))
The second exclusion concerns a holder of an instrument giving its maker a good faith notice of dishonor and warning of criminal prosecution. How these sections apply to a particular demand is a question for a court and a Maryland lawyer.
Extortion by public officials
Section 3-702 applies only to an officer or employee of the State or of a political subdivision who wrongfully obtains, or attempts to obtain, anything of value with consent "obtained under color or pretense of office, under color of official right, or by wrongful use of actual or threatened force or violence." It is graded by value. At $1,000 to under $10,000, it is a felony punishable by up to 10 years, a $10,000 fine, or both. At $10,000 to under $100,000, it is a felony punishable by up to 15 years, a $15,000 fine, or both. At $100,000 or more, it is a felony punishable by up to 25 years, a $25,000 fine, or both. In each felony tier the person, "notwithstanding any pardon, shall be barred permanently from employment by the State or by a political subdivision." Under $1,000, it is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 18 months, a $500 fine, or both. Under § 3-702(g), a felony prosecution must be instituted within 5 years.
Two other sections in the subtitle are narrower. Section 3-703 bars a State or local officer or employee from using "force, intimidation, or threat" to induce a person employed in publicly financed work to give up compensation, a felony punishable by up to 5 years, a $5,000 fine, or both. Section 3-707 bars conduct "solely to coerce or intimidate another person to contribute or donate any money, goods, materials, or services to a social, economic, or political association or organization," a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days, a $100 fine, or both, and does not prohibit picketing in connection with a labor dispute.
Is sextortion a crime in Maryland?
Yes. Maryland law refers to the offense in Criminal Law § 3-709 as the crime of sexual extortion (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-106(hh)). Under § 3-709(b), a person may not cause another to:
- engage in an act of sexual activity, or
- engage as a subject in the production of a visual representation or performance that depicts the other with intimate parts exposed or engaging in or simulating an act of sexual activity,
by threatening to accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; cause physical injury; inflict emotional distress; cause economic damage; or cause damage to property.
Subsection (c) sets the penalty: a misdemeanor "subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both." Under § 3-709(d), the sentence "may be separate from and consecutive to or concurrent with a sentence for any crime based on the act" that establishes the violation. Section 3-709 has no separate penalty for a minor victim. Where the person pressured is a minor, Criminal Law § 11-207(a)(1) separately prohibits causing, inducing or soliciting a minor "to engage as a subject in the production of obscene matter or a visual representation or performance that depicts a minor engaged as a subject in sadomasochistic abuse or sexual conduct," a felony punishable by up to 10 years and a $25,000 fine for a first violation and up to 20 years and a $50,000 fine for a subsequent one. Under § 3-709(e), a visual representation depicting a victim that is part of a court record in a sexual extortion prosecution, subject to a stated exception, "may not be made available for public inspection."
The section's five-item threat list does not separately name a threat to share an image; it matches the list in §§ 3-705 and 3-706. A demand for money, as opposed to sexual activity or images, is the subject of §§ 3-701, 3-705 and 3-706.
The prosecution deadline is set in Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-106(hh): "The statute of limitations for the prosecution of the crime of sexual extortion in violation of § 3-709 of the Criminal Law Article is 5 years." See our Maryland statute of limitations page for other deadlines.
If you are being threatened with the release of images, our sextortion scams guide explains reporting and removal steps. Maryland's crimes for sharing intimate or AI-generated images are covered on our Maryland deepfake laws page and in revenge porn laws by state.
Crimes often confused with extortion in Maryland
- Robbery. Section 3-402 states that a person "may not commit or attempt to commit robbery," a felony punishable by up to 15 years.
- Threats against public officials. Section 3-708(b) separately prohibits knowingly and willfully making "a threat to take the life of, kidnap, or cause physical injury to" a State official, a local official, a deputy or assistant State's Attorney, or an assistant Public Defender. That offense does not require any demand.
- Theft. Maryland's theft statute is a separate scheme; see our Maryland theft laws page.
Recent changes
- 2024: Chapters 772 and 773 of the 2024 Laws of Maryland (SB 391 and HB 544), effective October 1, 2024, set the statute of limitations for sexual extortion at 5 years, now codified in Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-106(hh). The same acts changed the limitations rules for stalking and revenge porn.
Federal law also reaches interstate threats and extortion; our extortion and blackmail laws by state hub covers the federal statutes.
Related pages
- Extortion and blackmail laws by state
- Sextortion scams: what to do
- Maryland deepfake laws
- Maryland theft laws
- Maryland statute of limitations
This article provides general legal information about Maryland criminal statutes as of October 17, 2026. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Maryland.
Last updated: October 17, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is blackmail illegal in Maryland?
Yes, though Maryland calls it extortion. Under Md. Code, Crim. Law §§ 3-705 and 3-706, threatening to accuse someone of a crime or of something that would bring them into contempt or disrepute, with intent to unlawfully extort anything of value, is a felony punishable by up to 10 years, a $10,000 fine, or both.
Is extortion a felony in Maryland?
Verbal and written extortion under §§ 3-705 and 3-706 are felonies at any value. Extortion by force, economic injury or immigration threats under § 3-701 is a felony at $1,000 or more and a misdemeanor punishable by up to 18 months below $1,000.
What is the maximum penalty for extortion in Maryland?
Under § 3-701(c)(3), extortion involving $100,000 or more is punishable by up to 25 years, a $25,000 fine, or both. Lower felony tiers carry up to 15 or 10 years, and under $1,000 the offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 18 months.
Is sextortion a crime in Maryland?
Yes. Crim. Law § 3-709 prohibits causing another person, by listed threats, to engage in sexual activity or to be the subject of a visual representation showing intimate parts or sexual activity. It is labeled a misdemeanor but carries up to 10 years, a $10,000 fine, or both. Where the person pressured is a minor, § 11-207(a)(1) separately makes it a felony to cause or induce a minor to be the subject of such images, with up to 10 years for a first violation and 20 years for a subsequent one.
How long does Maryland have to charge extortion?
A felony under § 3-701 must be prosecuted within 5 years after the crime (§ 3-701(e)), as must a felony by a State or local officer or employee under § 3-702 (§ 3-702(g)), and sexual extortion under § 3-709 has a 5-year limitations period under Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-106(hh).
Is threatening to report someone's immigration status extortion in Maryland?
Section 3-701 lists wrongful use of actual or threatened notification of law enforcement officials about another person's undocumented or illegal immigration status, when it induces consent to give up money, property, labor, services or anything of value.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Maryland Code, Criminal Law Article
§ 3-701In force
§3–701. (a) This section does not apply to legitimate efforts by employees or their representatives to obtain certain wages, hours, or working conditions. (b) A person may not obtain, attempt to obtain, or conspire to obtain money, property, labor, services, or anything of value from another person with the person’s consent, if the consent is induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened: (1) force or violence; (2) economic injury; (3) destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of any immigration or government identification document with intent to harm the immigration status of another person; or (4) notification of law enforcement officials about another person’s undocumented or illegal immigration status. (c) (1) If the value of the property, labor, or services is at least $1,000 but less than $10,000, a person who violates this section is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at mgaleg.maryland.gov
§ 3-705In force
§3–705. (a) A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, labor, services, or anything of value from another, may not verbally threaten to: (1) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; or (2) (i) cause physical injury to a person; (ii) inflict emotional distress on a person; (iii) cause economic damage to a person; or (iv) cause damage to the property of a person. (b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at mgaleg.maryland.gov
§ 3-706In force
§3–706. (a) (1) This section applies to any writing, whether or not the writing is signed, or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other mark or designation. (2) This section does not apply to a good faith reasonable notice of dishonor and warning of criminal prosecution under Title 8, Subtitle 1 of this article given by a holder of an instrument to the maker of the instrument. (b) A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, or anything of value from another, may not knowingly send or deliver, or make for the purpose of being sent or delivered and part with the possession of, a writing threatening to: (1) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; or (2) (i) cause physical injury to a person; (ii) inflict emotional distress on a person; (iii) cause economic damage to a person; or (iv) cause damage to the property of a person. (c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at mgaleg.maryland.gov
§ 3-709In force
§3–709. (a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. (2) “Intimate parts” has the meaning stated in § 3–809 of this title. (3) “Sexual activity” has the meaning stated in § 3–809 of this title. (b) A person may not cause another to: (1) engage in an act of sexual activity by threatening to: (i) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; (ii) cause physical injury to a person; (iii) inflict emotional distress on a person; (iv) cause economic damage to a person; or (v) cause damage to the property of a person; or (2) engage as a subject in the production of a visual representation or performance that depicts the other with the other’s intimate parts exposed or engaging in or simulating an act of sexual activity by threatening to: (i) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; (ii) cause physical injury to a person; (iii) inflict emotional distress on a person; (iv) cause economic damage to a person; or (v) cause damage to the property of a person.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at mgaleg.maryland.gov
§ 3-704In force
§3–704. (a) A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, labor, services, or anything of value from another, may not falsely accuse or threaten to falsely accuse another of a crime or of anything that, if the accusation were true, would tend to bring the other into contempt or disrepute. (b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at mgaleg.maryland.gov
§ 3-702In force
§3–702. (a) In this section, “political subdivision” includes a: (1) county; (2) municipal corporation; (3) bicounty or multicounty agency; (4) county board of education; (5) public authority; or (6) special taxing district. (b) An officer or employee of the State or of a political subdivision may not wrongfully obtain or attempt to obtain money, property, or anything of value from a person with the person’s consent, if the consent is obtained under color or pretense of office, under color of official right, or by wrongful use of actual or threatened force or violence. (c) If the value of the property is at least $1,000 but less than $10,000, a person who violates this section: (1) is guilty of the felony of extortion and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both; and (2) notwithstanding any pardon, shall be barred permanently from employment by the State or by a political subdivision.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at mgaleg.maryland.gov
Maryland Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article
§ 5-106In forcecited in 2 of our articles
§5–106. (a) Except as provided by this section, § 1–303 of the Environment Article, and § 8–1815 of the Natural Resources Article, a prosecution for a misdemeanor shall be instituted within 1 year after the offense was committed. (b) Notwithstanding § 9–103(a)(3) of the Correctional Services Article or any other provision of the Code, if a statute provides that a misdemeanor is punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary or that a person is subject to this subsection: (1) The State may institute a prosecution for the misdemeanor at any time; and (2) For purposes of the Maryland Constitution, the person: (i) Shall be deemed to have committed a misdemeanor whose punishment is confinement in the penitentiary; and (ii) May reserve a point or question for in banc review as provided under Article IV, § 22 of the Maryland Constitution. (c) A prosecution under the vehicle code shall be instituted within 2 years after the offense was committed if the charge is: (1) Unlawfully using a driver’s license; or (2) Fraudulently using a false or fictitious name when applying for a driver’s license.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at mgaleg.maryland.gov
Cited in 1 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2024
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- State v. Brooke (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland 2024)“…of the two-year statute of limitations period set forth in Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-106(f). The offense was committed on Februa…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Maryland Statute of Limitations: Filing Deadlines by Case Type
Search our full record of US law — 2.1 million sections, every state + federal →
Sources and References
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-705, Extortion by verbal threat(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-706, Extortion by writing(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-701, Extortion(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-709, Sexual extortion(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-704, False accusation to extort(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-106, Limitations for criminal prosecutions(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-402, Robbery(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-702, Extortion by State or local officer or employee(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-708, Threats against State or local officials(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Maryland General Assembly, SB 391 (2024), Chapter 772(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 11-207, Child pornography(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-703, Compelling surrender of compensation(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
- Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-707, Coercion or intimidation to contribute to an organization(mgaleg.maryland.gov).gov
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