# Maryland — Filial responsibility laws by state — what each statute actually says about an adult child's liability for a parent's care For Maryland, statute is §13–102; who owes the duty is If a destitute adult child is in this State and has a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means, the parent may not neglect or refuse to provide the destitute adult child with food, shelter, care, and clothing; condition on the parent is a destitute adult child is in this State; ability-to-pay qualifier is a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means; civil or criminal is criminal, recorded from its source on 2026-08-31. - **State:** Maryland _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_ - **Statute:** §13–102 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_ - **Who owes the duty:** If a destitute adult child is in this State and has a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means, the parent may not neglect or refuse to provide the destitute adult child with food, shelter, care, and clothing. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Condition on the parent:** a destitute adult child is in this State _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Ability-to-pay qualifier:** a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Civil or criminal:** criminal _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_ - **Penalty:** a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Limited to public assistance cases:** not stated _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_ ## What the source says > §13–102. (a) If a destitute adult child is in this State and has a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means, the parent may not neglect or refuse to provide the destitute adult child with food, shelter, care, and clothing. (b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both. ## Where each value comes from This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it. ### Who owes the duty > §13–102. (a) If a destitute adult child is in this State and has a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means, the parent may not neglect or refuse to provide the destitute adult child with food, shelter, care, and clothing. ### Condition on the parent > (a) If a destitute adult child is in this State and has a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means, the parent may not neglect or refuse to provide the destitute adult child with food, shelter, care, and clothing. ### Ability-to-pay qualifier > If a destitute adult child is in this State and has a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means, the parent may not neglect or refuse to provide the destitute adult child with food, shelter, care, and clothing. ### Civil or criminal > (b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both. ### Penalty > (b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both. ### Limited to public assistance cases > §13–102. (a) If a destitute adult child is in this State and has a parent who has or is able to earn sufficient means, the parent may not neglect or refuse to provide the destitute adult child with food, shelter, care, and clothing. (b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both. ## Source - https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gfl§ion=13-102&enactments=false Last verified: 2026-08-31. Review by: 2027-08-31. Part of [Filial responsibility laws by state — what each statute actually says about an adult child's liability for a parent's care](https://referencesource.org/filial-responsibility-laws-by-state/).