Data Centers & Crypto Mining in Maryland (2026)
9 rules on the books across Maryland, 6 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Data Center Zoning & Siting
Where data centers may be built, including the zoning districts that allow them, conditional-use-permit requirements, residential setback and buffer distances, and lot-size or acreage minimums.
Harford County
Heavy RestrictionsHarford County Code § 267-8J bans data centers outright: they are prohibited in all zoning districts, with no exception…
Read full rule →Gaithersburg
Significant RestrictionsGaithersburg allows data centers and cryptocurrency-mining facilities only as a conditional use in the I-1 Light…
Read full rule →Anne Arundel County
Some RestrictionsData storage centers in the BWI/Fort Meade Growth Area need 25+ acres and must meet setbacks up to 100 feet from…
Read full rule →Baltimore County
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County lets a data center or energy storage device locate in the R.C.5 Zone, including inside the Chesapeake…
Read full rule →Prince Georges County
Some RestrictionsPrince George's County's Zoning Ordinance treats a qualified data center as a principal use with its own site plan…
Read full rule →Data Center Noise Limits
Decibel caps on data-center cooling and backup-generator noise at the property line, how and when noise is measured, tighter nighttime limits, and how communities enforce them against continuous hum.
Baltimore County
Some RestrictionsA data center or energy storage device built under BCZR § 443.1 must comply with all state and local noise rules…
Read full rule →Prince Georges County
Some RestrictionsBefore Prince George's County will permit a qualified data center, Subtitle 27's Zoning Ordinance requires a…
Read full rule →Data Center Moratoriums
Temporary pauses or outright bans on new data-center development while a locality studies impacts, including moratorium length, what triggers one, and which projects are grandfathered in.
Crypto Mining Rules
Local ordinances aimed at cryptocurrency-mining operations, focused on noise nuisance, setbacks, and permitting, a fast-growing fight in rural counties near cheap power.