Howard County, MD Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

104's local amendments to the adopted NFPA 1 fire code, the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), Howard County's Department of Fire and Rescue Services, may designate part of any public or private roadway, driveway, or curb as a fire lane and decide how it is marked, weighing roadway width, emergency vehicle access and turn radius, hydrant and exit locations, building layout, and the likelihood that someone would park there. Once the AHJ orders fire lane signs, they must follow the State Highway Administration Standard Sign Book, sit at the lane's termination points, space no more than 100 feet apart, and avoid blocking pedestrian or traffic movement.

Where the AHJ orders a painted curb, the curb must be painted with red traffic paint at least six inches wide, and 'NO PARKING FIRE LANE' must be stenciled in white paint, three inches high, at each end and every 20 feet along the marking, on the curb's top surface. A cross-hatch alternative uses red diagonal stripes at least six inches wide on a 30-to-60-degree angle, spaced up to 72 inches apart, with the same stenciled warning. No property owner may pre-emptively paint a curb red or make it resemble a fire lane; only an AHJ designation authorizes the marking. Once notified, a property owner has 30 days to install the required markings or signs at the AHJ-directed location.