Gaithersburg, MD

Gaithersburg bans leaving any vehicle parked continuously for more than 48 hours on a street, highway, public parking lot, or vacant lot. City police or designated code enforcement…

Gaithersburg's Property Maintenance Code bars storing a dismantled, inoperative, unregistered, or unplated motor vehicle or trailer on residential property unless it sits inside a…

Gaithersburg City Code § 24-7.4(F) caps residential parking to one light commercial vehicle plus one recreational vehicle, or two light commercial vehicles, in a front-yard driveway…

Gaithersburg regulates street parking through Chapter 14 of the city code and a Residential Permit Parking program updated in 2025. Parking restrictions vary by street with posted…

Gaithersburg requires EV charging pre-wiring in new residential construction. Maryland law effective October 2022 prohibits non-EVs from parking in designated EV charging spaces with…

Gaithersburg and Montgomery County regulate front-yard parking density and surfacing requirements. Front yard paving is limited to 30-35 percent of the yard area depending on the zone…

Once the city manager declares a snow emergency, Gaithersburg bars unattended parking on any snow emergency route or cul-de-sac and requires tire chains or snow tires there. A separate…

Montgomery County sets its own maximum trespass towing rates by executive regulation, so a car towed from private property here without the driver's consent costs $170.00 for the tow…

Montgomery County bars heavy commercial vehicles and buses from residential streets under County Code Section 31-14 unless loading, servicing an abutting property, or parked where both…

Montgomery County runs a Residential Permit Parking (RPP) program under COMCOR 31.48.01, restricting on-street parking to permit holders on qualifying blocks near commercial districts…

Zoning caps how many recreational vehicles or trailers a household can keep on a residential lot, with the count set by zone and lot size.

Gaithersburg's hotel rental tax, 2% of room rental charges, applies to short-term rentals because Chapter 3A's definition of 'hotel' expressly includes them. Hosts must also remit…

Anyone offering a Gaithersburg dwelling for stays under 30 days needs a short-term rental license from the city manager. The license comes with nine specific conditions covering safety…

A short-term rental license can be suspended or revoked if the property repeatedly causes a noise nuisance, under the county's Transient Lodging Facilities chapter.

Montgomery County zoning limits short-term rentals to dwellings that are the owner's or an authorized resident's primary residence, capping absentee rentals at 120 days a year unless…

Montgomery County requires short-term rental hosts to make the unit their primary residence and, when away, keep a designated representative within 15 miles reachable for the length of…

Montgomery County caps unhosted short-term rentals at 120 days a year, but hosted rentals where the owner is present have no day limit.

A prior violation within 36 months disqualifies a short-term rental license applicant, and a revoked license locks out the same operator and unit for three years.

Montgomery County zoning requires one off-street parking space for every short-term rental contract, unless the online listing itself states that vehicle parking is not provided.

Short-term rental license applicants in Montgomery County, Maryland must certify occupancy caps: no more than 6 overnight guests age 18 or older, and no more than 2 adult guests per…

Gaithersburg City Code Sec. 19-6 makes it unlawful to burn leaves, trash, rubbish, weeds or any other substance in a roadway, gutter or public right-of-way anywhere in the city. It is…

Open fires in Gaithersburg city parks are limited to city-provided fireplaces, with charcoal and gas grills allowed only in designated picnic areas. City Code Section 15A-14 requires…

Gaithersburg's 2021 International Residential Code amendments close a smoke-alarm loophole: City Code § 5-5 strikes the exception that let a homeowner adding only a porch or deck skip…

Montgomery County caps indoor LP-gas storage in residential buildings at two small ICC-DOT cylinders (2.5 lb water capacity each) for torch-type appliances: full-size tanks must stay…

Montgomery County bans manufacturing, selling, possessing, or using fireworks countywide, with narrow exceptions only under a state fire marshal display permit.

When wildfire danger climbs, the Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources or the Governor may impose a burning ban under Natural Resources Article 5-720. Once that ban is in effect…

Gaithersburg bans keeping wild and exotic animals as pets outright. City Code § 4-101 makes it unlawful to sell, keep, board or exhibit any 'prohibited animal,' a list that names…

Gaithersburg does not name or restrict any dog breed. Instead, City Code § 4-5 lets the city manager declare an individual animal 'potentially dangerous' or 'dangerous' based on its…

Gaithersburg has no citywide spay/neuter mandate for pets, but City Code § 4-5(b)(5) and (e)(6) require a dog declared 'potentially dangerous' or 'dangerous' to be neutered and/or…

Feeding or otherwise attracting wild animals and rabies-vector species like raccoons, foxes, skunks, deer and groundhogs is unlawful in Gaithersburg under City Code § 4-6, though…

Beekeeping in Gaithersburg is permitted under Maryland Agriculture Article 5-501, which requires every beekeeper to register each apiary annually with the Maryland Department of…

Gaithersburg does not ban pet shops or commercial kennels from selling dogs, cats or other animals, but City Code § 4-81 makes it unlawful to operate one without an annual license from…

A dog off its owner's property in Gaithersburg must be on a leash and under a capable handler's effective control; being 'at large' without that restraint is declared an animal public…

Gaithersburg lets residents keep chickens and other domestic fowl at home, but City Code § 4-7 caps a residential lot at six birds and sets strict placement rules. Enclosures must sit…

The County requires cat licenses on the same terms as dogs, but exempts altered (spayed/neutered) cats from the general at-large ban that covers every other animal in the county.

Anyone charging a fee to groom pets in Montgomery County needs an annual Animal Services license, and groomers must show proof of certified grooming-school training.

Montgomery County requires microchips only for dangerous or potentially dangerous animals, impounded strays, and Division-adopted pets, not for pets generally.

Montgomery County's Zoning Ordinance treats a Veterinary Office/Hospital as its own land-use category, separate from Animal Boarding and Care, with fenced-yard setbacks, a 9 p.m.-7…

Maryland Criminal Law Sections 10-604 through 10-606 prohibit aggravated and general animal cruelty statewide, including failure to provide nutritious food, proper drink, air, space…

Gaithersburg raises the model pool barrier standard: new pool enclosures under the amended 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code must stand at least 60 inches high, not the…

Every pool, spa, or hot tub built in Gaithersburg needs a permit under the City's adopted 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code. City Code § 5-19(7) puts the Planning and Code…

Gaithersburg requires a permit from the city manager before removing, relocating or topping any tree on private property. Trees under two-inch caliper and utility safety trimming are…

Gaithersburg property owners and occupants must keep grass and weeds under ten inches tall. The rule sits in the city's health and sanitation chapter, enforced with a written notice to…

Trees overhanging public sidewalks and streets in Gaithersburg must maintain a minimum clearance of 8 feet above sidewalks and 14 feet above streets to ensure safe passage for…

Montgomery County's weed law caps "generalized plant growth" at 12 inches near property lines, but Code § 58-3 exempts trees, ornamental shrubs, flowers, and garden vegetables…

On lots under 15,000 square feet, Montgomery County lets builders satisfy the required runoff-control plan for a building permit with a rain barrel or cistern instead of conventional…

Montgomery County requires backyard compost piles used to dispose of garbage to be rodentproofed; piles made entirely of leaves and dirt are exempt from that requirement under County…

Gaithersburg allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot under section 24-5.2 of the zoning code. A detached ADU is capped at 800 square feet, or 1,200 square feet with…

Gaithersburg keeps accessory structures like sheds out of the front yard, sets a 2-foot setback for structures 200 square feet or smaller and 10 feet for anything larger, and caps most…

Montgomery County requires a separate license before renting out an accessory dwelling unit, and caps occupancy at two adult residents unless the owner or the ADU serves as the…

An accessory dwelling unit rental license requires the owner to live in either the main house or the ADU as their primary residence, proven with tax or license records.

Gaithersburg limits fences and screen walls to 3 feet in any front yard or along a public or private road, 6 feet in side and rear yards, and just 3 feet within 25 feet of a corner-lot…

Gaithersburg only exempts a retaining wall from a building permit if it is 3 feet or less, measured from the lowest adjacent grade to the top of the wall; anything taller needs a…

A Residential Fence Permit is required in Gaithersburg for all new fences and any additions or alterations to existing fences. Applications are submitted through the city permitting…

Gaithersburg zones small family day care as a by-right accessory use in every residential district, permitted by right in single-family, duplex, townhouse and stacked dwellings under…

Gaithersburg permits home-based businesses under section 24-5.5 as either a no impact, minor impact, or material impact use, with permit requirements scaling from simple registration…

A Gaithersburg home business classified as minor impact may host no more than 20 client, customer or business-associate visits per week, counted per stopping vehicle, and no more than…

A Gaithersburg home-based business may display exactly one non-illuminated, permanent building sign, capped at 9 inches by 12 inches and 0.75 square feet, and it cannot protrude more…

Maryland lets you sell homemade food from a residential kitchen without any licence or inspection, provided the business stays under $50,000 a year in cottage food sales and the…

Maryland has no microenterprise home kitchen permit. The word microenterprise does not appear anywhere in COMAR 10.15.03, the chapter that governs food service facilities, and the four…

Gaithersburg's City Code makes it unlawful to play radios, stereos or television sets between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. if the sound carries beyond the dwelling unit, or beyond the…

Continued, repeated barking, howling or whining from a dog (or other animal) that causes unreasonable annoyance or disturbance to neighbors is declared an 'animal public nuisance'…

Gaithersburg bans operating a motor vehicle or motorcycle, or discharging noise from one, in a way that disturbs residents' peace and quiet, expressly covering engine, exhaust and tire…

Gaithersburg restricts lawnmowers, power tools and other power-driven labor-saving devices, the category that covers gas leaf blowers, to between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on weekdays…

Construction noise in Montgomery County is capped at 75 dBA (85 dBA with an approved noise-suppression plan) between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays; outside those hours the county's much…

Montgomery County caps residential noise at 55 dBA at night (9 p.m.-7 a.m. weekdays, 9 p.m.-9 a.m. weekends) versus 65 dBA by day, and separately bans any noise that creates a…

Montgomery County caps industrial and commercial noise at 67 dBA daytime and 62 dBA nighttime in non-residential noise areas under County Code Chapter 31B, enforced by the Department…

Gaithersburg requires city-approved stormwater management for nearly all new development and redevelopment inside city limits under City Code Chapter 8, Article III. Projects…

Gaithersburg bars any grading, filling, new construction, substantial improvement, or watercourse alteration inside a mapped special flood hazard area until a site development permit…

Gaithersburg requires grading permits for land-disturbing activities and enforces drainage standards to protect adjacent properties and waterways. Grading must maintain positive…

New and substantially improved homes in a Gaithersburg special flood hazard area must have their lowest floor at least one foot above the base flood elevation shown on the city's FIRM…

Gaithersburg's code does not set a citywide carbon monoxide alarm mandate for all homes, but it does require one for licensed short-term rentals: working CO alarms in every bedroom and…

Gaithersburg requires a city permit and a licensed master electrician for all electrical work inside city limits under City Code Chapter 7. The city has adopted the 2020 NFPA 70…

Gaithersburg requires a separate building permit for every legal address and every separate building at that address before construction begins. City Code § 5-3 amends the 2021…

Gaithersburg adopts the 2021 International Plumbing Code as its plumbing code under City Code § 5-14, but § 5-15(1) hands almost all of the actual regulation to the Washington Suburban…

Montgomery County requires a fire sprinkler system in every dwelling unit and attached accessory structure before the County will issue a building permit for new or reconstructed…

Montgomery County requires new construction and major renovations to meet the 2021 International Green Construction Code, adopted alongside the IBC and IECC by executive regulation and…

Montgomery County's Fire Safety Code exempts a day care center from automatic sprinklers only if it serves 30 or fewer clients, uses only ground-floor rooms, and every one of those…

Montgomery County requires 24 hours' notice before starting permitted work and before covering up footings, reinforcement, or fire stopping.

Montgomery County's building code requires elevators and other service equipment in every building to be kept in good working order at all times, and makes it unlawful for an owner to…

Every entrance and exit door on a rental dwelling unit or personal living quarters building in Montgomery County must have a working deadbolt with at least a one-inch throw.

Gaithersburg bans leaving dockless scooters and e-bikes on sidewalks in a way that blocks pedestrians. City Code Sec. 19-5 lists exact spots where shared scooters cannot be parked…

Gaithersburg caps e-bikes and e-scooters at 20 mph on sidewalks, dropping to 10 mph when pedestrians are present, bars sidewalks under 3 feet wide, and requires helmets under 16…

Montgomery County bans stopping, standing, or parking any vehicle on a bikeway, a term covering on-street bike lanes and sidepaths, under County Code § 31-20(a)(11), backed by a $60…

Maryland runs two separate schemes. A golf cart may be driven unregistered, but only on a county or municipal highway the governing body has actually designated for carts, only where…

Skateboarding on city park property is confined to areas the city designates for that use, including the skate park and marked asphalt paths, under City Code Section 15A-5(c). On city…

Gaithersburg makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate in or around any public place, way, building, structure or park, or near a privately owned retail business or its parking area…

Gaithersburg makes it unlawful to loiter in a public place, or a place open to the public, in ways that block foot or vehicle traffic, harass or threaten others, or signal a likely…

Smoking and vaping are banned on all Gaithersburg-owned property, including every city park, public building and public facility, under City Code Section 15A-8 and the citywide Chapter…

Gaithersburg bars anyone from stopping, standing or walking into the median strip that separates a public roadway's travel lanes to solicit money, employment or business from drivers…

Gaithersburg bans drinking or carrying an open container of alcohol in the parking lots and common areas of any residential apartment community with four or more units, unless the…

Gaithersburg's disturbing-the-peace ordinance bans running radios, stereos, televisions or similar devices between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. loud enough to carry beyond the dwelling…

Gaithersburg licenses and inspects every rental housing unit in the city under Chapter 18AA. An inspection is required before a license issues, at renewal, and whenever the city…

Tenants with an unresolved defective-tenancy complaint file in writing with the Department of Housing and Community Affairs Director after giving landlords one week's notice to fix the…

Every occupied rental housing unit in Gaithersburg must carry a valid, unrevoked license from the city manager. Owners must apply and pay a fee before renting the unit out, and the…

Gaithersburg landlords may raise the rent only once every twelve months and must give tenants 90 days' written notice before the increase takes effect. The notice must spell out the…

Rental properties in Gaithersburg are subject to Maryland state eviction laws and Montgomery County tenant protections. Landlords must have a legally recognized reason to evict, such…

Gaithersburg landlords must keep rental units clean, sanitary, and in good repair, maintain electrical and plumbing systems, and supply adequate heat and hot water at all times under…

Montgomery County caps annual rent increases on regulated units at CPI-U plus 3 percent or 6 percent, whichever is lower, set each July 1 by the Department of Housing and Community…

For failure to pay rent, Maryland now requires a 10-day written cure notice before filing summary ejectment (Real Property § 8-401). To evict for a lease breach, the landlord must give…

Maryland adopted a statewide landlord-entry statute effective October 1, 2025. Under Real Property § 8-221, landlords must give at least 24 hours' written notice and may enter only…

Maryland caps late-rent penalties at 5% of the delinquent rent. Under Real Property § 8-208, a lease may not impose a late fee greater than 5% of the overdue rent for the rental…

To end a month-to-month tenancy in Maryland, either party must give 60 days' written notice before the period expires under Real Property § 8-402. Weekly tenancies require 7 days'…

Maryland caps most security deposits at one month's rent for leases entered on or after October 1, 2024, down from the old two-month limit. Landlords must return the deposit with…

Maryland requires 20 years of adverse possession before a squatter can claim land. Under Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-103, an owner must file to recover possession or enter the…

Gaithersburg requires a certificate of registration from the city manager before anyone hawks, peddles, or solicits door-to-door, from a sidewalk stand, or as a roadside vendor within…

Gaithersburg requires garbage collection or approved private disposal at least once a week, or more often if needed to keep waste inside proper containers without overflow or odor…

It is unlawful in Gaithersburg to throw, dump, or deposit garbage or solid waste on someone else's property, on public land or rights-of-way, or into another party's waste container…

Gaithersburg classifies tree cuttings, bush trimmings, leaves, grass, and garden trimmings as recyclable solid waste under City Code § 18-6(b)(2), folding yard debris into the city's…

Gaithersburg bars solid waste from sitting outside an approved container for more than 24 hours and requires every container to be vermin-proof, waterproof, noncorrodible, and fitted…

Gaithersburg requires every non-residential development's dumpster to be fully screened on all four sides or built into an accessory structure, plus a reserved area for the collection…

Gaithersburg's city manager runs a mandatory recyclable-materials program covering metals, glass, plastic, cardboard, motor oil, tires and more. Residents must set materials out for…

Montgomery County requires curbside and drop-off recycling under Chapter 48; residents cannot dispose of recyclable materials as trash, and only county-licensed haulers can collect…

Montgomery County requires brush set out for collection to be under 4 inches thick and 6 feet long, bundled or bagged separately from bulky scrap metal items like appliances, which go…

County-provided curbside collection runs on your assigned weekday; enter your address in the DEP Collection Day Lookup to find your trash and recycling days. If a County holiday falls…

Federal holidays and Sundays push licensed collectors' start time from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. countywide, per Montgomery County Code Chapter 48's collector-licensing rules.

Gaithersburg caps residential buildings at 3 stories and 38 feet across its R-A, R-90, R-6, RB and R-20 detached-home standards, while townhouse and multifamily forms in denser zones…

Gaithersburg zoning caps impervious and building lot coverage by district. The low-density R-A zone allows 50% impervious and 35% building coverage, while the medium-density R-90 zone…

Gaithersburg's residential zoning tables set minimum front, side and rear setbacks by district: 30/15/30 feet in the low-density R-A zone, tightening to 20/5/20 feet in the…

Gaithersburg bars unauthorized camping on any city-owned park or land. City Code Section 15A-11 allows camping only during a city-scheduled program or under a written permit from the…

Reserving a Gaithersburg city park, athletic field or facility for a public event, picnic, private gathering or demonstration requires a permit from the Department of Parks, Recreation…

Gaithersburg treats an outdoor dining addition as a minor amendment to a restaurant's approved site development plan under City Code § 24-12.6(J). A permanent covered dining area…

Gaithersburg requires a special events permit from the city manager before anyone hosts an outdoor parade, festival, concert or similar event that draws public participation or affects…

Gaithersburg city parks close at sunset and reopen at sunrise under City Code Section 15A-17, unless the city manager sets different hours or a rental permit specifies its own time…

Gaithersburg does not run a separate solar panel permit; installing panels goes through the standard Chapter 5 building and electrical permit process. What the code does add is a…

Montgomery County requires DPS to run a fast-track review for rooftop solar permits on single-family homes that meet standardized requirements.

Maryland Real Property Article 2-119 prohibits HOAs from banning solar panels. HOAs may set aesthetic rules but cannot increase installation cost by more than $1,000.

Gaithersburg's residential zoning use table lists no automobile repair or service use in any of its eight residential districts, so the catch-all clause bans it outright as an unlisted…

Gaithersburg zoning confines adult-oriented establishments to its I-1 and I-3 industrial zones, prohibiting them in every commercial, residential and floating zone including downtown's…

Montgomery County requires a Director-issued license to own or operate a massage establishment, plus separate manager and worker licenses, under County Code Chapter 24.

Montgomery County requires a dealer's license from the Office of Consumer Protection before buying, selling, or brokering secondhand personal property, including online and pawn-type…

Vape shops in Montgomery County must close overnight under Code § 32-19D, which caps operating hours to curb late-night crime near shops like hookah lounges and tobacco shops.

Montgomery County requires every towing company to register with the county before operating: unlicensed towing is a Class A violation punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

Gaithersburg's zoning code keeps food trucks 300 feet from an operating restaurant during its business hours, bans them outright in the Olde Towne Special District, and caps most lots…

A Gaithersburg food truck cannot operate within 300 feet of an existing restaurant during that restaurant's business hours, and it is barred outright from the CBD Olde Towne Special…

Gaithersburg lets a mobile vendor, including a food truck, place one temporary sandwich-board sign up to six square feet per face on the public sidewalk within 20 feet of the vending…

Gaithersburg allows data centers and cryptocurrency-mining facilities only as a conditional use in the I-1 Light Industrial and I-3 Industrial Office Park zones. Table 24-3.10-1 of the…

Gaithersburg allows data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities only as a conditional use in its I-1 and I-3 industrial zones, requiring city council approval, and bans the use…

Gaithersburg caps permanent window signs at 25 percent of a window's surface under City Code § 24-8.29, with temporary window signs subject to the same 25 percent limit under §…

Gaithersburg bans billboard signs outright under City Code § 24-8.3(E). Electronic message display signs are allowed only as part of a building, monument or geographic-area sign, are…

Gaithersburg exempts holiday and seasonal signs from permits under City Code § 24-8.4(A)(7): a temporary sign of 20 square feet or less and 8 feet or shorter, with no foundation, can…

No permit needed for a garage sale sign, but the county's temporary right-of-way sign rules cap size, placement, and how long it can stay up.

Maryland bans placing any sign, including political campaign signs, within a State highway right-of-way under Transportation § 8-605(f). The State Highway Administration, law…

Gaithersburg's fire code amendments push charcoal and gas grills away from apartment buildings: open-flame cooking devices must stay at least 20 feet from any multi-family structure…

Montgomery County bans charcoal, other fuel-burning, or electric cooking equipment within 20 feet of any multi-family building, though attached townhouses and rowhouses with no stacked…

Gaithersburg City Code Sec. 19-9A requires a city permit before anyone obstructs, digs, excavates or builds in a public road, right-of-way or public improvement easement, and before…

Montgomery County bans placing objects, fences, or structures in the public right-of-way without a permit; the Director of Permitting Services can authorize temporary sidewalk, curb…

Gaithersburg requires new and replacement outdoor light fixtures to be full cut-off or directionally shielded so light stays on the intended target and off the property line, and it…

Gaithersburg caps outdoor light spilling onto neighboring land at 0.5 foot-candles measured at the property boundary, and any lighting on a lot next to single-family homes must carry…

Gaithersburg's forest conservation code makes trees 24 inches or more in diameter, or 75% the size of the state champion of their species, a priority for retention on any site under…

Montgomery County flags champion, specimen, and state/federally listed rare trees as priority-retention resources under Chapter 22A: removing one without an approved tree save plan or…

Street trees on Montgomery County road rights-of-way must follow Department of Transportation design standards; private-road plantings follow the Planning Board's Chapter 22A technical…

Gaithersburg's local amendment to the state-adopted International Residential Code, City Code § 5-5(23), lets the building official declare a structure unsafe if it is insanitary, a…

Gaithersburg bans leaving snow or ice on a sidewalk abutting your property. If it's reported, the city manager gives owners a 12-hour notice to clear it after a 12-hour grace period…

Montgomery County bans generalized weed growth and any plant growth over 12 inches tall within 15 feet of a property line on land in, or within 100 feet of, a recorded subdivision.

Gaithersburg levies a 2 percent tax on room rental paid by every transient guest at a hotel, motel, rooming house or short-term rental in the city under City Code § 3A-2. Hotels…

Gaithersburg requires solid waste containers, other than recycling and bulky-rubbish bins, to be vermin-proof, waterproof, and fitted with tight lids at all times under City Code §…

Every Montgomery County food service facility must have a certified food service manager on staff, and the manager must be on-site controlling operations after July 15, 1989.

Chain restaurants with 20+ U.S. locations must post calorie counts on every menu and menu board under County Code § 15-15A, with full nutrition data available in writing on request.

Montgomery County's housing code splits bed bug and other insect extermination duty by scope: tenants handle infestations confined to their own unit, but landlords must exterminate…

Montgomery County bars manufacturers from distributing flavored electronic cigarettes to any retail store within a half-mile of schools, libraries, or recreation facilities, targeting…

Maryland prohibits the sale of any tobacco or electronic smoking device to anyone under age 21 under Health-General Article 16.7A.

A bar or nightclub emitting noise above 65 dBA daytime / 55 dBA nighttime into a residential area, or 67/62 dBA into a non-residential area, violates Montgomery County's noise…

Delivery-truck loading and unloading counts as noise under County law: it can't push sound past 55 dBA at night or 65 dBA by day on residential property, and it's a listed example of a…

Sounding a car alarm, horn, or other vehicle signaling device on private property is banned except for emergencies or daytime warning signals within noise limits.

Outdoor heat pumps and A/C units on small residential lots in Montgomery County must meet a strict 60 dBA property-line limit, enforced under a dedicated executive regulation, not the…

Montgomery County sets a stricter decibel threshold for prominent discrete tones below 125 Hz, bass hums and whines, than for higher-frequency tones, and bars any such tone that…

Generators and motor-vehicle-powered devices must stay under the county's dBA noise limits or avoid creating a noise disturbance, county-wide.

Montgomery County requires an Historic Area Work Permit before altering, demolishing, or erecting signs on any designated historic site, resource, or district, enforced by the county's…

HOAs in Montgomery County are governed by the Maryland Homeowners Association Act (Real Property Article 11B) which requires open board meetings, annual meetings with quorum, advance…

Maryland law provides multiple paths for resolving HOA disputes, including internal hearings, the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection, MHIC mediation, and court action. The…

Montgomery County lets HOA owners dispute a fine before the Commission on Common Ownership Communities, and once a dispute is filed the association cannot enforce that fine until the…

Most Montgomery County HOAs require homeowners to submit exterior modification requests to an architectural review committee (ARC) before making changes. This applies to paint colors…

Montgomery County regulates HOA board elections under Chapter 10B: associations must give 10-90 days' notice, ban cumulative voting, and elect governing bodies to staggered three-year…

Maryland HOA Act (Real Property 11B) governs assessment collection in Montgomery County HOAs. Regular assessments must be established by the budget adopted by the board. Special…

Montgomery County HOAs enforce covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) through violation notices, fines, and lien authority under the Maryland HOA Act. The enforcement process…

Maryland Real Property § 14-130 makes clothesline bans unenforceable on single-family property: no covenant, declaration, bylaw, rule, lease, or rental agreement may prohibit a…

Maryland Real Property § 2-125 stops a covenant, declaration, contract, security instrument, or condominium or homeowners association bylaw from imposing unreasonable limitations on…

Maryland Real Property § 11B-111.8 voids any homeowners association covenant, declaration provision, bylaw, or rule that effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts installing or…

Maryland Real Property § 14-128 guarantees every homeowner and tenant the right to display one portable, removable flag of the United States at the home they live in, and it voids any…

A Maryland homeowners association has no lien of its own. Real Property § 11B-117(b) sends it out to the Maryland Contract Lien Act at Real Property Title 14, Subtitle 2, and…

County Code § 2-160 bars County agents and departments from asking about immigration status, honoring ICE detainer requests once someone is eligible for release, or letting immigration…

A county pesticide regulation names Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) as an invasive species that can be treated with registered pesticide within 25 feet of a waterbody on Parks…

Montgomery County's zoning code (Ch. 59, § 59.6.4.3.A.6) bars any species on the Maryland Invasive Species Council's invasive list from required landscaping plans, enforced by…

Development in downtown Bethesda falls under a special zoning overlay that caps building height at the underlying zone limit and lets height and density rise only through Planning…

In the county's Planned Development (PD) zone, Chapter 59 lets projects exceed the maximum base density to build Moderately Priced Dwelling Units, with the required MPDU share set by…

Montgomery County requires sellers near agricultural zones to disclose that Maryland law shields farms operating over a year from nuisance lawsuits, under County Code § 40-12B.

The AR zone makes farming the preferred use on roughly a third of the county, protecting farm operations and machinery from being restricted by neighboring uses.

Montgomery County exempts garage and yard sales from the Chapter 8 temporary use permit that other temporary uses require, as long as selling previously-owned household goods stays…

In licensed Montgomery County rental housing, pervasive water leaks causing chronic dampness, mold, or property damage force annual inspections and a mandatory corrective action plan…

Properties in the Silver Spring, Bethesda, Wheaton, and Montgomery Hills Parking Lot Districts pay a special ad valorem tax up to $1.00 per $100 of assessed value to fund off-street…

Maryland Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article Title 36 establishes statewide cannabis licensing through the Maryland Cannabis Administration, including 500-foot setbacks from…

The Cannabis Reform Act, codified in Title 36 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article, allows adults 21 and older to cultivate up to two cannabis plants per household and…

Maryland reserves exclusive authority over commercial UAS operations under Courts 14-301, requiring operators to follow FAA Part 107 certification, registration, and operational limits…

Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Section 14-301 expressly preempts local drone regulation, reserving exclusive authority over unmanned aircraft systems to the state and federal…

Maryland requires earned sick and safe leave statewide and is implementing the Family and Medical Leave Insurance program for paid family leave.

Maryland issues Wear and Carry Permits through the State Police and prohibits concealed carry in many sensitive locations across the state.

Maryland preempts local firearms regulation under Criminal Law § 4-209, which reserves to the State the purchase, sale, transfer, ownership, possession, and transportation of handguns…

Maryland law names the only places a casino may ever legally operate: one site each in Anne Arundel, Cecil, Allegany, and Worcester counties, in Baltimore City, and in Prince George's…

Maryland regulates charitable bingo and raffles county by county, not through one statewide code. Criminal Law Title 13, "Gaming, Local Provisions," gives each jurisdiction its own…

Maryland exempts small-stakes social play from its gambling ban through the "home game" law at State Government § 9-1C-01. Adults 21 and older may host mah jong or card games with…

Maryland legalized sports wagering in 2021 under State Government § 9-1E-01 et seq., requiring anyone who operates or facilitates sports betting to hold a license from the Lottery and…

Maryland runs sobriety checkpoints and the General Assembly has legislated about them exactly once. Transportation section 25-114 defines a "checkpoint" as a predetermined fixed…

Maryland has no statute granting a right to record the police. What governs instead is the Maryland Wiretap Act at Courts and Judicial Proceedings sections 10-401 through 10-410, which…

Maryland has never enacted a general stop-and-identify statute. A full-text search of the Annotated Code returns nothing for "stop and identify," "produce identification," or "refuses…

Maryland wrote its search rule into the code when it legalized adult cannabis use. Criminal Procedure section 1-211 forbids a law enforcement officer from initiating a stop or a search…

Maryland was among the first states to ban expanded polystyrene foam food service products statewide, prohibiting their sale and use at restaurants, schools, and food packagers under a…

Maryland lets you add auxiliary lighting, but it counts the lamps and measures the mounting height. Transportation Article § 22-217 allows one spot lamp, no more than two fog lamps…

Maryland has no dash camera statute at all, so a dash cam is governed by the general windshield-obstruction rule at Md. Transp. § 21-1104. Subsection (c)(1) makes it an offense to…

Lane splitting is expressly illegal in Maryland. Transportation Article § 21-1303(d) says a person may not operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or…

Maryland attacks registration plate covers from three directions. Transportation Article § 13-411.1 defines a plate cover by what it is designed to do, then bans selling one, offering…

A radar or laser detector is lawful in a private vehicle in Maryland. The Transportation Article devotes an entire title to vehicle equipment, Title 22, and across its sections from §…

Maryland bans studded tires on its highways as a baseline rule, then carves out five counties. Under Transportation Article § 22-405.2(c), owners of vehicles registered in Allegany…

Maryland caps aftermarket window tint at 35% light transmittance, and on a Class A passenger car that limit applies to every window on the vehicle, rear glass included. Light trucks…