Maryland has approved a new travel seller registration law that could affect not only local travel agencies, but also out-of-state advisors and tour operators that sell trips to Maryland residents. The law, signed by Gov. Wes Moore on May 26 and scheduled to take effect October 1, is intended to strengthen consumer protection after a Maryland couple died during a Hajj pilgrimage booked through an unlicensed operator. But travel industry groups say the final language leaves major compliance questions unresolved.
The measure, House Bill 994, is formally titled the Business Regulation - Travel Services - Special Fund, Fees, and Surety Requirement bill and is also known as the “Don’t You Worry (Wurie) Act.” Legislative tracking records show it was approved by the governor as Chapter 611 on May 26. The bill establishes a Sellers of Travel Services Registration Fund within the Maryland Department of Labor and requires covered providers of travel services to show proof of professional liability and errors-and-omissions insurance of at least $1 million.
For the U.S. travel market, the issue is bigger than one state’s paperwork. Maryland is now joining a small group of states with seller-of-travel registration requirements, creating another compliance checkpoint for agencies, independent contractors, host agencies, tour operators and online travel sellers that may serve customers across state lines.
What the new Maryland law requires
According to Maryland’s legislative summary, the new law establishes a special, nonlapsing registration fund, authorizes the state labor secretary to calculate program costs, allows the department to set related fees and requires travel-service providers to file proof of insurance coverage. Travel Weekly reported that the law requires travel sellers to register if they operate within Maryland or sell travel to Maryland residents, pay an annual $300 fee and provide proof of errors-and-omissions coverage with a minimum $1 million liability threshold.
The law is scheduled to take effect October 1, 2026. That timing gives agencies only a few months to determine whether they fall within the registration requirement, how the state will define covered sellers and whether individual advisors need separate registration or can operate under a registered host agency or employer.
That last point is already a source of concern. The American Society of Travel Advisors, which opposed the bill before passage, said at its Travel Advisor Conference in San Diego that the law does not clearly explain how it applies to travel agencies, individual advisors, independent contractors and tour operators. ASTA is seeking guidance on several points, including whether agency-employed advisors must register separately, whether independent contractors need separate insurance if a host agency already carries a policy and how Maryland intends to enforce the requirement for businesses based outside the state.
Why this matters beyond Maryland
Travel selling is rarely confined to state borders. A family in Baltimore may book a Hajj package with a specialist in another state. A Maryland resident may buy a cruise from a remote advisor. A host agency may have independent contractors scattered across the country but clients in Maryland. A tour operator may market faith-based, educational or group trips nationally and receive Maryland bookings through a website.
That is why Maryland’s law could matter to a wider slice of the U.S. travel industry. If the state interprets the law broadly, travel businesses that do not have offices in Maryland may still need to understand whether selling to Maryland residents triggers registration. If the state interprets the law narrowly, the impact may fall mainly on Maryland-based companies and advisors. For now, the uncertainty is the story.
TravelAge West reported that ASTA plans to continue working on the issue in the coming months and wants to reduce regulatory burdens on ethical travel advisors and agencies while still supporting consumer protections. That balance will be difficult: the law was prompted by a serious consumer-protection failure, but poorly defined compliance rules could also create costs and confusion for legitimate sellers.
The consumer-protection background
The legislation was inspired by the deaths of Isatu and Alieu Wurie, a Bowie, Maryland couple who died during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage amid extreme heat. NBC4 Washington reported that the family said the couple had paid for transportation and other services, but discovered after arriving in Saudi Arabia that the travel agency they booked with was fraudulent and that the promised services were not provided.
That background explains why lawmakers moved toward insurance and registration requirements. For travelers buying high-cost packages, especially complex international trips involving religious pilgrimages, group departures, multi-country itineraries or vulnerable travelers, the ability to verify that a seller is registered and insured can be an important layer of protection.
But registration alone does not answer every consumer risk. Travelers still need to verify who is actually operating a trip, what is included, what happens if a supplier fails, whether payments are protected, what travel insurance does and does not cover, and how emergency assistance is handled abroad. For Maryland residents, the new law may eventually make one part of that vetting easier, but only after the state clarifies how the registry will work and how consumers can check it.
What agencies and advisors should watch now
The first practical step for travel businesses is to follow guidance from the Maryland Department of Labor as the October 1 effective date approaches. Agencies that sell to Maryland residents should not assume the law applies only to businesses physically located in the state. At the same time, they should avoid overreacting before the state explains its registration process, definitions, insurance documentation and enforcement approach.
- Effective date: The law is scheduled to take effect October 1, 2026.
- Core requirement: Covered travel-service providers must register and file proof of professional liability and errors-and-omissions coverage of at least $1 million.
- Potential fee: Industry reporting points to a $300 annual registration fee.
- Open questions: ASTA is seeking clarity on independent contractors, agency employees, host-agency coverage, insurance structure and out-of-state enforcement.
- Consumer angle: The law is designed to reduce risk from fraudulent travel sellers, especially for complex package travel.
Host agencies may need to review whether their Maryland-affiliated advisors are covered by existing registrations and insurance policies. Independent advisors may need to confirm whether their host’s coverage is sufficient. Tour operators and group-travel specialists should watch closely if they market faith-based, pilgrimage, student, senior or affinity travel to Maryland residents. Online sellers should also monitor whether the state treats digital sales to Maryland customers as covered activity.
What Maryland travelers should do before buying a package
For consumers, the new law is a reminder that the cheapest package is not always the safest one. Travelers should ask for the seller’s legal business name, insurance details, supplier list and written cancellation terms before paying. They should also confirm whether flights, hotels, ground transportation and local services are booked directly with recognizable suppliers or through intermediaries.
Maryland travelers planning airport-based trips can also reduce stress by checking schedules and ground logistics early, especially for group departures from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. For live operational planning, Odyssey also provides a BWI flight board and information on BWI airport transfers and taxis.
The bottom line
Maryland’s new travel seller registration law is a consumer-protection response to a tragic pilgrimage case, but it is also a new compliance signal for the U.S. travel trade. If the state issues clear guidance, the law could help travelers identify insured, registered sellers without placing unreasonable burdens on legitimate agencies. If the rules remain vague, agencies and advisors may face a difficult fall compliance season as they try to determine who must register and how far Maryland’s reach extends.
For now, the most important date is October 1. Between now and then, the travel industry will be watching Maryland regulators for definitions, forms, exemptions and enforcement guidance that determine whether the law becomes a focused consumer-protection tool or a broader regulatory challenge for sellers across the country.