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

Section 22.24 of the Washington County Zoning Ordinance controls outdoor advertising signs, commonly called billboards. Since November 16, 2004, no new outdoor advertising sign may be erected unless a lawfully erected sign is removed first, Section 22.24(c)(1), and a new sign cannot go up outside the urban or town growth boundaries of the Comprehensive Plan, or within 1,000 feet of the centerline of nine listed corridors, including U.S. Route 40/MD 144, U.S. Alternate Route 40, MD 65, MD 34, MD 63, U.S. Route 340, MD 60, MD 67 and MD 68, or in the RT, RS, RU, RM or MX residential zoning districts, Section 22.24(c)(2).

Those same corridors become priority-removal zones for existing nonconforming billboards under Section 22.24(c)(3). A legal sign face cannot exceed 300 square feet, with cumulative area on one structure capped at 600 square feet, height cannot exceed 30 feet measured from the lowest adjacent road grade, and no more than two faces are allowed, mounted back to back unless the Planning Commission approves up to a 45-degree modification, Section 22.24(c)(4)-(6). New billboards may only be erected in the BL, BG, HI, PI, IR and IG zoning districts, Section 22.24(c)(10), and each application requires a site plan under Section 4.11 that maps every existing sign within 1,000 feet and includes photo simulations of the proposed structure, Section 22.24(b)(3). Signs cannot be placed on trailers, utility poles or fences, and mobile billboards are prohibited outright under Section 22.24(d).