Anne Arundel County, MD Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Anne Arundel County, MD, covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds, determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Key Facts
- Adopted appendix
- IRC Appendix AQ "Tiny Houses"
- County citation
- § 15-2-102
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Inspections & Permits
- Stop-work civil fine
- up to $1,000
- Not covered here
- Annapolis and Highland Beach
Summary
Anne Arundel County has adopted the International Residential Code's Appendix AQ, giving tiny houses their own construction standards separate from standard one- and two-family dwelling rules, covering unincorporated communities like Glen Burnie and Severna Park.
101.4.7 Residential. The provisions of the 2021 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings shall apply to all matters governing the design and construction of detached one- and two-family dwellings ... and their accessory structures. The following appendices are adopted as part of the Residential Code: ... Appendix AQ "Tiny Houses", Appendix AR "Light Straw-Clay Construction", and Appendix AS "Strawable Construction".
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The county's Construction Code, administered by the Department of Inspections and Permits, incorporates the 2021 International Residential Code together with select appendices, including Appendix AQ "Tiny Houses," under County Code § 15-2-102 and its Construction Code Supplement. That adoption gives detached one- and two-family dwellings, and their accessory structures, a recognized construction path built for tiny houses rather than forcing them into standard-dwelling provisions never designed for compact footprints. This governs county-administered permitting across unincorporated Anne Arundel, including Glen Burnie and Severna Park; Annapolis and Highland Beach permit under their own separate codes.
Violations & Fines
Building without required permits or inspections triggers a stop-work order under § 15-5-104; continuing work after being served one draws a civil fine up to $1,000, on top of possible misdemeanor prosecution under § 9-1-101.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a tiny house in unincorporated Anne Arundel County?
Does this apply in Glen Burnie or Severna Park?
What happens if I build without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
Compare Anne Arundel County to another location·View the Maryland accessory structures overview
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