Baltimore County Zoning
What is Zoning?
Zoning is a system of land use regulation that controls the physical development of land. It is a legal mechanism by which local government is able to regulate an owner’s right to use privately owned land for the sake of protecting the public health, safety, and/or general welfare.
Land is mapped into different zones with the primary purpose of promoting compatible land uses and to separate incompatible uses.
Decisions regarding how land is zoned are determined, in part, by the County’s master plan, which lays out broad policies to implement a shared vision for the future, and adopted community plans.
Zoning Basics provides an introduction to Baltimore County's zoning processes. Changing the Zoning Map describes the procedures for making modifications to County zoning. A Citizen’s Guide to Planning and Zoning is a PDF document that provides greater detail about county zoning.
County Adopts Computerized Zoning Format
The Baltimore County Council adopted Bill 72-04 on July 6, 2004 shifting the authority of the official zoning maps from hand-drafted maps to an electronic version, called the zoning geodatabase. All references in the County Code were updated. The County zoning geodatabase is available for purchase by the public. For more information please contact the GIS Services Unit at 410-887-2233.
My Neighborhood Interactive Map
The My Neighborhood Interactive Map allows users to search for properties, view the zoning, view aerial photography, create custom printable maps and obtain owner information.
Upon the first visit to My Neighborhood, users will be directed to download a one-time Silverlight plug-in directly from Microsoft via a link. If you are using an Apple MAC OS X and need to install Silverlight, do not use the install link provided on the application page. Instead, use the following link to install the proper plug-in: http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherproducts.mspx
Revised June 24, 2011
