Washington County, MD Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Washington County's zoning definitions, in Article 28A, create a specific accessory-use category for small-scale animal keeping called 'Stable, Private': an accessory structure designed for the shelter, feeding, and care of no more than two domestic animals, maintained on the property as pets or for domestic use, expressly distinguished from an agricultural or livery stable. That two-animal cap is what separates a backyard hobby setup from a commercial livestock operation regulated separately under Article 22, Division IX's Animal Husbandry Facilities rules, which apply once animals, including poultry and fowl, are 'managed for use or sale' and trigger manure-management thresholds starting at 3,000 to 6,000 tons a year.

3(e), so the option is not limited to farmland. 13's distance requirement: the structure or use cannot sit closer than 100 feet to any dwelling, school, church, or institution for human care that is not on the same lot. A zoning permit application for the structure goes to the Division of Plan Review & Permitting.