Queen Anne's County, MD Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Section 18:1-83O sets the surface rule: all parking areas, except those allowed for uses which require fewer than 25 parking spaces, shall be paved. Unpaved parking areas shall consist of compacted base with crushed stone placed on the compacted base, and all parking areas shall be maintained in a dust-free, safe condition at all times. The 25-space line is the dividing point between required paving and permitted gravel.

Section 18:1-83R(3)(c) caps the width of a driveway across public property, or one requiring a curb cut, at 25 feet. Spaces in paved lots are marked with painted lines or other markings, and spaces in unpaved lots are demarcated wherever practical with curb stops or other measures (§ 18:1-83R(5)). A required space is at least nine feet wide and at least 18 feet long, with the length reducible to 16.5 feet including a wheel stop when 1.5 feet of front overhang space is provided (§ 18:1-83R(1)).

Home occupations carry their own driveway limit. Under § 18:1-56 the code requires that parking of vehicles associated with the home occupation be limited to existing residential driveways and not create hazards or street congestion, and it bars parking any vehicle with a payload rating of more than 1.5 tons.

The County parking chapter adds blocking rules. Under § 26-2A a person cannot stop, stand or park a vehicle in front of a public driveway. Under § 26-2K a person cannot stand or park a vehicle in front of a private driveway without the consent of the owner or occupant of the premises. Section 26-2B bars parking on a sidewalk, and § 26-2W bars parking in front of a curb ramp. Access to roads is also reviewed through Chapter 23 and the access standards in § 18:1-87. These provisions apply in unincorporated Queen Anne's County, including Kent Island, Stevensville and Grasonville; Centreville, Queenstown and the other towns use their own codes.