Prince George's County, MD Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Division 5 of the Health Code, Subtitle 12, sets out Prince George's County's rodent-control program for 'business buildings,' a term defined broadly to cover hotels, apartment houses, stores, markets, restaurants, warehouses, and any structure where animals are kept (Sec. 12-136). Sec. 12-137 bars new construction of a business building, curb, or farmer's market unless it is rodent-proof under the Division's specifications, and Sec. 12-138 lets the Health Officer modify the specs when needed for conditions the rules didn't anticipate. The technical requirements are precise: Sec.

12-142 requires basement floor openings sealed with cement, mortar, or metal collars of at least 26-gauge, and where a building sits on piers with less than 18 inches of clearance, a concrete curtain wall extending at least 36 inches below grade around the entire building perimeter. Sec. 12-144 requires doors accessible to rodents to be fitted with 24-gauge metal channels or 26-gauge flashing so gaps under doors never exceed three-eighths of an inch, and Sec. 12-145 requires window screening of 19-gauge wire cloth with a mesh no larger than one-half inch.

Enforcement runs through Sec. 12-156: the Health Officer can make unannounced inspections and, upon finding evidence of rodents, issue a written order giving the responsible owner, occupant, or agent no less than fifteen days to complete the rodent-stoppage work, after which failure to comply is itself a violation of the Division. Sec. 12-157 requires reinspection of every rodent-stopped building at least once every 45 days, and Sec. 12-155 makes the occupant responsible for immediately eradicating any rodents found and keeping the property rodent-free going forward.