Howard County governs every resident, including unincorporated Columbia and Ellicott City. A domesticated animal must be on a leash and under the control of a responsible person whenever it is off the owner's property; a dog off-property and unrestrained is "at large."
Because Howard County has essentially no incorporated municipalities, its Animal Control law (County Code Title 17, Subtitle 3) applies countywide. Under Sec. 17.300, an animal is "at large" when it is off the owner's property (not counting rights-of-way, easements, condo/apartment common areas, or areas open to the public) and not secured by a leash and under a responsible person's immediate, effective control. Owners must also scoop pet waste off their own property. Maryland's dog-liability statute reinforces this: an owner is liable for injury or property loss caused by a dog while it is running at large, subject to trespass and provocation defenses.
Animal Control (Howard County Police) enforces leash, at-large and poop-scoop rules; violations are civil citations with fines and possible impoundment. An owner is also civilly liable for damage a dog causes while running at large under Md. Courts §3-1901.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Howard County allows residential backyard composting and actively promotes it. The county runs a Feed the Green Bin curbside food-scrap collection and sells ...
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Howard County has no ordinance specifically prohibiting or requiring artificial turf for residential yards. Synthetic lawns are generally allowed, but becaus...
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Howard County places no restriction on planting native or pollinator gardens. Maryland's low-impact landscaping law (House Bill 322, 2021) bars homeowners as...
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Howard County does not ban rainwater harvesting. Rain barrels and cisterns are legal and actively promoted through the county's Live Green Howard and stormwa...
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Howard County has no year-round odd/even watering ban. Water use is limited only when the state declares a drought. Under Maryland's Level One Mandatory Rest...
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Howard County's adopted Property Maintenance Code requires exterior premises to be kept free of weeds and rank plant growth, but it applies only to rental an...
See how Howard County's dog leash laws rules stack up against other locations.
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