Charles County, MD Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Baseline MPDU share (AC/RC/RR/RV)
- 12% of units
- Baseline MPDU share (RL/RM/RH etc.)
- 15% of units
- Density-bonus MPDU floor
- 12.5% minimum
- Maximum MPDU share
- 75% at full bonus
- Enforcement tool
- Zoning Officer withholds permits
- Governing section
- § 297-243
Summary
Charles County lets residential developments exceed base zoning density in exchange for Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs) under Zoning Ordinance § 297-243. Any project using the density bonus authorized by § 297-75 must set aside a minimum of 12.5% MPDUs, and that share climbs on a defined percentage scale as the achieved density bonus grows, up to 75% MPDUs at the maximum bonus the County Commissioners will approve.
When the development at one location is in a residential zone in which a density bonus is provided and is covered by a plan of subdivision, is covered by a plan of development or a site plan or requires a building permit to be issued for construction, the required number of moderately priced dwelling units is a variable percentage that is not less than 12.5% of the total number of dwelling units at that location. With the exceptions contained in the MPDU Program regulations, the required number of MPDUs must vary according to the amount by which the approved development exceeds the base density for the zone in which it is located. Article V, § 297-75, permits bonus densities over the base density where MPDUs are provided. The amount of density bonus achieved in the approved development determines the percentage of total units that must be MPDUs, as follows:
Full Breakdown
Article XV of the Zoning Ordinance sets Charles County's Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) program. Section 297-242A sets the baseline: developments in the AC, RC, RR or RV Zones must make at least 12% of their units MPDUs, while projects in the RL, RM, RH, PRD, MX, CER, CRR, CMR, WC or AUC Zones must hit 15%. 0% if the County Commissioners approve a full project and density bonus up to 100%. Developers must submit a written MPDU agreement, approved by the Deputy County Administrator for Community Services and the County Attorney, before final subdivision or site plan approval on any project of 50 or more dwellings, per § 297-242D.
The staging plan must build MPDUs alongside or ahead of market-rate units under § 297-242E, and certified covenants recording the MPDU restrictions must be filed in the land records and presented to the Zoning Officer before a final plat or site plan is approved, or the submittal is treated as incomplete under § 297-242G.
Violations & Fines
Charles County enforces the MPDU staging requirement through permit leverage rather than fines. Under § 297-242F, if a developer fails to build the required MPDUs along with or before the market-rate units in its approved staging plan, the Zoning Officer may withhold any later zoning permits for that project until the MPDUs called for in the plan are actually built, stopping further construction phases cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Charles County development have to include MPDUs?
What is the highest MPDU percentage the density bonus can require?
What happens if MPDUs aren't built on schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charles County
Compare Charles County to another location·View the Maryland zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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