Allegany County, MD Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Under § 360-137B, an on-site or directional commercial sign generally has to meet the setback rules of § 360-128 and the maximum height set for the underlying use in § 360-126's Table 2, the same cap that applies to the building itself. Section 360-137C carves out a freeway-facing exception to that cap: a commercial on-site sign in the B-1, B-2, GU or I District can be built up to 72.5 feet tall, provided it sits within 2,000 feet of the centerlines of Interstate 68's eastbound and westbound drive lanes.

The code is explicit that this exception is not a starting point for further relief: it states that a modification under § 360-63B(4), the general zoning-modification provision, does not apply to the 72.5-foot sign height, so a sign along I-68 cannot be built any taller than that number through a variance request. The 72.5-foot allowance exists specifically for signage, not for buildings; a structure on the same freeway-adjacent lot still tops out at whatever Table 2 or the special setback and height requirements in § 360-128 assign to its use.

Billboards fall under a separate rule at § 360-137H, which ties billboard height to the major-commercial-use figure in § 360-126 (40 feet) and applies the § 360-128 setback rather than the freeway sign exception, so an off-site billboard near I-68 does not get the 72.5-foot allowance even if it sits within the same 2,000-foot band.