Harford County, MD Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

Harford County Code § 267-26G requires off-street loading facilities for any use that regularly receives deliveries or shipments in unincorporated Harford County. Retail establishments, industrial uses, warehouses, freight terminals and hospitals with 6,000 square feet or more of gross floor area must provide berths on a sliding scale: one berth from 6,000 to 24,999 square feet, two from 25,000 to 79,999, three from 80,000 to 127,999, four from 128,000 to 197,999, five from 198,000 to 255,999, six from 256,000 to 319,999 and seven from 320,000 to 391,999, with one additional berth for each further 72,000 square feet.

Public assembly uses such as auditoriums, convention halls, stadiums, office buildings, funeral homes, restaurants and hotels over 30,000 square feet follow a separate table starting at one berth for 30,000 to 119,999 square feet and adding a berth for each additional 105,000 square feet. Each loading space must measure at least 250 square feet (10 by 25 feet) with 14 feet of vertical clearance, and no part of a loading vehicle may extend into a public road right-of-way while loading or unloading. Loading spaces must sit at least 50 feet from any residential district unless the space is fully enclosed within a building or buffered by a hedge, wall or solid board fence at least 6 feet tall.

The Department of Planning and Zoning administers these standards through the zoning certificate process, and the Board of Appeals may modify parking and loading requirements only where the peculiar nature, shape or size of the property justifies it.