Howard County's adopted Property Maintenance Code requires exterior premises to be kept free of weeds and rank plant growth, but it applies only to rental and non-owner-occupied housing. Owner-occupied lots are not policed by the county; noxious-weed control is otherwise a state agriculture matter.
There is no general countywide weed-height ordinance covering every yard in Howard County. County Code section 3.700 adopts the International Property Maintenance Code, whose exterior-property provisions bar accumulations of weeds and rank vegetation, and section 101.2 limits enforcement to rental and non-owner-occupied dwellings. Maryland's noxious-weed law (Agriculture Article) separately targets specific plants like Johnson grass, thistles and shattercane statewide through the Department of Agriculture. For owner-occupied homes, weed and lawn standards typically come from the governing community or homeowners association rather than the county.
A person who violates the Property Maintenance Code is guilty of a misdemeanor, subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000, or up to 30 days imprisonment, or both. Each day is a separate offense.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Howard County park property is open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset. Being in a park between sunset and sunrise is prohibited under Howard Cou...
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Howard County limits light trespass onto neighboring residential property. Measured three feet above ground at the property line, spillover is capped at 0.1 ...
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Howard County's Zoning Regulations Section 134.0 requires most outdoor light fixtures to be fully or partially shielded to reduce glare and skyglow. The rule...
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Howard County's sign code has no special garage-sale sign category. Signs placed in County rights-of-way or attached to utility poles or trees are prohibited...
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Howard County allows political campaign signs up to nine square feet total per premises in residential districts and 32 square feet in commercial or industri...
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Howard County has no standalone tiny-home zoning category. A permanent tiny dwelling is regulated as an accessory apartment under Section 128.0.13, which req...
See how Howard County's weed ordinances rules stack up against other locations.
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