Howard County, MD Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Interstate setback
- 660 feet from right-of-way
- Other road setback
- 200 feet from right-of-way
- Property line setback
- 100 feet
- Permit
- Board of Appeals special permit, 1-year max
- Where allowed
- unimproved industrial/manufacturing land only
- Max height
- 20 feet, up to 40 feet by variance
Summary
Howard County keeps freeway-facing billboards out of most of the county: they are permitted only as temporary, special-permit uses on unimproved industrial land, and must sit at least 660 feet from any interstate right-of-way, 100 feet from any property line, and 200 feet from any other street or road, under Code § 3.507.
(a)General. Outdoor advertising structures, billboards and poster panels (referred to as billboards), which advertise products or businesses not connected with the site on which they are located, shall be permitted only as temporary uses on unimproved property in industrial or manufacturing districts. Erection of billboards may be authorized only by a special permit issued by the Board of Appeals. The maximum period for which such permits may be issued is one year...(b)Location. No billboard shall be closer than 100 feet to any property line, nor located closer than 660 feet to the right-of-way line of any highway which is part of the interstate highway system, nor closer than 200 feet to the right-of-way of any other street or road.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 91 | Zoning: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
507 treats billboards, meaning outdoor advertising structures unconnected to the business on the site, as a disfavored, temporary use rather than an ordinary sign. They may only be erected on unimproved property in industrial or manufacturing districts, and only after the Board of Appeals issues a special permit good for a maximum of one year; renewal is barred except for billboards that carry directional information to a historic site. The location standard in subsection (b) is where the freeway-facing rule lives: no billboard can be closer than 660 feet to the right-of-way of any interstate highway, closer than 200 feet to the right-of-way of any other street or road, or closer than 100 feet to any property line, whichever is more restrictive on a given site.
Height is separately capped at 20 feet from grade, though the Board of Appeals can approve up to 40 feet where grade, buildings, or bridges genuinely obstruct visibility. A billboard is limited to two faces and 500 square feet per facing. 507.
Violations & Fines
The Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits must order removal of any billboard erected or maintained in violation of section 3.507, giving the owner ten days' written notice under subsection 3.511(d) before the County removes it and bills the owner for the cost, which becomes a lien on the property. A billboard sited within the 660-foot interstate buffer without a valid Board of Appeals permit is also a misdemeanor punishable by a $250 to $500 fine under subsection 3.512(c), or a Class C civil offense assessed for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far from a Howard County highway does a billboard have to be?
Can anyone put up a freeway billboard in Howard County?
What size can a Howard County billboard be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Howard County
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