When that high-pitched, jarring screech erupts from your phone, your heart drops. It’s a sound we all recognize but never really want to hear. If you are looking for a Maryland amber alert today, you are likely trying to figure out if that noise was just a test, a weather warning, or a genuine emergency involving a child in danger. Honestly, the speed at which these situations evolve is head-spinning.
As of early January 18, 2026, there are currently no active Amber Alerts statewide in Maryland.
Police across the state, from the Montgomery County corridors to the Eastern Shore, have been busy with various missing person cases recently, but none have met the very specific, high-bar criteria required to trigger a full-scale Amber Alert broadcast this morning. While the absence of an alert is good news, it doesn't mean the local police aren't searching for someone. For instance, Howard County police just spent the last 24 hours searching for 15-year-old Jay Srivastava, who went missing in Ellicott City. Because there wasn't evidence of an "abduction" by a third party, it didn't hit the Amber Alert threshold, even though the family is understandably terrified.
Why You Didn't See a Maryland Amber Alert Today
It’s a common misconception that every missing child gets an Amber Alert. They don't.
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The Maryland State Police follow incredibly strict protocols. If they pushed out an alert for every runaway or custody dispute, we’d all eventually just turn the notifications off. That "alert fatigue" is exactly what they want to avoid. To get that notification to hit your phone, the situation basically has to meet these four pillars:
- The child must be under 18 years old.
- Law enforcement has to confirm the child was actually abducted.
- There must be a "belief" that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
- There has to be enough descriptive info (like a license plate or a suspect's physical description) to actually make the broadcast useful.
If a teenager walks out of the house after an argument, it’s a "missing person" case. If a parent without custody takes a child but there’s no history of violence, it’s a "custody violation." Neither of those usually triggers the screeching phone alarm.
The Recent Surge in Silver Alerts and Purple Alerts
You might have seen a different kind of notification lately. Maryland uses a tiered system. While the Maryland amber alert today keyword is what everyone searches for, you might actually be seeing a Silver Alert (for missing seniors with cognitive issues) or a Purple Alert.
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The Purple Alert is relatively new in Maryland's history. It was designed to fill the gap for missing adults who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. Sometimes people confuse these with Amber Alerts because the phone notification looks similar, but the "danger level" and the age of the individual change the classification.
How the System Actually Hits Your Phone
It’s not just magic. When a local agency—say, the Baltimore County Police—decides a case is dire enough, they contact the Maryland State Police Headquarters Duty Officer. From there, the Child Recovery Unit takes over.
- EAS Activation: This is the Emergency Alert System that takes over radio and TV broadcasts.
- Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): This is why your phone screams at you. It uses geofencing to target people in the specific area where the child is thought to be.
- Highway Signs: The State Highway Administration (MDOT) flips those big digital overhead signs from "Travel Time to DC" to "AMBER ALERT: SILVER HONDA MD PLATE..."
What to Do if an Alert Goes Active
If a Maryland amber alert today does go live while you're reading this, don't just clear the notification. Most people glance at it and keep scrolling. Instead, take five seconds to memorize the vehicle color and the last three digits of the license plate.
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Most recoveries happen because a random person in a Wawa parking lot or a McDonald's drive-thru noticed a car that looked "off." If you see something, call 911 immediately. Don't try to be a hero or follow the car yourself. High-speed chases end poorly for everyone involved, especially the child in the backseat. Just give the dispatcher the location, the direction of travel, and as much detail as you can safely gather.
Staying Updated Without the Noise
If you want to stay in the loop without waiting for your phone to explode with sound, there are better ways to track this. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the gold standard. They maintain a real-time map of every active alert in the country.
You can also follow the Maryland State Police verified Twitter (X) account or their Facebook page. They are usually the first to post "CANCELLED" once a child is found, which often happens hours before the media outlets catch up.
Actionable Steps for Maryland Residents
- Check Settings: Go into your smartphone's "Notifications" or "Emergency Alerts" section. Make sure "Amber Alerts" is toggled to ON. It’s easy to accidentally turn it off when you're annoyed, but it literally saves lives.
- Update Your Photos: If you're a parent, keep a high-resolution, recent photo of your child on your phone. If the worst happens, police need that photo in seconds, not minutes.
- Know the Differences: If you see a "Missing Person" post on social media that isn't an official Amber Alert, share it anyway. Just because it doesn't meet the legal "abduction" criteria doesn't mean that kid isn't in trouble.
The system isn't perfect, and sometimes it's frustratingly slow, but it's the best tool we've got. Since 1997, the Amber Alert program has been responsible for the recovery of over 1,200 children across the U.S. That's 1,200 families that didn't have to face the unthinkable. Keep your eyes open.
Immediate Action Resources
If you have information about a missing child in Maryland, call 911 or the Maryland Center for Missing Children at 1-800-MDS-KIDS. For national updates, visit missingkids.org.