100 local rules on file · Pop. 19,961 · Baltimore County
Showing ordinances that apply to Rosedale, MD
Rosedale is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 19,961 in Baltimore County, Maryland. Because Rosedale is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Baltimore County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Baltimore County may have different rules.
Baltimore County's Title 3 noise code sets no specific countywide construction-hour window. Construction noise is instead governed by Maryland's COMAR daytime dB limits (65 dBA residential, 7 a.m.–10 p.m.), with a stricter 55 dBA cap overnight. Check your municipality for tighter local hours.
Loud amplified music from a home or party is banned as domestic noise under Baltimore County Code § 17-3-103 when it 'unreasonably disturbs' neighbors. Maryland COMAR also caps residential noise at 65 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime at the property line.
Baltimore County's noise law (County Code § 17-3-103) sets no fixed clock-hour quiet time. It bans domestic noise that 'unreasonably disturbs' neighbors at any hour. Numeric nighttime limits come from Maryland COMAR: 55 dBA in residential zones from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Baltimore County has no leaf-blower-specific ban or hour restriction in its code. Gas leaf blowers must comply with Maryland's COMAR noise limits, which cap noise at 65 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime at a residential property line, effectively restricting use to daytime hours.
Baltimore County uses Maryland's statewide COMAR 26.02.03 decibel limits, measured at the receiving property line: 65 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime for residential zones, 67/62 dBA commercial, and 75 dBA industrial day and night.
A persistently barking dog is treated as a domestic noise nuisance under Baltimore County Code § 17-3-103 when it 'unreasonably disturbs' neighbors. Baltimore County Animal Services and police respond to complaints; there is no set number of minutes in the county code.
Loud vehicles, revving engines, and modified exhaust in Baltimore County are governed by Maryland state motor-vehicle and COMAR noise law rather than a county ordinance. COMAR caps residential-line noise at 65 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime; state law bans defective or excessively loud exhaust systems.
Aircraft noise is regulated by the FAA, not Baltimore County. Maryland COMAR explicitly does not apply to aircraft in flight, and local governments cannot set flight-noise limits. Complaints about BWI or overflights go through the airport and FAA noise programs.
Outdoor music, live bands, and speakers on residential property fall under Baltimore County's domestic-noise ban (§ 17-3-103) when they 'unreasonably disturb' neighbors, plus Maryland COMAR dB limits of 65 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime at the property line.
Industrial and commercial noise in Baltimore County is governed by Maryland COMAR 26.02.03, measured at the receiving property. If the neighbor is residential, the limit is 65 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime, even for a factory or plant next door.
Short-term rentals owe Baltimore County's Transient Occupancy Tax of 9.5% of the room rate under Article 11, Subtitle 4, Title 4 of the County Code. The STR license application and renewal fee may not be less than $300, and the license runs for a three-year term.
Baltimore County requires a short-term rental license countywide. A host may not advertise on a platform, accept a booking, or rent to a guest without one. Licenses issue through Permits, Approvals and Inspections and cannot cover accessory dwelling units or units already holding a long-term rental license.
Guest counts are capped by bedrooms, parking, and septic capacity, but never more than 8 guests in a single-family detached dwelling or 6 in an attached or semi-detached dwelling. A rental may host no more than 2 guests per bedroom, and at least one guest must be 21 or older.
Baltimore County's code does not textually require the STR to be the host's primary residence, but it bars licensing accessory dwelling units and units already holding a long-term rental license. Each unit is designated hosted or un-hosted on the application, and both types are permitted.
To register, a host submits the Director's application form and pays the fee. The form must list all owners and any agent, building type, number of bedrooms, hosted or un-hosted status, hosting platforms used, all guest parking spaces, proof of $1,000,000 liability insurance, and septic details. Licenses are non-transferable.
A Baltimore County short-term rental must provide a minimum of one parking space for every two guests. The application must disclose the number and location of all guest parking spaces, and a host may not advertise more parking than is actually available as determined by the Director.
Baltimore County distinguishes hosted units, where the host resides on the property during the rental, from un-hosted units, where they do not. Un-hosted rentals are allowed, but for every rental the host or a representative must be reachable by emergency services and able to be onsite within 60 minutes.
The STR ordinance requires hosts to ensure use of the rental abides by Article 13 of the County Code, which includes the noise controls. The host or a representative must be reachable by emergency services and onsite within 60 minutes to address problems such as noise.
Baltimore County sets no annual night cap on STR operation, but defines a short-term rental as occupancy of no more than 30 consecutive days, and a rental may not be rented for more than 30 consecutive days by the same guest. Longer stays fall outside the STR license.
Baltimore County requires every short-term rental host to carry an active liability insurance policy of at least $1,000,000. Proof of the policy must be submitted with the license application, and the host must maintain that coverage at all times while operating the rental.
Small recreational fires no larger than three feet in diameter are allowed and no permit is needed if the fire is constantly attended. Fires and open-flame cooking devices must be at least 15 feet from apartments and condos.
Backyard recreational fires up to three feet in diameter are allowed without a permit if constantly attended. Open fires are banned entirely inside the Beltway (I-695), and larger bonfires outside it require a Fire Marshal permit.
Open burning, including recreational bonfires, is prohibited inside the Beltway (I-695). Outside the Beltway, bonfires need a Fire Marshal permit. Leaf burning is banned throughout the County. Maryland also bans most open fires June 1–August 31.
Maryland law requires a smoke alarm in every sleeping area of every residential occupancy. Battery-only alarms must be replaced with 10-year sealed-battery units, and all alarms must be replaced when 10 years old. Landlords must maintain them.
Ground-based sparkling devices and non-chlorate sparklers are legal statewide. Aerial and explosive consumer fireworks (Roman candles, firecrackers, bottle rockets, mortars) are illegal to discharge without a State Fire Marshal permit, which is issued only for professional public displays.
Baltimore County has no wildfire-style defensible-space brush-clearance mandate like California's. Overgrown brush is handled under the county's high-grass and property-maintenance rules, and any burning of cleared brush is governed by the open-burning restrictions.
Except at one- and two-family homes, propane grills and LP-gas cooking devices may not be used, stored, or lit on any balcony, patio, under an overhang, or within 15 feet of a multifamily building. Larger LP-gas storage follows the adopted fire code.
Baltimore County is not in a designated wildfire hazard zone and has no WUI defensible-space or fire-hardening code. Maryland's wildfire risk is low; open fires are instead controlled by the county open-burning rules and the seasonal state burn ban.
Baltimore County has no countywide overnight residential street-parking ban, but heavy commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds may not park overnight on residentially zoned property, and unregistered vehicles may not be parked on public roads.
Baltimore County Zoning Regulations allow one recreational vehicle or boat stored on a residential lot. It must be licensed, unoccupied, and mechanically ready to move, and kept 2.5 feet off rear and side lot lines.
Baltimore County allows one commercial vehicle under 10,000 pounds per dwelling on a residential lot if the owner lives there, it's enclosed or in the side or rear yard, and shows no visible materials or advertising. Heavier trucks are prohibited.
Baltimore County follows Maryland's statewide parking prohibitions. You may not stop, stand, or park on a sidewalk or crosswalk, and county rules under Article 18 also restrict standing and unregistered-vehicle parking on public roads.
Under Maryland law applied in Baltimore County, a vehicle left inoperable on public property over 48 hours, or on private property over 48 hours without consent, is abandoned and may be removed. Inoperable vehicles stored outdoors on residential lots also violate county zoning.
In Baltimore County, Maryland law prohibits standing or parking a vehicle in front of a private driveway without the owner or occupant's consent. County zoning also requires that residential parking be on a durable, dustless surface.
Baltimore County Code restricts standing a vehicle to no longer than actually necessary to load or unload passengers or freight in specified locations. General curb-loading rules follow the county's Article 18 traffic provisions rather than a separate loading-zone permit code.
Baltimore County zoning bars commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight from being parked on residential lots beyond immediate use, and county code prohibits parking commercial vehicles on public roads in residential zones.
Baltimore County does not authorize residents to paint curbs to reserve parking; only official traffic markings control curb use. The county sets no residential curb-painting ordinance, so official signs and painted curbs govern, backed by Maryland traffic law.
Under Maryland law applied in Baltimore County, only a plug-in electric drive vehicle that is plugged into charging equipment may park in a designated EV charging space. Violators face a $100 civil penalty.
Baltimore County requires a building permit for any fence taller than 42 inches. Fences 42 inches and under generally need no permit. Apply through the Office of Permits, Approvals and Inspections (Zoning Review), Towson.
Beyond height, Baltimore County requires fences to sit on the owner's property, keep out of easements and rights-of-way, and meet corner sight-triangle limits. At a street corner, fences or plantings within the sight triangle may not exceed 3 feet.
A residential fence may not be built in your rear or side yard where it adjoins a neighbor's front yard, and within 10 feet of that front-yard property line the fence may not exceed 42 inches. This does not apply if the homes are over 200 feet apart.
In unincorporated Baltimore County, residential fences may be up to 42 inches (3.5 feet) in a front yard and 6 feet in a side or rear yard. A fence may reach 10 feet if set back 2 feet horizontally per vertical foot above 6 feet.
Baltimore County requires a building permit for all retaining walls over three feet high. Walls four feet or higher also require a Retaining Wall Data Sheet. Apply through Permits, Approvals and Inspections.
Baltimore County allows common fence materials (wood, vinyl, chain-link, masonry) with no aesthetic material ban, but requires them to be safe: no sharp points or jagged edges that could injure, and sharp pickets are barred on fences under four feet high.
Barbed wire is allowed only on top of fences more than 6 feet 9 inches high (or on farms for livestock). Electric fences are permitted only on farms to retain livestock. Fences may not have sharp points or jagged edges that could injure people or animals.
Baltimore County Code 12-2-402 lets a person keep hens on an owner-occupied lot under one acre only with a license from Permits, Approvals and Inspections, consistent with Zoning Regulations §§100.6 and 418. Roosters are banned on lots under one acre.
Baltimore County Code 12-7-101 bars keeping a wild animal on your premises for any purpose without the Health Officer's approval. A permit issued by Permits, Approvals and Inspections requires all applicable state and federal permits. Maryland also bans dangerous exotics like big cats and primates.
Baltimore County Code 12-3-110 prohibits owners from letting any animal run at large. Off its owner's premises, a dog must be controlled by a leash, cord, or chain. Exceptions cover permitted private property, hunting, and designated county dog parks.
Baltimore County's animal code (Article 12) sets no beekeeping rules. Honeybees are regulated by the state: Maryland's Apiary Inspection Law requires beekeepers to register colonies annually with the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Hive placement follows county zoning and nuisance rules.
Baltimore County has no flat cap on pets, but its code defines a 'fancier' as anyone owning more than three dogs or cats for noncommercial purposes. Keeping more than three, or breeding/boarding for a fee, triggers fancier-kennel or holding-facility licensing and zoning compliance.
Baltimore County Code Article 12 contains no breed-specific ban and does not single out pit bulls. Maryland's 2014 legislation reversed the 2012 court ruling that had imposed strict liability on pit-bull owners, so no breed is banned or presumed dangerous countywide.
Baltimore County Code defines livestock as cattle, sheep, swine, goats, or horses. Keeping livestock is governed by the Zoning Regulations (stabling/pasturing under BCZR §100.6) and lot size; the animal code requires that stables and outbuildings be kept free of offensive filth and stench.
Baltimore County's animal code sets no specific prohibition on feeding wildlife such as deer. Feeding that draws animals or creates unsanitary or nuisance conditions can be cited under the county's public-nuisance and waste provisions, and Maryland DNR regulates deer feeding statewide.
Baltimore County requires cats over four months to be licensed and vaccinated against rabies (12-5-102). Cats count toward the three-animal 'fancier' threshold. A female cat in heat may not be left outdoors, and the code recognizes a Trap-Neuter-Return feral-cat program.
Baltimore County has no ordinance named 'hoarding,' but Article 12's cruelty, care, and sanitation rules cover it. Owners must supply wholesome food and water, keep stables and outbuildings free of filth and stench, and may not cruelly treat or neglect animals. Overcrowding can trigger seizure.
Private-yard trees generally need no county trimming permit, but any tree in the public right-of-way ('roadside tree') may not be cut or trimmed without a permit from the Maryland DNR Forest Service, and the work must use a Licensed Tree Expert.
Maryland has no year-round mandatory watering ban; restrictions follow drought conditions set by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). As of 2026, much of Maryland is under a drought warning, and water conservation is requested but voluntary.
Baltimore County has no ordinance banning residential artificial turf. Installation is governed by general zoning, lot-coverage, and stormwater rules, since turf over an impermeable base can count toward impervious surface and affect drainage requirements.
Removing a tree on your own private lot generally needs no county permit. Removing a roadside/right-of-way tree requires a Maryland DNR permit, and clearing forest during development triggers the Maryland Forest Conservation Act (Article 33, Title 6).
Rain barrels and rainwater harvesting are legal in Baltimore County and encouraged as stormwater best-management practices. Maryland has no statute banning rainwater collection; the county and state offer rebates and credits for on-site stormwater capture.
Home backyard composting is allowed in Baltimore County and supported through the Bureau of Solid Waste Management. The county collects yard trim (leaves, grass, brush) separately for composting and prohibits placing yard waste in the regular trash in many areas.
Baltimore County Code 13-7-401 prohibits letting grass, weeds, or other rank vegetation grow taller than 8 inches. On complaint the county cites the owner, and if not cut to 3 inches or less the county may mow and bill.
Baltimore County's weed ordinance (Code 13-7-401) bars grass, weeds, or other rank vegetation over 8 inches tall. Noxious weeds are separately regulated statewide. Enforcement is complaint-based, with county abatement if the owner fails to cut.
Native and pollinator plantings are permitted in Baltimore County and encouraged for Bay-friendly landscaping, but tall native beds must still respect the 8-inch weed-height rule unless they qualify as an exempt or managed natural landscape without noxious weeds.
Baltimore County limits home-occupation signage in residence zones to a total of two square feet in area, not projecting more than one foot beyond the building, and not illuminated. Professional-office nameplates are likewise capped at two square feet.
In-home daycare in Baltimore County is regulated by the State (MSDE) under COMAR 13A.15. An individual may not operate a family child care home without a valid certificate of registration, and total capacity may not exceed eight children, of whom no more than four may be under age 2.
The Baltimore County Zoning Regulations (BCZR) permit a home occupation as an accessory use in residence zones. It must keep no stock in trade sold on the premises, employ no one other than resident family members or servants, and use no mechanical equipment beyond ordinary household use.
Cottage food is governed by the State, not Baltimore County. Under COMAR 10.15.03.27, a cottage food business may sell non-potentially hazardous homemade foods made in a private home kitchen without a Maryland Department of Health license, but only within Maryland and directly to consumers or retail stores.
Baltimore County requires a Zoning Home Occupation Use Permit affidavit, filed with the Director of Permits, Approvals & Inspections, for a home occupation tied to a Traders License. The applicant affirms the home is a mailing address only, with no on-site inventory, deliveries, or customer traffic.
Baltimore County requires a building permit for all in-ground pools (which also need a code-compliant fence), and for above-ground pools over 250 square feet with a water depth of 24 inches or more. Permits are issued by the Department of Permits, Approvals & Inspections (PAI).
Where a dwelling wall forms part of the pool barrier, Baltimore County requires doors with direct pool access to have a UL 2017-listed audible alarm. Pools must sit at least 10 feet from overhead electrical wires (NEC 680.9) and comply with mandatory energy-savings measures under the 2015 IECC.
Above-ground pools in Baltimore County need a building permit when over 250 square feet with water 24 inches or more deep. Where access is by ladder or steps, the ladder or steps must be secured, locked, or removed to prevent access, per Section 3109.4.1.9 of the 2015 IBC.
Baltimore County has no separate private hot-tub ordinance; private spas follow the same building/barrier code as pools. Public and semipublic spas are regulated by Maryland COMAR 10.17.01, which requires compliance with the American National Standard for Public Spas and a certified operator.
Baltimore County requires every residential pool to be completely enclosed by a fence at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates that open outward away from the pool. Openings must not pass a four-inch sphere, and the fence must support a 200-pound lateral load at the top.
A Baltimore County building permit is required for any shed, gazebo, or accessory structure larger than 120 square feet. The structure must sit in the rear yard, be set back at least 2.5 feet from side and rear lot lines, and cannot exceed 15 feet in height.
Baltimore County has no separate tiny-home zoning category. A tiny house on a permanent foundation can qualify only as an accessory apartment in a detached accessory building under BCZR 400.4, capped at 1,200 sq ft (1+ acre) or 800 sq ft (smaller lots), family-occupied, with a Special Hearing.
A detached garage is an accessory structure subject to BCZR Section 400: it must be subordinate in area to the house, sit in the rear yard, and meet the 15-foot height and 2.5-foot setback rules. Converting one to living space triggers an accessory-apartment Use Permit.
Baltimore County allows an accessory apartment as a temporary use in an owner-occupied single-family home or accessory building. It requires a Use Permit, must house only family members, cannot have separate meters, and must be renewed every two years.
In Baltimore County a carport is an accessory structure. If it is attached to the dwelling by an open projection such as a deck, porch, or patio, it must meet the principal dwelling setbacks, not the more lenient accessory-building setbacks in BCZR Sections 400.1 and 400.2.
Charcoal and wood smokers are treated as open-flame cooking devices. At single-family homes they are allowed as attended cooking fires; at apartments and condos they may not be used or stored on balconies or within 15 feet of the building.
At one- and two-family homes, grilling is generally allowed with normal precautions. At apartments and condos, no gas, charcoal, or electric grill may be used or stored on a balcony, patio, under an overhang, or within 15 feet of the building.
In the county's Density Residential zones, the maximum building height for dwellings is generally 50 feet, rising to 60 feet in the higher-density D.R.16 zone. Detached residential accessory structures (sheds, garages) are limited to 15 feet.
In the county's Density Residential (D.R.) zones, single-family detached dwellings must meet minimum setbacks set in the BCZR tables — typically about 25 feet front and 30 feet rear in D.R.1–D.R.16, with side setbacks scaled to building height. Accessory structures need 2.5 feet from side and rear lines.
Baltimore County does not use a single flat lot-coverage percentage. In Density Residential (D.R.) zones, development is controlled mainly by maximum gross density (dwelling units per acre) and open-space standards set in the BCZR tables and the county's Comprehensive Manual of Development Policies.
In Baltimore County, vacant lots must be kept free of overgrown weeds and dumped material. The 8-inch weed limit and nuisance rules apply to vacant land, and accessory structures are not permitted on a vacant lot under the County Zoning Regulations.
In Baltimore County, an owner may not create or allow a nuisance on their property that is detrimental to public health, safety, welfare, or the environment. County Code Section 13-7-112 governs; Code Enforcement can order abatement and impose a civil penalty up to $1,000 plus removal costs.
Baltimore County's Weed Ordinance bars an owner or occupant from allowing grass, weeds, or other rank vegetation to exceed 8 inches in height (County Code Section 13-7-401). After notice you have days to cut to 3 inches, or the County mows it and charges you.
Baltimore County Code Section 13-4-201 requires all solid waste to be kept in approved receptacles and all garbage to be stored in rodent-resistant, watertight containers with tight-fitting lids. Premises must be kept free from accumulations of improperly stored solid waste.
Baltimore County allows a home owner or resident two private garage or yard sales per year as an accessory use in a residential zone, each no longer than a weekend, with no outside exhibitors. The rule flows from Section 101 of the Baltimore County Zoning Regulations.
Baltimore County trash and recycling must be set out the evening before collection, but set-outs before 6 p.m. the evening before are prohibited. Containers go at the curb in front of your property, or within 5 feet of the alley where alley collection is designated.
Baltimore County provides at least one bulk collection per year to each single-family home and town home, with a limit of three bulk items per collection. Residents may also self-haul bulk items to a County drop-off facility (up to six free trips per year).
Baltimore County's Bureau of Solid Waste Management provides once-a-week trash and once-a-week single-stream recycling collection to all single-family homes and town homes, using private collectors authorized and supervised by the County. Some areas get a second weekly trash collection.
Baltimore County collects mixed paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass together as single-stream recycling. Recyclables must not be set out in plastic bags of any type or color, which would jam the sorting facility; set-outs are limited to sturdy containers no over 45 gallons/45 pounds.
Baltimore County prohibits open dumps on any land and bars depositing garbage, filth, or solid waste on any highway, alley, lot, or waterway (County Code Sections 13-4-104 and 13-4-105). Maryland's Litter Control Law adds criminal penalties up to $1,500 for smaller dumps.
Temporary political and campaign signs on private residential property in Baltimore County are regulated under BCZR Section 450 and its Table of Sign Regulations. Signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way, and content-neutral size and duration limits apply.
Baltimore County permits a homeowner two garage or yard sales per year as an accessory use, each no longer than a weekend. Sale signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way, and no other exhibitors may sell items on the property.
Baltimore County limits light trespass through the Zoning Regulations' performance standards. Adjacent residential uses are protected by a footcandle cap at the shared property line, so exterior lighting must be aimed and shielded to keep light from crossing onto neighbors' land.
Baltimore County has no formal dark-sky lighting ordinance. Outdoor lighting is instead controlled through the Baltimore County Zoning Regulations' performance and glare standards and sign-illumination rules, which limit light and glare that spills onto neighboring residential property.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Baltimore County ordinances.