Privacy

The Department of Human Services Website has been created to provide information to citizens and to provide an efficient method to communicate with Department agencies and personnel.

We take data security and the privacy of any personal information you provide very seriously. Maryland law mandates that State agencies may not create personal records unless the need for the information is clearly established and that those records are relevant to the purposes for which they were collected, that they are accurate and current, and were not obtained by fraudulent means

In accordance with Maryland’s Public Information Act (State Government Article, Section 10-601, et seq.), we are notifying you that this website collects user data for purposes of monitoring system use and responding to requests for service. The information is of the type normally and automatically transmitted during the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) request process, and as voluntarily provided on online forms and email messages solely for the purpose(s) stated.

Failure to provide such information consequentially disallows provision of web content and response to Internet-based information requests. Inspection, amendment and correction of all records, along with the availability of this information to the public or any other entity, is governed by the Maryland Public Information Act and applicable State and federal law.

The Department of Human Services is committed to providing you with Internet services by which you may securely and confidently transact business with the State. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the Webmaster.

Additional update as of July 1st 2026

The Maryland General Assembly passed the 2025 Public Safety – Immigration Enforcement (Maryland Values Act) which requires each state agency to post procedures outlining the prevention of sale of data to third parties.

Department of Human Services Data Use, Disclosure, and Retention of Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information, including to any third-party. We do not use or share your personal data, including geolocation data, in any way that harms the privacy of Maryland residents.

We use or share your Personal Information only for the purpose for which we are authorized by law to collect it, unless you give us permission, this Notice explains otherwise, or the law requires or allows it. We keep your Personal Information only as long as needed to meet that purpose, following our retention schedule, or in compliance with the law.

We may share Personal Information with third-parties that process your Personal Information on our behalf so that we can fulfill your requests. Prior to sharing Personal Information with a third-party, we enter into “data use agreements.” The agreements require third-parties to adhere to legal and contractual obligations regarding data use, protection, security, confidentiality, and non-disclosure. Our data use agreements prohibit the third-party from disclosing your data without authorization. Our data use agreements also prohibit the third-party from selling your data or using your data to market a product or service unless necessary to perform the services set forth in the Underlying Contract or required by law.

To help us and other State agencies improve services and conduct research, we may share your data, including geolocation data, after it has been anonymized. We use advanced privacy-enhancing technologies to secure your data, ensuring that agencies can analyze it without ever accessing your personal information.

Information that you share with us, including Personal Information, may be subject to public disclosure if required by the Maryland Public Information Act (Md. Code Ann., Gen. Prov. § 4-101 et seq.), if necessary to perform our official duties, or as otherwise required by law. Maryland law also includes exemptions that protect certain information from being publicly released in specified circumstances, such as the investigation of a possible violation of law.