Right to Farm in Maryland (2026)
20 rules on the books across Maryland, 12 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Farm Nuisance Protection
Whether established farms are shielded from nuisance lawsuits and from local ordinances that would restrict their operations.
Calvert County
Significant RestrictionsIn Calvert County outside Chesapeake Beach and North Beach, an agricultural or forestry operation that has run for a…
Read full rule →Montgomery County
Some RestrictionsMontgomery County requires sellers near agricultural zones to disclose that Maryland law shields farms operating over a…
Read full rule →Prince Georges County
Some RestrictionsA Prince George's County farm or forestry operation that has run for at least a year without being a nuisance, and that…
Read full rule →Queen Annes County
Some RestrictionsQueen Anne's County, Maryland bars a private action over an agricultural operation on agricultural land when the…
Read full rule →Washington County
Some RestrictionsA farm operating on agricultural land in Washington County cannot be sued as a nuisance for interfering with…
Read full rule →Wicomico County
Some RestrictionsWicomico County shields agricultural and commercial seafood operations on agricultural land from nuisance and trespass…
Read full rule →Baltimore County
Light RestrictionsBaltimore County's R.C.2 Agricultural Zone regulations protect working farms from nuisance complaints. Under BCZR…
Read full rule →Allegany County
Few RestrictionsSection 400-3 of the Allegany County Code protects agricultural operations from nuisance claims: a farm and its…
Read full rule →Anne Arundel County
Few RestrictionsAnne Arundel County agricultural operations have a defense against private nuisance lawsuits if they use accepted…
Read full rule →Howard County
Few RestrictionsHoward County's Right-To-Farm Act, Section 12.111, blocks nuisance lawsuits against established agricultural operations…
Read full rule →Agricultural Zoning Protection
State rules that limit how cities and counties may zone or restrict agricultural land uses, including livestock and crop operations.
Maryland: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsMaryland uses agricultural land preservation districts and county zoning to protect farmland, supplemented by state…
Read full rule →Anne Arundel County
Some RestrictionsCounty Code § 17-10-301 shields farms from private nuisance suits, and the RA – Rural Agricultural zoning district caps…
Read full rule →Queen Annes County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Queen Anne's County, the Agricultural (AG) District is written so that there is no basis under state…
Read full rule →Washington County
Some RestrictionsWashington County, Maryland's Right to Farm Ordinance bars nuisance and trespass lawsuits against a farm on…
Read full rule →Baltimore County
Light RestrictionsBaltimore County's Right to Farm rule shields agricultural operations in R.C.2 Zones from nuisance liability for noise…
Read full rule →Carroll County
Light RestrictionsCarroll County shields agricultural operations on agricultural land from nuisance lawsuits over normal farm impacts…
Read full rule →Worcester County
Light RestrictionsWorcester County Code § ZS 1-347 is the Worcester County Right to Farm Law. In unincorporated Worcester County…
Read full rule →Allegany County
Few RestrictionsAllegany County protects farmers inside its designated Agricultural Preservation Districts: normal farm uses, equipment…
Read full rule →Montgomery County
Few RestrictionsThe AR zone makes farming the preferred use on roughly a third of the county, protecting farm operations and machinery…
Read full rule →Prince Georges County
Few RestrictionsLand inside a Prince George's County Agricultural Preservation District keeps a guaranteed right to run farm machinery…
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