Environmental Rules in Annapolis, MD (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for Annapolis, Maryland, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Any residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional development in Annapolis must include a Department of Public Works-approved stormwater management plan before a grading or building permit issues, under City Code Chapter 17.10.
Annapolis Stormwater Management Requirements
Some RestrictionsAnnapolis City Code § 17.10.060(A)
No person shall develop any land for residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional uses without having provided stormwater management measures that control or manage runoff from such development, except as provided within this chapter.
Erosion Control
Annapolis requires a grading permit before disturbing land, plus an erosion and sediment control plan approved by the Anne Arundel Soil Conservation District; projects disturbing under 5,000 square feet (2,000 on waterfront lots) can qualify for an exemption instead.
Annapolis Grading & Erosion Control Permit
Some RestrictionsAnnapolis City Code § 17.08.030(A)
Except as set forth in Section 17.08.040, no person shall do and no owner allow, any grading of land without first having obtained a grading permit from the Director. Each permit shall authorize only the improvements set forth in the application and accompanying drawings, but each permit may cover any number of contiguous lots.
Flood Zones
Any development or construction in a special flood hazard area within Annapolis requires a floodplain permit from the Department of Planning and Zoning before work begins.
Annapolis Floodplain Development Permit
Some RestrictionsAnnapolis City Code § 17.11.330(A)
It shall be unlawful for any person to begin any development or construction which is wholly within, partially within, or in contact with any flood hazard area established in Section 1.5, including but not limited to: Filling; grading; construction of new structures; the substantial improvement of buildings or structures, including repair of substantial damage; placement or replacement of manuf...
Boat Dock Permits
Building a pier, dock, mooring pile or other permanent waterway structure in Annapolis requires a City building permit from the Department of Planning and Zoning before any work begins; private docks are further capped at one slip per 25 feet of waterfront owned.
Annapolis Boat Dock Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsAnnapolis City Code § 15.20.010
A City building permit issued by the Department of Planning and Zoning is required to rebuild, modify, construct or enlarge any structure intended to be installed permanently in the waterways. An application for a building permit, under either Section 15.20.030 or 15.20.040, shall be filed and obtained in accordance with the procedures of the Department of Planning and Zoning before any work is...
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.
Annapolis Base Flood Elevation Freeboard Rule
Some RestrictionsAnnapolis City Code §§ 17.11.179, 17.11.530(A)(1)
The base flood elevation plus two feet of freeboard. Freeboard is a factor of safety that compensates for uncertainty in factors that could contribute to flood heights greater than the height calculated for a selected size flood and floodway conditions, such as wave action, obstructed bridge openings, debris and ice jams, climate change, and the hydrologic effect of urbanization in a watershed....
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