Frederick, MD Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 22-16
- Clearing deadline
- 12 hours after snowfall ends
- Required clear width
- 4 feet or full sidewalk
- Compliance window after notice
- 24 hours
- Fine
- Up to $100 municipal infraction
- Related ban
- $500 fine for dumping snow back on street, § 22-16.1
- Appeal deadline
- 5 working days to Appeals Board
Summary
Frederick declares snow-covered sidewalks a public nuisance and gives property owners just 12 hours after snow stops falling to clear a 4-foot path. Ignoring a notice of violation for 24 more hours brings a $100 fine and city-ordered removal billed to the owner.
(a)Public nuisance. The mayor and board of aldermen hereby declare that an accumulation of snow or ice on public sidewalks is a public nuisance and creates an emergency situation. Within twelve (12) hours after snow stops falling, a person owning or occupying a lot or part of a lot abutting a city sidewalk shall remove the snow and ice from the abutting sidewalk for a width of four (4) feet, or the width of the sidewalk, whichever is less...(c)Municipal infraction. If the property owner or occupant fails to comply with the notice of violation within twenty-four (24) hours after its posting, the code official may issue a citation for a municipal infraction. The penalty for violation is a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Management Code: Supplement 13 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 112).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 22-16(a) declares that an accumulation of snow or ice on a public sidewalk is a public nuisance creating an emergency, and requires the owner or occupant of an abutting lot to remove it within 12 hours after snow stops falling, clearing a path 4 feet wide or the full sidewalk width, whichever is less. If the owner or occupant misses that deadline, subsection (b) has the code official post a notice of violation on the property. Under subsection (c), if the property owner still has not complied 24 hours after that notice is posted, the code official may issue a municipal infraction citation carrying a fine of up to $100.
Subsection (d) additionally lets the city perform the removal itself once that same 24-hour window lapses, billing the cost to the owner as a lien collectible the same way as municipal property taxes. Owners can appeal a notice of violation to the Building Code Appeals Board within 5 working days under subsection (e), though filing an appeal does not pause enforcement, and the Board can nullify a charge if it finds the section was misapplied or no violation existed; a further appeal goes to the Circuit Court for Frederick County within 10 days under subsection (f).
1, separately bars anyone from plowing or shoveling snow or ice back onto a public street or sidewalk, punishable by up to a $500 municipal infraction fine, with the violator and the property owner jointly liable for the City's cleanup and repair costs.
Violations & Fines
Missing the 12-hour clearing deadline and then ignoring a posted notice of violation for 24 more hours triggers a municipal infraction of up to $100 under § 22-16(c); the City can also remove the snow itself and lien the property for the cost under § 22-16(d). Separately, § 22-16.1 fines up to $500 for depositing plowed or shoveled snow back onto a street or sidewalk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to shovel my sidewalk in Frederick, Maryland?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Frederick
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