# Subtitle 23 – Pole License Fee

Current through 2026-07-17. Source: City of Balt., Md., Ord. 26-129. Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.

## § 23-1 Scope of subtitle.

Balt., Md., Code art. 28, § 23-1 (2026)

It is hereby declared that nothing contained in this subtitle shall be deemed or held to apply to any pole bearing a public lamp or lamp used to light any street, lane, or alley, or other public place in the City.

*History: Ord. 1894-089*

## § 23-2 Identification and report.

Balt., Md., Code art. 28, § 23-2 (2026)

All persons and corporations having, using, or maintaining any telegraph, telephone, electric light, or other poles in any of the streets, lanes, or alleys of the City of Baltimore, shall:

(1) annually, between May 15 and June 1, in each and every year, file with the Director of Transportation a list of all poles so used, possessed, or maintained by them, giving the accurate locations of each pole; and

(2) shall also have stamped, painted, or printed, in legible characters, their name as owner upon each of such poles.

*History: Ord. 1893-086*

*History: Ord. 76-141*

*History: Ord. 15-435*

## § 23-3 Registration, fees, etc.

Balt., Md., Code art. 28, § 23-3 (2026)

(a) Annually in the 1<sup>st</sup> week of January, all persons or corporations shall pay to the Director of Finance a fee of $50 for each and every telephone, electric light, or other pole used, possessed, or maintained by them in any of the streets, lanes, or alleys of the City of Baltimore, except trolley poles used exclusively for stringing thereon wires for use in the propulsion, by electricity, of street passenger cars.

(b) Upon receiving the above fee in January, 1948, and subsequent years:

  (1) the Director of Finance shall deliver to the person or corporation paying the same a permanent metal plate, with a plain and conspicuous number thereon, to be provided in the manner prescribed in § 23-4, only for such poles for which permanent metal plates have not been issued prior thereto;

  (2) the Director of Finance shall also keep a record of the name of the person or corporation to whom the license is issued, and the number of poles for which license fees are paid; and

  (3) he shall also deliver to such person or corporation a certificate that such person or corporation has paid the required license fee for that year, on the specified number of poles, and that permanent metal plates of the given numbers have been issued therefor.

(c) Such person or corporation shall then have 1 of such permanent metal plates securely fastened in some conspicuous place upon each of the poles used, possessed, or maintained by it or him.

*History: Ord. 1893-086*

*History: Ord. 25-533*

*History: Ord. 47-104*

*History: Ord. 70-865*

*History: Ord. 84-164*

*History: Ord. 90-514*

## § 23-4 Metal plates.

Balt., Md., Code art. 28, § 23-4 (2026)

(a) It shall be the duty of the Director of Finance on or before January 1, 1926, to purchase a sufficient number of permanent metal plates, numbered with plain conspicuous numbers, beginning with a given number for each person or corporation required to license its poles as hereinafter provided, and so on progressively, and on or before January 1, 1927, and subsequent years, to purchase a sufficient number of permanent metal plates, beginning with the number next succeeding that last issued to any person or corporation, or with a given number, if the person or corporation has had no licensed poles during 1926 or subsequent years, said permanent metal plates to be furnished as prescribed in § 23-3 to the persons or corporations using, possessing, or maintaining telegraph, telephone, electric light, or other poles other than trolley poles used exclusively for stringing wires thereon for use in the propulsion, by electricity, of street passenger cars.

(b) The Director of Finance shall cause such permanent metal plates to display the initials or some other symbol denoting the person or corporation to which they are issued; the said plates to be of suitable size and description, in the discretion of the Director of Finance and to be paid for out of the appropriation for general licenses.

(c) Provided that in the event any licensee shall replace any pole with another, he may transfer the license to such other pole.

(d) And provided, further, that the Director of Finance may purchase and furnish without cost to the licensee, duplicate metal plates whenever in his judgment those in use have become illegible through natural wear and tear.

*History: Ord. 1893-086*

*History: Ord. 25-533*

*History: Ord. 76-141*

## § 23-5 Removal of noncomplying poles.

Balt., Md., Code art. 28, § 23-5 (2026)

All telegraph, telephone, electric light, and other poles in any of the streets, lanes, and alleys of the City (except trolley poles used exclusively for wires used in the propulsion of street passenger cars):

(1) which have not been included in any list filed in accordance with § 23-2 with the Director of Transportation; or

(2) upon which the name of the owner is not legibly painted, printed, or stamped; or

(3) upon which the license fee has not been paid; or

(4) on which the prescribed tin plate is not securely fastened in some conspicuous place,
on or before June 15 in any year, shall be forthwith removed by its owner and, in default thereof, may be cut or taken down and removed from the streets by the Director of Transportation, in addition to the owner incurring the penalties provided in <cite data-path="|28|§23-7">§ 23-7 of this subtitle</cite>.

*History: Ord. 1893-086*

*History: Ord. 76-141*

*History: Ord. 15-435*

## § 23-6

Balt., Md., Code art. 28, § 23-6 (2026)

Reserved

## § 23-7 Criminal penalties.

Balt., Md., Code art. 28, § 23-7 (2026)

Any person or persons, or corporation using, possessing, or maintaining any telegraph, telephone, electric light, or other poles in any of the streets, lanes, and alleys of the City:

(1) who fails to file a list of these poles with the Director of Transportation, as prescribed in <cite data-path="|28|§23-2">§ 23-2 of this subtitle</cite>;

(2) who fails to have stamped, printed, or painted in legible characters, the owner’s name on each of these poles, as prescribed in<cite data-path="|28|§23-2">§ 23-2 of this subtitle</cite>;

(3) who, as required by <cite data-path="|28|§23-3">§ 23-3 of this subtitle</cite>:

  (i) fails to pay the prescribed fee for each pole; or

  (ii) fails to have the prescribed tin plate securely fastened in some conspicuous place

*History: Ord. 1983-086*

*History: Ord. 76-141*

*History: Ord. 15-435*