Maryland Plastic Straws and Utensils Upon Request Rules

Maryland has not enacted a uniform statewide ban on single-use plastic straws, but multiple counties and municipalities including Baltimore City and Montgomery County require restaurants to provide single-use plastic straws, stirrers, and utensils only when a customer requests them. State legislation has been introduced in recent sessions to extend on-request rules statewide. Drive-through service and beverages packaged for off-site consumption may have specific carve-outs. Local health and environmental departments handle enforcement and education.

Local violations typically carry warnings followed by civil fines of $100 to $500 per offense.