The Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is an independent, central panel agency that holds administrative hearings on behalf of certain agencies of the executive branch of the state government. For example, it may hold hearings pertaining to the suspension or revocation of a driver's license, and it also holds hearings when the Maryland Human Relations Commission determines that there is probable cause to believe that an employer or business has committed an act of discrimination. The OAH conducts hearings in over 60,000 matters each year of which approximately one-half concern issues from the state Motor Vehicle Administration.
In addition, the OAH provides a mediation service; for example, special education hearing requests often result in mediation. Also, as a pilot project in conjunction with the District Court, it offers mediation of civil disputes in Baltimore County.
The OAH has no state policy making authority, and in hearing a case uses the policies, regulations, and rules of the agency for which the OAH is conducting the hearing. The OAH does have its own rules of procedure which it uses to ensure a uniform application of administrative law in its decisions.
The main offices of the OAH are in Hunt Valley, although it holds hearings in all counties in the state.
Read more about Maryland Office Of Administrative Hearings: Organization and Authority, History
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