Kelly received numerous awards during his career. He is a member of the Reserve Officers Association and the Maryland Troopers Association. He was a recipient of the Award for Duty Beyond the Call of Duty as Maryland State Trooper, which he received in 1985. He also received the award for Outstanding Junior Officer from the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in 1994. He holds a Certificate of Achievement from the Maryland Federation of College Republicans in 1995. In 1996, he was selected as Legislator of the Year by the Alliance for the Mentally Ill [http://www.nami.org/. Additionally, he was selected as Outstanding Junior Officer in entire Fifth District from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1997. Also in 1997, Kelly received the Certificate of Achievement from the Maryland Association of Psychiatric Support Services.