Maryland court guide
Anger Management in Maryland: PBJ, Probation and Your Class
Will a Maryland court take an online class?
There is no state list for anger management in Maryland. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, your DPP agent or court decides, and you get your money back if the certificate isn't accepted.
In Maryland, most people who need an anger class got probation before judgment (PBJ) or regular probation. The state's Division of Parole and Probation supervises it, and your DPP agent is the person who checks your class. Here is what to ask them first.
Maryland at a glance
- Provider list
- No anger management list. Maryland certifies AIPs only.
- Typical length
- 8 hours for many first PBJ and stet cases; 12 or 16 for more.
- Domestic violence
- A certified AIP, typically 24 to 32 weeks. This class doesn’t replace it.
On this page
How Maryland cases end up with an anger class
- Probation before judgment (PBJ). After a guilty plea or finding, the judge holds off on a conviction and puts you on probation. Maryland law lets PBJ conditions include a "rehabilitation program." Finish probation and there is no conviction. An anger class can be one, for example after a second-degree assault charge.
- Regular probation. After a conviction, the judge can suspend part of the sentence and set conditions.
- Stet. A stet puts the case on an inactive docket. Sometimes a prosecutor agrees to a stet after you finish a class, or asks for proof of one first. Ask your lawyer what your stet agreement requires.
- Diversion. Some State's Attorney offices run diversion. The agreement lists the class.
- Family court, juvenile cases and employers. A Circuit Court judge in a custody case, the Department of Juvenile Services for a teen, or an employer may ask for a class too. Each makes its own call.
Maryland's standard probation order has no "anger management" checkbox. The judge writes it in under "Other," or checks a box like "submit to evaluation and treatment as directed by your supervising agent." In that second case, your DPP agent decides what kind of program counts.
No state list for anger management in Maryland
Maryland does not keep a list of anger management providers. The state certifies one kind of program for court referrals: Abuser Intervention Programs, for domestic violence cases. Anger management is not part of that list.
What you may run into instead is local practice:
- Your DPP agent may refer you. When the order says "as directed by your supervising agent," the agent can point you to a program they already know.
- Juvenile cases. Some local Department of Juvenile Services offices refer youth to anger classes.
Good Standing Courses is not on any Maryland court, DPP or state list. If your order names a program, ask your agent whether an online class can count instead.
Not for domestic violence orders
Domestic violence cases: Maryland uses AIP
If your case involves a spouse, partner, ex or someone you live with, Maryland courts usually order an Abuser Intervention Program (AIP), not an anger class. The Governor's Family Violence Council certifies these programs, and only certified programs take court-ordered referrals. Programs must renew certification every three years. Maryland AIPs typically run 24 to 32 weeks of group sessions.
Maryland's domestic violence advocates say plainly that AIP and anger management are not the same thing. AIP is about power and control in a relationship. Anger management is about handling a strong emotion.
A final protective order can also require "professionally supervised counseling or a domestic violence program." The probation order form has a separate line for "domestic violence counseling."
If your order says AIP or domestic violence counseling, our class does not replace it. Good Standing Courses is not an Abuser Intervention Program or a Batterer Intervention Program. If your order lists both anger management and AIP, ask your agent which provider they will take for each part.
How long Maryland anger classes usually are
Maryland judges set the length case by case, and we found no Maryland court that publishes a standard. Lengths that local programs commonly offer:
- 8 hours for many first PBJ and stet cases.
- 12 or 16 hours when the judge or agent wants more.
- 8 to 12 weekly sessions when the order names weeks.
If the order only says "complete anger management" or "treatment as directed," your DPP agent decides the length. Ask them first.
Choose your hours
$29
Warning signs, cooling down, your anger control plan
Enroll · $29 for the 4-hour class$49
+ hot thoughts, assertive talk, conflict, stress and alcohol
Enroll · $49 for the 8-hour class12 hours: see the 12-hour class
$65
+ anger at home, at work, on the road and online
Enroll · $65 for the 12-hour class16 hours: see the 16-hour class
$79
+ resentment, shame and guilt, mindfulness, staying on track
Enroll · $79 for the 16-hour class
Paperwork says "impulse control" or "decision making"? That's our Impulse Control & Decision Making class.
Court-accepted in most jurisdictions. Educational course, not therapy. Acceptance is decided by your court or officer. See a sample certificate
Ask before you buy
What to ask your Maryland DPP agent
- "Does my probation order name a specific program for anger management?"
- "Will you take an online, self-paced certificate, or do you need a program you refer me to?"
- "How many hours, and what is my deadline?"
- "Is this an anger management condition, or domestic violence counseling or AIP?"
- "If my case is on the stet docket or in diversion, does the State's Attorney need a copy too?"
Your officer can read our page for probation officers and check any certificate at /verify.
If your court says no
If your court, judge or probation officer doesn't accept your certificate, we refund 100% of the course fee. Send the written rejection within 60 days of finishing; the class you bought must match the type and hours in your order. Read the refund terms.
We never ask for your case number, court or date of birth. If you need them on the certificate, you type them into your own copy of the PDF.
Maryland: questions and answers
Is there a court approved anger management list in Maryland?
There is no state list for anger management in Maryland. The state certifies Abuser Intervention Programs for domestic violence cases, which are a different thing. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, your DPP agent or court decides, and you get your money back if the certificate isn't accepted.
My order says "evaluation and treatment as directed by your supervising agent." Can I just take a class?
Only if your agent says so. That wording lets the agent pick the program. Ask them before you buy.
My case involves my partner. Will your class count?
Usually not. Maryland courts send partner cases to a certified Abuser Intervention Program. We are not an AIP and we can't replace one.
My lawyer says the State's Attorney will stet the case if I take a class first. Will this work?
Many prosecutors accept any class of the right length. Ours is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, but the prosecutor decides. Have your lawyer confirm before you enroll.