Prince George's County, MD Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Advance notice required
- 10 working days
- Approving official
- Director, Public Works and Transportation
- Required document
- traffic control plan
- Neighbor consent
- needed from affected property owners
- Noncompliance result
- immediate permit revocation
Summary
Anyone who wants to close a Prince George's County road for a block party or other event needs written permission from the Director of Public Works and Transportation at least 10 working days ahead of time. The request must include a traffic control plan and proof that neighbors who would lose access have agreed to the closure.
No person, except as otherwise specifically permitted by law, shall close a County road without first obtaining the permission of the Director of Public Works and Transportation. ... A request from any person to temporarily close any road or any part thereof must be submitted in writing to the Department of Public Works and Transportation not less than ten (10) working days in advance of the date of the proposed closing. ... Failure of the requester to comply with any condition of the written permission for temporary closing shall result in immediate revocation of the permission, and the Director of Public Works and Transportation may require the roadway to be restored to a safe condition and to be reopened to public use immediately.
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 23-162(a) requires that 'no person, except as otherwise specifically permitted by law, shall close a County road without first obtaining the permission of the Director of Public Works and Transportation,' with the request submitted in whatever format the Director specifies. Section 23-162(b) lets the Director authorize temporary closures for road construction, utility work, 'or for similar activities,' a category the Department applies to community events like block parties.
Section 23-162(d) requires the written request at least 10 working days before the proposed closing, waivable in an emergency, and it must include an explanation of the event or work requiring the closure, the exact location and limits, the date, time and duration, a traffic control plan covering signs, barricades and alternate routes, and 'evidence of permission from any property owner or tenant who will be temporarily denied access to his property.'
Section 23-162(c) protects residents' access: no temporary closing can deny anyone legal access to their property without their permission, and closures cannot interrupt through traffic on a primary, collector or arterial road unless the Director finds an acceptable alternate route or a short enough interruption that it will not cause unreasonable inconvenience.
Once granted, Section 23-162(f) lets the Director attach conditions to the written permission, which the requester must acknowledge in writing and follow for the full closure period. Section 23-162(g) makes clear that failing to comply with any condition results in immediate revocation, and the Director can require the road be restored to a safe condition and reopened right away.
Violations & Fines
Section 23-162(g) states that failure of the requester to comply with any condition of the written permission for a temporary closing 'shall result in immediate revocation of the permission,' and the Director of Public Works and Transportation may require the road to be restored to a safe condition and reopened to public use immediately. Closing a County road without first getting that written permission is itself a violation of Section 23-162(a)'s permit requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead do I need to apply for a block party road closure?
Do I need my neighbors' permission to close the street for a party?
What happens if I don't follow the conditions of my road closure permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince George's County
Compare Prince George's County to another location·View the Maryland special events & permits overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.