Church texting laws in Maryland
Maryland's Stop the Spam Calls Act (in effect since January 2024) requires prior express written consent for automated solicitations and lets individuals sue.
Last reviewed July 2026.
What Maryland requires
- State law
- Stop the Spam Calls Act (SB 90)
- In effect
- January 1, 2024
- Consent
- Prior express written consent for automated texts
- Who can sue
- Individuals can sue directly
The federal TCPA applies everywhere
- • The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) governs automated texts in every U.S. state. It is the floor; some states add stricter rules on top.
- • There is no blanket exemption for churches. Courts apply the TCPA based on the message's content and the consent you collected, not your tax status.
- • Informational texts (a service-time change, an event reminder, a reply in a conversation the person started) are treated more leniently than promotional or fundraising texts, which need clearer, written consent.
- • Always get clear opt-in consent before texting, identify your church in messages, and honor STOP immediately. A2P 10DLC registration enforces much of this for you.
What this means for your church
Maryland: Maryland's law requires written consent for automated telephone solicitations and emphasizes detailed consent logs. We have not verified a religious carve-out to a citeable standard, so a Maryland church should keep clear, documented opt-in records.
- • Most state mini-TCPAs exclude religious and charitable solicitation from the kind of "sales call" they regulate. A church's ministry texts often fall outside the strictest state rules.
- • That carve-out is not a free pass. In Florida it is actively unsettled, plaintiffs still sue nonprofits, and fundraising or promotional messages may be treated as regulated solicitation regardless of who sends them.
- • The safe practice is identical in all 50 states: collect clear opt-in consent (a keyword opt-in or a checked box, never pre-checked), keep a record of it, identify your church, and honor STOP the moment it arrives.
- • Do that and you meet the federal TCPA and every state mini-TCPA at once. It is how Vesperbell is built to work.
Common questions
- Is it legal for a church to text people in Maryland?
- Yes. Churches can text in Maryland as long as you have clear opt-in consent and honor STOP. Maryland adds state rules on top of the federal TCPA, so review the requirements below.
- Does Maryland have a texting law beyond the federal TCPA?
- Maryland has Stop the Spam Calls Act (SB 90) that reaches text messages. Maryland's Stop the Spam Calls Act (in effect since January 2024) requires prior express written consent for automated solicitations and lets individuals sue.
- Do churches get an exemption from texting rules in Maryland?
- Maryland's law requires written consent for automated telephone solicitations and emphasizes detailed consent logs. We have not verified a religious carve-out to a citeable standard, so a Maryland church should keep clear, documented opt-in records.
This page is general information for church staff, not legal advice. Texting laws change and apply differently to each situation. Confirm specifics with your own attorney before relying on them.
Stay compliant without the homework
Vesperbell handles A2P 10DLC registration, records consent, and honors STOP for you, in Maryland and every other state. Compare the other states or read the TCPA consent guide.