HB 1420 Maryland House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Registers of Wills - Appointment of Personal Representatives - Noncitizens

HB 1420 requires each county and Baltimore City Register of Wills to develop a method for people without government-issued ID (like a driver's license or passport) to prove their identity as heirs or beneficiaries when claiming inheritance. This directly affects individuals who lack standard identification but need to access estate assets through probate. The bill mandates that Registers work with the Maryland Registers of Wills Association to create these verification methods. The law takes effect October 1, 2025. (Note: The bill title mentions "noncitizens," but the actual text focuses on identity verification regardless of citizenship status.)

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 7, 2025 Last action Mar 19, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Registers of Wills - Identity Verification Without Government-Issued Identification → Third - Registers of Wills - Appointment of Personal Representatives - Noncitizens · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was expanded from focusing only on helping people prove identity without government ID to also allowing noncitizens to serve as personal representatives in estate matters. The original version only addressed identity verification for heirs, while the new version removes a prohibition that previously prevented noncitizens from administering estates, with some exceptions.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from identity verification procedures to include eligibility rules for noncitizens serving as personal representatives in probate cases.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new provisions allowing noncitizens to be granted letters of administration for estates, removing a previous prohibition that restricted this right.

Modified eligibility criteria to allow noncitizens who are permanent residents to serve as personal representatives if they are the decedent's spouse, ancestor, descendant, or sibling.

DEFINITION

Added definition of 'serious crime' to include fraud, extortion, embezzlement, forgery, perjury, and theft when determining eligibility for personal representative roles.

TECHNICAL

Changed bill title and chapter designation from focusing only on identity verification to include both identity verification and noncitizen appointment provisions.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that noncitizens must show good cause if convicted of a serious crime to be eligible for appointment as personal representative.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Mar 9, 2025

How they voted

101–35

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 139

Mar 9, 2025

D Democratic100

98 Yea 2

98% Yea

R Republican39

3 Yea 35 Nay 1

89% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 17, 2025

Committee

Referred Judicial Proceedings

upper

Mar 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary

lower

Mar 9, 2025

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (101-35-3)

house of delegates

Feb 7, 2025

Committee

First Reading Judiciary

lower

16 primary · 0 co-sponsors