Anne Arundel County, MD: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 18-10-142, Home occupations
- List type
- Exhaustive, not illustrative
- Auto repair status
- Not among 19 listed trades
- Allowed instead
- Jewelry, watch, clock, firearm repair
- Coverage
- County-wide except Annapolis, Highland Beach
Summary
Anne Arundel County's zoning code limits home occupations to an exhaustive list of allowed trades, and running a car-repair business isn't one of them, not in a house, garage, or driveway anywhere in the unincorporated county.
A home occupation shall be located and conducted entirely in a principal dwelling unit and shall be incidental and secondary to the use of the structure as a dwelling. ... (3) Home occupations are limited to the following: (i) art, handcraft, woodworking, or ceramics studios for the sale of products made on the premises; ... (iv) jewelry, watch, or clock repair; ... (x) repair and maintenance of firearms, including handguns, rifles, shotguns, and antique firearms...
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
Anne Arundel County Code § 18-10-142 caps home occupations to a closed list of permitted trades: art studios, florists, salons, jewelry, watch, and clock repair, tailoring, photography studios, offices, tutoring, licensed child care, taxidermy, pet care, cottage food businesses, and firearm repair among them. Auto and motor-vehicle repair is absent from every enumerated category, so running a car-repair shop out of a home is not a permitted home occupation anywhere the code applies, including unincorporated communities like Glen Burnie, Severna Park, and Pasadena that have no municipal code of their own. Working on your own vehicles for personal use is not restricted; operating a repair business for customers is.
Violations & Fines
County zoning enforcement can cite the property for operating an unpermitted home occupation, order the business closed, and pursue civil penalties or a court injunction for continued operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fix cars for money out of my Anne Arundel County home?
Is working on my own car in my garage allowed?
Does this apply in Glen Burnie or Severna Park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
Compare Anne Arundel County to another location·View the Maryland business licensing & operations overview
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