Moving to Annapolis, MD? Here Are the Local Rules You Should Know

Annapolis, Maryland may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 127 tracked ordinances across 38 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Medical cannabis dispensaries are a permitted-subject-to-standards use in nearly every commercial and industrial zoning district in Annapolis, but City Code bars any dispensary from locating within one mile of another licensed dispensary..

Also covered: Buffer Zones (moderate). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Annapolis for details.

Noise Ordinances

Leaf Blower Rules: Annapolis has banned gas-powered leaf blowers and leaf vacuums citywide since December 30, 2024, making all handheld, backpack, and walk-behind combustion models illegal to use anywhere in the city..

Also covered: Decibel Limits (moderate), Vehicle Noise (moderate), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Annapolis for details.

Animal Ordinances

Veterinary Clinic Zoning: Annapolis zoning permits animal hospitals and veterinarian offices outright only in the BCE Business Corridor Enhancement district, requires a special exception in the B3 and B3-CD commercial districts, and bars the use entirely from B1, B2, BR, C2, C2A, PM2 and I1..

Also covered: Dog Leash Laws (moderate), Pet Groomer Rules (moderate), Chickens & Livestock (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Annapolis for details.

Trash & Recycling

Collection Schedule: Annapolis requires approved refuse containers at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on collection day, out no earlier than 6:00 p.m.

Also covered: Yard Waste Collection (moderate), Pickup Rules & Schedules (moderate), Dumpster Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Annapolis for details.

Parking Rules

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles: Annapolis bars parking any vehicle over 16,000 pounds GVWR, or wider than 80 inches, or longer than 276 inches, on streets in or around residential zoning districts..

Also covered: EV Charging (moderate), Loading Zones (moderate), Abandoned Vehicles (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Annapolis for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Annapolis limits home-based professional office or studio signs to one two-square-foot sign per lot (two on corner lots), capped at fifteen feet high and set back at least five feet from any other zoning lot line..

Also covered: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Home Daycare (moderate). See the full home business guide for Annapolis for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Annapolis requires an electrical permit before installing a solar photovoltaic system, issued by the Department of Planning and Zoning and signed by a licensed electrician, with a $10.00 fee charged per module installed..

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: Annapolis requires a rental operator's license from the Department before any dwelling, dwelling unit, bed and breakfast home, hotel, motel or inn can be rented for occupancy. Renting without one is a municipal infraction with daily fines..

Also covered: Repairs & Habitability (moderate), Rent Control (limited). See the full rental property rules guide for Annapolis for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: Annapolis's R1 single-family zoning district requires a 25-foot front yard, 8-foot interior side yards, 20-foot corner side yard, and 30-foot rear yard for single-family detached homes, per the City's bulk regulations table at Code § 21.50.010..

Also covered: Structure Height Limits (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Annapolis for details.

Building Safety

Plumbing Permits: Annapolis requires a permit for any plumbing or drainage work, signed by a licensed master plumber, before installing, altering, or removing fixtures, piping, or connections under the city's 2021 International Plumbing Code..

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Childcare Center Rules (moderate), Fire Sprinkler Requirements (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Annapolis for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Consumer fireworks are banned statewide under Maryland Code, Public Safety §10-101. Annapolis Code reinforces the ban.

Also covered: Propane Storage (moderate), Smoke Detectors (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Annapolis for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Pawnbrokers: Pawnbrokers must file a sworn application with the City Clerk, pass a Chief of Police background investigation, and post a $3,000 bond before Annapolis will issue a license..

Also covered: Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Towing Companies (restrictive), Massage Establishments (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Annapolis for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Annapolis requires a short-term rental license before a property may be listed on any hosting platform, and the license holder must be the property owner..

Also covered: Extended Home Share (restrictive), Repeat Violator Strikes (restrictive), Noise Rules (restrictive). See the full short-term rentals guide for Annapolis for details.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Annapolis requires new street trees to sit at least 30 feet from intersections, 15 feet from driveways and alleys, and 10 feet from utility poles or fire hydrants, following the city's master street tree plan under Code of Ordinances Chapter 14.12..

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Annapolis prohibits billboards outright, along with animated and flashing signs, closing off any path to a digital or electronic billboard display in every zoning district citywide..

Also covered: Political Signs (moderate), Window Signs (permissive), Garage Sale Signs (permissive). See the full sign regulations guide for Annapolis for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Bar & Nightclub Noise: Annapolis alcoholic beverage licensees must cut all music inside a bar or nightclub within 15 minutes of closing and keep sound suppressed so it isn't audible outside the building..

Also covered: Car Alarm Limits (moderate), HVAC & Mechanical Noise (moderate), Generator Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Annapolis for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Parking Tax: Annapolis levies a special ad valorem tax on real and personal property within a downtown special parking tax district to fund parking garage development; one- and two-unit residential properties are exempt from the levy..

Accessory Structures

ADU Owner Occupancy: Annapolis requires the property owner to live in either the accessory dwelling unit or the principal structure: an investor-owned ADU rented out while the owner lives elsewhere is not allowed..

Also covered: ADU Rental Restrictions (restrictive), ADU Rules (moderate), Shed & Carport Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Annapolis for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Annapolis condemns dwellings as unfit for human habitation when they're hazardously damaged, unsanitary, or lack adequate light, ventilation, or sanitation, triggering vacate and boarding-up orders..

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Annapolis for details.

Fence Regulations

Height Limits: Annapolis caps street-facing fences at four feet in its Neighborhood Conservation districts, requires a Planning and Zoning permit for any fence citywide, and bars fences from blocking the sight-visibility triangle at intersections..

Also covered: Neighbor Fence Rules (moderate), Material Restrictions (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Annapolis for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Annapolis bars food trucks from the Historic District except at city-organized special events, and requires written property-owner permission on private land or a permit on public property elsewhere in the city..

Also covered: Food Truck Permits (restrictive), Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (restrictive). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Annapolis for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Elevation Requirements: Annapolis requires new construction and substantially improved buildings in flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor to the flood protection elevation, base flood elevation plus two feet of freeboard, under the city's floodplain management code..

Also covered: Flood Zones (moderate), Boat Dock Permits (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Annapolis for details.

Public Conduct

Aggressive Panhandling: Annapolis makes aggressive panhandling a misdemeanor, covering threats, harassing language, and demands that make a reasonable person fear for safety..

Also covered: Public Urination (restrictive), Loitering Rules (moderate), Public Alcohol Use (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Annapolis for details.

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: Annapolis requires customers to fix broken water or sewer lines after City notice, or forfeit a high-bill leak adjustment on their water charges..

Landscaping Rules

Water Restrictions: Once the Mayor declares a water emergency, lawn and garden watering in Annapolis is limited to even/odd days matching your street's address number, and an extreme emergency bans it outright..

Also covered: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate), Weed Ordinances (moderate), Tree Trimming (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Annapolis for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Annapolis treats backyard hot tubs and spas as swimming pools under Chapter 10.28: a private, family-only hot tub needs a protective enclosure -- a 4-foot fence with a self-latching gate or a City-approved locking cover -- but no operating permit..

Also covered: Pool Permits (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Annapolis for details.

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Amos Garrett Park and Chambers Park close at 9 p.m. nightly; Truxtun Park closes at 9 p.m.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Annapolis bars steps, porches, bay windows and similar building parts from projecting more than one-quarter of the sidewalk's width, unless the City Council waives it by resolution for a fee..

Also covered: Sidewalk Repair (moderate), Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Annapolis for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Annapolis requires every rental property to pass a Department of Planning and Zoning inspection before the City issues or renews a rental operator's license, making compliance checks routine and proactive rather than complaint-triggered..

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (moderate). See the full rental inspections guide for Annapolis for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parklets: Annapolis lets restaurants convert City-owned on-street parking spaces into outdoor dining under a Department of Public Works street café permit, valid up to nine months a year and limited to the restaurant's own building frontage..

Also covered: Street Fair Rules (restrictive), Block Party Permits (permissive), Park Event Permits (permissive). See the full special events & permits guide for Annapolis for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Any exterior change to a building in Annapolis's downtown Historic District requires a Certificate of Approval from the Historic Preservation Commission before a building permit can issue..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Annapolis for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Annapolis requires anyone soliciting or canvassing door-to-door or on public ways for donations to register with the Office of Law and get the Mayor's written approval first..

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Annapolis lets residents hold a yard, garage, or estate sale at home without a City license, capped at six days within any twelve-month period; sales beyond that limit require a peddler's license under Chapter 7.40..

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Annapolis City Code § 17.40.760 puts extermination on the occupant of a single-family dwelling or, in a two-family or multifamily building, on each occupant within their own unit, unless the infestation traces to the owner's failure to keep the structure rodentproof..

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Annapolis requires a mechanical permit from the Director of Planning and Zoning before installing, altering, or replacing any barbecue, fireplace, or gas-fired appliance covered by Chapter 17.18 of the City Code..

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Annapolis caps site-plan parking lot lighting at three foot-candles at the lot line and requires fixtures to point away from homes and streets so illumination doesn't spill onto neighboring residential property..

Also covered: Dark Sky Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Annapolis for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Annapolis lets the City Council designate landmarks of exceptional historic, cultural, archaeological or architectural significance, and any exterior work on one needs a Historic Preservation Commission certificate first..

Mobility & Curb Rules

Red-Light Cameras: Annapolis authorizes stationary and mobile speed monitoring cameras under state law, mainly in school zones, but the City Code contains no red-light camera (traffic-signal monitoring) program at all..

What to Do With This Information

Think of this as a map of the regulatory landscape in Annapolis. For any rule that directly affects a decision you are making, click through to the full ordinance page for penalty details and exceptions, and confirm with the city if the stakes are high.