Annapolis, MD Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted
- Ord. No. O-10-24, 4-14-2025
- General hours
- 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily
- Sidewalk café permit
- 1 year, via City Clerk
- Seasonal lot dining
- Special exception, Planning & Zoning
- Idle permit
- Revocable after 30 days unused
Summary
Annapolis requires a City permit or lease for all outdoor dining, sidewalk cafés, street cafés, and seasonal parking lot dining, under the permanent Chapter 7.35 ordinance adopted in 2025 to replace the earlier pandemic-era pilot program.
A person shall not construct, maintain, use or operate outdoor dining without first obtaining a permit or lease, as provided in this chapter. Outdoor dining shall operate only as authorized under this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2025 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 7.35, adopted April 14, 2025 (Ord. No. O-10-24), replaced Annapolis's temporary COVID-era Outdoor Dining Pilot Program with a permanent framework. Restaurants may run three permit types, sidewalk cafés (Public Works, one-year permits May 1 to April 30), street cafés (Public Works, up to nine months), and seasonal parking lot dining (Planning and Zoning, requiring a Chapter 21.26 special exception), but only after the City issues a permit or lease; none may operate on the strength of a zoning approval alone. General hours run 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., extended to 11 p.m. near Market House Plaza. Historic district restaurants must follow the Historic District Design Manual as reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission, and a permit lapses if the space sits unused 30 consecutive days.
Violations & Fines
Operating outdoor dining without the required permit or lease, or breaching chapter terms, is a municipal infraction carrying a citation and a Council-set fine plus costs; permits and leases are also revocable for cause, including a second chapter conviction within 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Annapolis restaurants need a permit for outdoor dining?
What are the standard outdoor dining hours in Annapolis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Annapolis
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