Rule 7-203 Time for Filing Action

If you want a court to review a decision made by a government agency, you have to file your petition within a strict deadline. You get 30 days to file, and that 30 days starts from whichever of these happens last: the date the agency made its decision, the date the agency sent you notice of the decision (if the law required them to send it), or the date you actually received that notice (if the law required you to receive it). Whichever of these three dates comes latest is the one that starts your clock.

If someone else files a petition first, that gives other people involved in the case a little extra time. Anyone else who wants to challenge the same decision can file within 10 days after the agency mails out notice that the first petition was filed. If the original 30 day deadline gives more time than that 10 day window, the person can use whichever deadline is later.

This rule matters because missing the deadline usually means you lose your right to challenge the agency's decision in court. Courts tend to enforce these filing deadlines strictly, so it pays to figure out your deadline early and file well before it runs out.