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Baltimore County, MD Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing law
Baltimore County Code Section 18-2-216(a)(2)
Fine
$100 per bike-lane violation
Covered vehicles
Tractors, trailers, combination tractor-trailers
Exception
Essential cargo loading or unloading
Repeat violations
Each day is a separate offense
Enacted
Bill No. 99-20, effective Nov. 2, 2020

Summary

Baltimore County Code Section 18-2-216 bars a tractor, trailer, or combination tractor-trailer from parking or standing so that any part of the rig fully or partially obstructs a designated bike lane, unless the stop is essential to immediate cargo loading or unloading. A violation carries a $100 fine, and each day the truck stays counts as a separate offense countywide.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Baltimore County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(a)Except as otherwise specified, a person may not park or stand a tractor, trailer, or combination tractor-trailer:...(2)In such a manner that any part of the vehicle or trailer, fully or partially obstructs a designated bike lane unless parking or standing is essential to the immediate loading or unloading of cargo.(b)This section does not apply to:(1)Service vehicles owned or operated by the county or a public utility; or(2)Emergency vehicles of the Baltimore County police or fire departments or a volunteer ambulance service.(c)(2)A person who violates subsection (a)(2) of this section is subject to a fine of $100.(3)Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate violation.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29 | Zoning Regulations: Supplement 10).

Full Breakdown

The rule sits inside the county's large-truck parking law, Baltimore County Code Section 18-2-216, adopted by Bill No. 99-20 and later amended by Bill No. 32-25. Subsection (a)(2) makes it unlawful for a tractor, trailer, or combination tractor-trailer to stand in a manner that fully or partially obstructs a designated bike lane, carving out only one exception: parking that is essential to the immediate loading or unloading of cargo. , within 1,000 feet of a residential zone, a separate violation with its own escalating fine schedule up to $1,000 for repeat offenders.

Service vehicles owned or operated by the county or a public utility, and emergency vehicles of the Baltimore County police, fire departments, or a volunteer ambulance service, are exempt from both restrictions. Because the bike-lane clause targets large commercial rigs specifically, an ordinary passenger car or delivery van parked in a bike lane is addressed under the county's general obstruction-of-streets provisions rather than this $100 fine. Enforcement runs through the county's Department of Public Works and Transportation and the Baltimore County Police Department, which can issue a citation for each day the vehicle remains in place.

Violations & Fines

A first violation of the bike-lane clause, Section 18-2-216(a)(2), draws a flat $100 fine under subsection (c)(2). Section 18-2-216(c)(3) makes each day a violation continues a separate offense, so a rig left blocking a bike lane over a weekend can generate multiple $100 citations. The overnight residential-zone parking ban under the same section carries a steeper, escalating schedule: $250 to $500 for the first three violations in a year, rising to $750-$1,000 by the fifth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the $100 bike-lane fine apply to my car?
No. Section 18-2-216(a)(2) is written to cover tractors, trailers, and combination tractor-trailers, not ordinary passenger vehicles. A car or van left in a designated bike lane falls under the county's general street-obstruction rules instead of this specific $100 penalty.
Can a delivery truck ever stop in a bike lane?
Yes, if the stop is essential to the immediate loading or unloading of cargo. Section 18-2-216(a)(2) exempts that narrow circumstance from the obstruction prohibition, but the truck cannot simply park there for convenience once loading is finished.
How many times can I be fined for the same truck?
Every day the tractor-trailer continues to obstruct the bike lane is a separate violation under Section 18-2-216(c)(3), so a rig left in place over several days can accumulate a $100 citation for each day it remains.

Sources & Official References

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