Maternal steroid hormones can affect offspring dispersal, as has been found in Lacerta vivipara, a live-bearing species. We examined this in Sceloporus jarrovii, a distantly-related ovoviviparous lizard. To understand associations of maternal corticosterone (CORT) with offspring dispersal behavior, we measured maternal CORT at time points prior to and after parturition, and also recorded newborn movements in large outdoor natal arenas. Maternal plasma CORT levels decreased after parturition. Offspring associated with dams and with each other after birth, then exhibited potential dispersal behavior starting on Day 6 after birth. Pups maintained associations with littermates until at least Day 14 after birth. Offspring of females with highest prenatal CORT dispersed soonest, around Day 4 after birth. In a second field season, we manipulated late-gestation maternal CORT levels using implants. Again, we found that apparent offspring dispersal was earlier in offspring of CORT-implanted dams, relative to offspring from control-implanted females. Higher maternal CORT levels may reflect stressful environments. This supports the hypothesis that earlier offspring dispersal from stressful environments may be mediated by higher prenatal maternal CORT levels. Future work should examine environmental factors contributing to variation in maternal CORT levels.