Landscaping Rules in Bowie, MD (2026)
4 verified landscaping rules for Bowie, Maryland, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
In the City of Bowie, § 22-18 requires property owners to trim trees and shrubs that hang over or obscure a sidewalk, street or traffic sign, keeping at least nine feet of clearance above a sidewalk and 14 feet above a street. Owners who ignore a City notice face removal by the City and a billed cost.
Tree/Shrub Clearance Rule in Bowie, MD
Some RestrictionsBowie City Code § 22-18
§ 22-18. Vegetation trimming and removal required. ... A. It shall be unlawful for a person owning any real property within the City to permit any tree or shrub growing on the person's property, or within the public right-of-way abutting the person's property, to hang over or branch in such a manner as to impair or inhibit passage along a sidewalk or street or obscure street signs, traffic cont...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
In the City of Bowie, § 22-17 makes it unlawful to cut, belt, destroy or injure any tree or shrub on City streets, parks or other public places, or on private property, without the owner's consent. The rule applies citywide and is enforced as a municipal infraction under Chapter 1.
Tree Removal Consent Rule in Bowie, MD
Some RestrictionsBowie City Code § 22-17
§ 22-17. Cutting of trees or shrubbery. No person shall cut, belt, destroy or injure any tree or shrubbery on any of the streets, parks or other public places of the City, or on private property, without consent of the owner thereof. § 22-1 ... 9A. ... Violations and penalties. ... A. Violations of this chapter are municipal infractions, subject to the penalty and enforcement provisions of Chap...
Weed Ordinances
In the City of Bowie, § 22-18.2 caps grass and weeds at eight inches within the public right-of-way adjoining a property and bans letting growth spill onto the sidewalk, curb or street. Owners get seven days after notice to cut it before the City can abate the violation and bill the cost.
8-Inch Weed Limit in Bowie, MD
Some RestrictionsBowie City Code § 22-18.2
§ 22-18.2. Grass and weed maintenance. ... A. It shall be unlawful for any person owning any real property in the City to permit grass or weeds to grow to a height greater than eight inches within the public right-of-way adjoining their property. Grass or weeds which grow to a height greater than eight inches in violation hereof must be trimmed and removed by the owner, tenant or responsible pa...
Composting
The City of Bowie exempts backyard compost sites from its sanitation rule against accumulated yard waste. Under City Code § 5-7, a compost pile of yard refuse, fruit or vegetable waste, egg shells or coffee grounds is allowed only if it sits in the rear yard, stays free of noxious odors, and covers no more than 0.5% of the lot's total square footage.
Bowie Backyard Composting Rules
Light RestrictionsBowie City Code § 5-7
COMPOST SITES: Segregated locations on residential property for the controlled biological decomposition of yard refuse, fruit or vegetable waste, egg shells or coffee grounds, maintained to facilitate decomposition and produce innocuous organic material. ... The provisions of Subsection B(2)(a) shall not apply to a compost site maintained free of noxious odors, situated in the rear yard and cov...
Looking for Prince George's County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bowie city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Prince George's County →