Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Maryland (2026)

Under Baltimore County Code Section 18-3-304, the Director of Public Works and Transportation can order the owner of…

Annapolis, not the abutting owner, repairs and reconstructs sidewalks on the right-of-way once the Director of Public…

The County Director can order the abutting property owner to repair or rebuild a sidewalk at the owner's own expense…

In Carroll County the owner, tenant, or occupant of the property fronting a public sidewalk, not the county, is…

Charles County's Road Ordinance splits sidewalk upkeep by location: the County maintains hiker-biker paths and…

Frederick puts sidewalk upkeep on the abutting property owner, not the city. City Code Section 22-24 requires owners…

Harford County's Department of Public Works orders grading, paving or repair of any defective sidewalk fronting private…

Howard County Code § 18.402 puts the duty to maintain sidewalks, driveway aprons, and abutting sod on the property…

Rockville property owners, not the City, must keep the public sidewalk abutting their lot in proper repair and free of…

Washington County can order the owner of abutting property to pave, repair, or maintain a public sidewalk, and can bill…

Charles County bans permanent or semi-permanent private structures in the road right-of-way, including fences…

Montgomery County bans placing objects, fences, or structures in the public right-of-way without a permit; the Director…

Prince George's County bans a specific list of signs and objects from its rights-of-way, including anything that blocks…

Annapolis bars obstructing any public street, alley, sidewalk or footway without a permit from the Director of Public…

Anne Arundel County bans obstructions in County roads, easements, and rights-of-way, and orders anyone who places one…

Baltimore County Code Section 18-2-501 bars a driver from entering an intersection, driving across a marked crosswalk…

Carroll County bars anyone from excavating a county road or right-of-way, or leaving dirt, equipment, machinery or a…

Frederick bars anyone from blocking a city sidewalk with boxes, barrels, tables, chairs, or merchandise. Downtown…

Harford County Code § 193-4 makes it unlawful to loiter, stand or remain idle in a public place so as to obstruct any…

Howard County Code § 18.400 empowers the County Council to adopt rules preventing "encroachment" and "obstruction" of…

Rockville prohibits obstructing or hindering the free passage of persons on any public street, sidewalk, or highway…

Annapolis bars steps, porches, bay windows and similar building parts from projecting more than one-quarter of the…

Gaithersburg City Code Sec. 19-9A requires a city permit before anyone obstructs, digs, excavates or builds in a public…

Anne Arundel County requires a Department of Public Works permit before anyone occupies, uses, or works in a county…

Before any public service corporation, company, or individual can build a main, conduit, pipe, or other structure in a…

Anyone wanting to grade, alter, or otherwise work on a Frederick public way, sidewalk, curb, or gutter needs a permit…

Any private work in a Montgomery County road right-of-way -- sidewalks, driveways, retaining walls, utility cuts…

Prince George's County requires a Department of Public Works and Transportation permit before any sign, structure, or…

Rockville requires a City Public Works permit before any private improvement, structure, or work goes into the City…

In unincorporated Wicomico County, anyone laying pipes, wires, gas lines, irrigation pipes, driveway improvements…