Queen Anne's County, MD Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Section 18:1-53 governs temporary uses in unincorporated Queen Anne's County. Subsection A permits temporary uses only as expressly provided in the section, and subsection B bars establishing one unless a zoning certificate has first been issued as provided in Part 7, Article XXIV, of Chapter 18:1. Subsection D(3) then lists events of public interest among the permitted temporary uses: they are permitted in any district, and the printed examples are outdoor concerts, auctions, and tractor pulls. The phrase "include, but are not limited to" keeps the list open ended.

The Planning Director issues zoning certificates. Under § 18:1-138C, the Director issues one where the purpose involves only the use of land, buildings, or structures, after investigating them and determining that a certificate is authorized. Under § 18:1-138D, the owner is responsible for notifying the Director when an inspection is needed, and under § 18:1-138E the Director must promptly notify the owner of any reasons for refusal and specify a time within which the matters in the notice are to be completed. Signs connected with a temporary use are not permitted except in accordance with § 18:1-82.

Other temporary uses in the same section carry fixed permit lengths: 45 days for Christmas tree sales and one year for contractor offices and real estate sales offices. Subsection D(3) prints no permit length for events of public interest.

A separate track applies to special events at bed-and-breakfasts, on farms, and on single-family residential properties in the Agricultural (AG) and Countryside (CS) Zones. Those need conditional use approval under § 18:1-95T, a parcel of at least 20 acres, a location at least 250 feet from the nearest residence on adjacent property, compliance with the Queen Anne's County Health Department and Fire Marshal, and a special events zoning certificate issued annually pursuant to § 18:1-138. Outside the Resource Conservation Area the Board of Appeals sets the annual number of events and the hours. Inside it, the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area chapter caps events at 20, 25, or 35 per calendar year depending on parcel size, and an event has a maximum of two consecutive days consisting of 48 hours.