A person generally commits the criminal offense of public lewdness or lewd conduct in public if the person knowingly engages in any of the following acts in a public place—or, if not in a public place, the person is reckless about whether another is present who will be offended or alarmed by the person’s (1) act of sexual intercourse; (2) act of deviate sexual intercourse; (3) act of sexual contact with a person’s own private parts or those of another.

Public lewdness laws vary from state to state, and some states define and charge such criminal offenses under indecent exposure laws. Public lewdness is usually a misdemeanor offense, but may be a felony offense under some circumstances. And in some states a conviction for public lewdness may require the defendant to register as a sex offender.

In Maryland, public lewdness is typically addressed under the state's indecent exposure laws. According to Maryland Criminal Law Code Ann. § 11-107, a person may not intentionally perform an act of sexual conduct in a public place, or in a private place where the act might be observed by the public or other non-consenting individuals. This includes acts of sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, or sexual contact with one's own or another's private parts. Violation of this statute is considered a misdemeanor, which can result in fines, imprisonment, or both. The severity of the punishment often depends on the specific circumstances of the offense. In some cases, if the conduct is deemed particularly egregious or if there are aggravating factors, the offense could potentially be charged as a felony. Additionally, depending on the nature of the act and the presence of prior offenses, a conviction for indecent exposure in Maryland could lead to the requirement for the defendant to register as a sex offender under Maryland's sex offender registration laws.