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Maryland Legal Research

Introduction to the Maryland Executive Branch

The Executive Branch implements and enforces Maryland's laws and provides executive direction to government. The various officers and agencies of this branch are authorized by the Constitution and various state laws.

The Governor is Maryland's chief executive officer and is elected by the voters to a four-year term each even-numbered year that is not a presidential election year. The Governor is assisted by the Lieutenant Governor, who is elected on a joint ballot with the gubernatorial candidate. Duties of the Lieutenant Governor are limited to those assigned by the Governor.

Other statewide executive officers also are provided for in the Constitution. The Comptroller of Maryland superintends the fiscal affairs of the State. The State Treasurer accounts for all deposits and disbursements to or from the State treasury. The Secretary of State attests to the Governor's signature on all public documents and oversees all executive orders, commissions, and appointments. The Attorney General serves as legal counsel to the Governor, the Legislature, and all State departments, boards, and most commissions. Voters elect the Comptroller and Attorney General. The State Treasurer is selected by joint ballot of both houses of the General Assembly, and the Secretary of State is appointed by the Governor. Each of these executive officers serves a four-year term.

Within the executive branch are twenty principal departments. Each, except for Education, is headed by a secretary, who serves at the pleasure of the Governor and is appointed by the Governor with Senate consent. Each secretary carries out the Governor's policies pertaining to that department and is responsible for the department's operation. The State Department of Education is headed by the State Board of Education, which appoints the State Superintendent of Schools to direct the department.

Certain State agencies whose purpose or functions do not permit easy integration into one of the nineteen cabinet-level departments have remained independent. Examples of such independent agencies include the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, the State Board of Elections, the Public Service Commission, and the University System of Maryland.

Source: Maryland at a Glance: Executive Branch

Maryland Register

The Maryland Register, published every two weeks, is the official document used by the State of Maryland for promulgating new regulations and it also serves as the temporary supplement to COMAR. 

Online Sources:

Print Sources:

Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR)

The Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) is the official compilation of all regulations issued by agencies of the State of Maryland presently in force.

Online:

Print:

Maryland Regulatory Decisions

Other Maryland Regulatory Databases

Other Maryland Regulatory Sources

MD Regulatory Sources: Creating a Bluebook Citation

Administrative compilation:

Code of Maryland Regulations

MD. CODE REGS. <reg. no.> (<year>)

Administrative Register:

Maryland Register

<vol. no.> Md. Reg. <page no.> (<month day, year>)

See Table T.1 of the Bluebook (20th Ed.), page 270.

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