Environmental Rules in Baltimore County, MD (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Baltimore County bars developing or redeveloping any site without stormwater management measures that control runoff, using environmental site design to the maximum extent practicable before any structural pond or filter is built. The Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability enforces the requirement under County Code Article 33, Title 4, with the Department of Public Works and Transportation assisting.
Baltimore County Stormwater Management Permit Required
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 33-4-104(a); § 33-4-115(a), (b)
Except as provided in this title, a person may not develop or redevelop any site without providing for appropriate stormwater management measures that control or manage stormwater runoff from the site. The stormwater management measures shall be:(i)Consistent with the Design Manual; and(ii)Constructed in accordance with a plan approved by the Department. ... Criminal. A person who violates any ...
Erosion Control
Baltimore County requires a grading permit before anyone changes natural ground level in a way that could redirect stormwater onto a neighbor's land, and a separate erosion and sediment control plan approved by the Soil Conservation District before any land-disturbing activity begins. County Code Article 33, Title 5 sets cut-and-fill slope limits, stabilization deadlines, and grading-unit caps enforced by Permits, Approvals and Inspections.
Baltimore County Grading Permit Required for Erosion Control
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 33-5-201; § 33-5-303(a)
A grading permit is required for all land-disturbing activities not exempted under § 33-5-106 of this title with the exception of the following: (1)Individual residential lots for which a building permit has been issued and erosion and sediment control measures are employed to protect against off-site damage in accordance with a standard erosion and sediment control plan approved by the Distric...
Flood Zones
Baltimore County bans grading, filling, new construction, substantial improvement, and manufactured-home placement inside any Special Flood Hazard Area shown on the county's FEMA flood insurance rate maps until a floodplain permit is issued. The Floodplain Administrator, jointly the Directors of Permits, Approvals and Inspections and Public Works and Transportation, reviews every application under the county's 2024 Floodplain Management Provisions, County Code Article 32, Title 8.
Baltimore County Floodplain Permit Required Before Building
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 32-8-304(a); § 32-8-803
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 32-8-105, 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 ...
Boat Dock Permits
Baltimore County requires a permit before any pier, dock, bulkhead, or mooring pile is built beyond mean low tide under BCZR Section 417. The Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections reviews a plot diagram with every application, and the structure must fit within fixed divisional lines, size limits, and a public notice period before a permit is issued.
Baltimore County Boat Dock and Pier Permits
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Zoning Regulations (BCZR) §§ 417.1, 417.4, 417.5
All waterfront construction, such as piers, wharves, docks, bulkheads or other work extended into navigable waters beyond mean low tide as prescribed in Baltimore County Design Manual, shall be governed by these regulations as well as by § 33-2-801 of the Baltimore County Code, except that nothing in these regulations shall apply to the M.H. Zone and to the extension of industrial waterfront fa...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Baltimore County requires new and substantially improved buildings in flood hazard areas to raise their lowest floor to the flood protection elevation, defined as the base flood elevation plus two feet of freeboard. In shallow-flooding Zone AO, the lowest floor must clear the highest adjacent grade by the FIRM depth number plus two feet, or four feet minimum, and below-grade basements are banned outright.
Baltimore County Flood Protection Elevation Adds 2 Feet
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 32-8-201(dd); § 32-8-504(a)(1), (2), (4)
Flood protection elevation. "Flood protection elevation" means the base flood elevation plus two (2) 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, climat...
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