Frederick, MD Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

City Code Sec. 13-22 governs vehicles kept on private property in Frederick and doubles as the city's vector-control tool for stored vehicles. A resident may keep only one unregistered or inoperable vehicle on their own property, or on someone else's with that owner's consent, and that vehicle must stay fully covered with a vehicle cover in good condition at all times. The rule exempts a business storing vehicles under a valid zoning certificate and any vehicle kept inside a garage or other permanent structure. Even a covered, otherwise-compliant vehicle loses its protection once the Code Official determines it has become a public nuisance.

Sec. ' Standing water, decaying upholstery or trash accumulating inside an abandoned vehicle typically supports that second finding. Once flagged, the property owner cannot simply re-cover the vehicle; it must be removed or remediated to the Code Official's satisfaction. Before any citation issues, the Code Official must first serve a written notice of violation giving the responsible party a specified period to abate the condition, so an owner who acts within that window avoids the fine. Ignoring the notice is what converts the nuisance into a chargeable municipal infraction, capped at $400 per violation, enforced through the City's Department of Permits and Code Management.