The Maryland Office of the Attorney General (OAG) recently issued a memorandum clarifying how state and local law enforcement officers must operate when working alongside federal agencies. The OAG’s “Maryland Law Enforcement Standards When Working with Federal Agents” (October 2025) establishes clear expectations that Maryland officers remain fully bound by state law—even during joint operations or federal task forces. The guidance is intended to help departments avoid conflicts between state and federal standards and maintain community trust. Among other things, the OAG memo outlines what officers must do, may do, and must not do when participating in joint operations, covering areas such as:

• Use-of-force and de-escalation standards;

• Stop and identification requirements;

• Body-worn camera usage;

• Search, seizure, and warrant service procedures; and

• Maryland’s statutory prohibition on civil immigration enforcement (Criminal Procedure § 5-104).

In short, the Attorney General’s memorandum reinforces that Maryland law governs Maryland officers, regardless of federal agency involvement.

To support municipal compliance and consistency across jurisdictions, MML has developed a companion template memo designed specifically for use by Maryland’s municipal police departments. This resource translates the Attorney General’s directives into a department-ready format, suitable for chiefs and command staff to adapt for local distribution.

The MML template memo (PDF; Word doc):

• Summarizes the applicable state statutes and requirements;

• Provides clear “must do / may do / must not do” guidance for joint operations;

• Incorporates inline citations for quick reference; and

• Includes model administrative and disclaimer language.

Together, the OAG memorandum and MML’s template are intended to help municipal departments stay compliant with state law, safeguard officer accountability, and ensure public confidence when working in partnership with federal authorities.