Prince George's County, MD Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing authority
- Md. Agriculture Article §§ 2-501 to 2-515
- Machinery use
- Permitted at any reasonable time (Sec. 30-104(a)(2))
- Farm sales
- On-farm sale of farm products permitted
- District creation
- Requires State Foundation notice to County Council (Sec. 30-106)
- Advisory board
- 5 members, 3+ must be working farm operators
Summary
Land inside a Prince George's County Agricultural Preservation District keeps a guaranteed right to run farm machinery at any reasonable hour, follow good husbandry practices, and sell farm products from the farm, consistent with the County Zoning Ordinance, plus property tax incentives.
Sec. 30-104. - Agricultural Preservation Districts and Protection of Normal Agricultural Activities. (a)In accord with Agricultural Article Sections 2-501 through 2-515 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Agricultural Preservation Districts may be established in Prince George's County. In order to protect normal agricultural activities, the following provisions shall apply to all such districts within Prince George's County:(1)Agricultural activities are permitted, consistent with provisions of the County Zoning Ordinance;(2)The operation of machinery used in farm production or the primary processing of agricultural products is permitted at any reasonable time;(3)Agricultural activities carried on in accordance with good husbandry practices, which do not cause bodily injury or directly endanger human health, are preferred activities, notwithstanding the incidental production of noise, odor, or dust;(4)The sale of farm products produced on the farm where the sales are made is permitted, consistent with the provisions of the County Zoning Ordinance;(5)All land within an Agricultural Preservation District shall be eligible for property tax incentives as may be enacted by the County Council from time to time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2026 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 30-104(a) sets up Agricultural Preservation Districts under Sections 2-501 through 2-515 of the Agriculture Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and lists the protections that apply inside them. Farm machinery used in production or primary processing of agricultural products can run at any reasonable time, husbandry practices that don't cause bodily injury or directly endanger human health are treated as preferred activities even when they produce incidental noise, odor, or dust, and on-farm sales of farm products grown there are permitted, all consistent with the County Zoning Ordinance.
Land inside a District is also eligible for property tax incentives the County Council may enact. 01. Section 30-105 requires the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to keep official maps of established Districts and purchased easements current as of June 30 each year, at the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro. Section 30-107 creates a five-member Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board appointed by the County Executive, with at least three members required to be owner-operators earning half or more of their income from farming, serving five-year terms.
Violations & Fines
This division protects farmland uses rather than punishing them; it carries no fine schedule of its own. A use that falls outside the protected list, such as a nonagricultural use not tied to on-farm production or sale of farm products, does not receive the Section 30-104 shield and remains subject to the standard zoning-violation enforcement and penalties under the County's Zoning Ordinance, Subtitle 27.
Frequently Asked Questions
What protections come with land in a Prince George's County Agricultural Preservation District?
How is an Agricultural Preservation District created in the County?
Who sits on the County's Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince George's County
Compare Prince George's County to another location·View the Maryland right to farm overview
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