Baltimore County, MD Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- LEED-NC credit
- 50-80% of county tax, 5 years
- High performance home credit
- 40-100% of county tax
- Commercial program cap
- $5,000,000 aggregate
- Residential program cap
- $1,000,000 per fiscal year
- Application deadline
- June 1 preceding the tax year
- Administering office
- Director of Budget and Finance
Summary
Baltimore County has no mandatory green building code, but it rewards certified LEED or NGBS construction with a real property tax credit. Commercial buildings certified Silver, Gold or Platinum get a 40 to 80 percent credit for five years; certified homes get 40 to 100 percent for three to five years.
"High performance building" means a commercial building that achieves at least a Silver rating according to: (i) The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building rating system; or (ii) The ANSI (American National Standards Institute) NGBS (National Green Building Standard)... For a high performance building that is certified in the LEED rating system for new construction, the amount of the tax credit is a percentage of the total county property tax assessed on the high performance building as follows: (i) LEED certified Silver 50%; (ii) LEED certified Gold 60%; and (iii) LEED certified Platinum 80%. The duration of the tax credit authorized under this subsection is five consecutive years.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29 | Zoning Regulations: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system or the ANSI/ICC National Green Building Standard (NGBS) can receive a county real property tax credit against the building. New-construction (LEED-NC) certification pays 50% (Silver), 60% (Gold) or 80% (Platinum) of the county property tax for five consecutive years; core-and-shell (LEED-CS) pays 40/50/70%; existing buildings (LEED-EB) pay 10/25/50% for three years. 2 covers new or renovated "high performance homes" certified Silver or higher under LEED for Homes or the ICC-700 NGBS, or homes that document a minimum 30% increase in energy efficiency verified by a certified HERS rater or passive-house consultant.
Home credits run 40% (Silver), 60% (Gold), up to 100% (Platinum/Emerald) for three to five years, five years if the home is certified carbon neutral. Applications go to the Director of Budget and Finance on an oath-sworn form, due by June 1 preceding the tax year sought, and the commercial program is capped at an aggregate $5,000,000; the residential program is capped at $1,000,000 per fiscal year. A property owner may claim only one credit per building, and the credit terminates if the Director finds the building has been altered so it no longer complies with the certification level that earned it.
Violations & Fines
There is no fine for skipping green certification since it is entirely voluntary. The exposure runs the other way: if the Director of Budget and Finance determines during the credit period that the property has been altered so it no longer meets the LEED/NGBS rating and version that justified the credit, the credit terminates immediately and the property reverts to full assessment. A taxpayer whose application is denied, or whose credit is terminated, can appeal the Director's decision under § 11-2-204.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Baltimore County require green building certification?
How long does the tax credit last?
Can the credit be taken away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baltimore County
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