# Land Use (GLU)

## Title 12

### Subtitle 2

#### Section 12-201

(a)

  (1) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, the approval, conditional approval, or denial of a housing development project application by a local regulatory authority or the Commission shall be governed only by the duly adopted laws and regulations in effect at the time of submission of a complete application.

  (2)

    (i) Within 30 days after receipt of a housing development project application, a local regulatory authority or the Commission shall make a determination as to whether the application is a complete application.

    (ii) After making a determination under this paragraph, the local regulatory authority or the Commission shall:

      (1) promptly notify the applicant of the determination and the date of the determination; and

      (2) if the local regulatory authority or the Commission has determined that the application is not a complete application, provide the applicant with a list of deficiencies and a reasonable time frame for curing the deficiencies.

  (3) If a local regulatory authority or the Commission fails to notify an applicant of its determination regarding the completeness of a housing development application within 35 days after receipt of the application, the application is deemed to be a complete application for purposes of this section.

  (4)

    (i) When a local regulatory authority or the Commission requires approval of multiple housing development project applications for the completion of a housing development project, the date of a complete application submission under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be the date of the first complete application submission for any process that may culminate in the completion of a housing development project.

    (ii) A zoning text amendment, application for rezoning, or other local equivalent may not be considered as a process that may culminate in the completion of a housing development project.

(b) After a housing development project has received all required approvals, the proponent of the project shall have a vested right to that authorized use and development for the longer of:

  (1) 5 years; or

  (2) a period determined by the local regulatory authority or the Commission.

(c) For purposes of this section, each phase of a housing development project subject to a phased development plan shall be considered a discrete housing development project.

(d) This section may not be construed to:

  (1) subject to the vesting period in subsection (b) of this section, prevent the expiration of an approval of a housing development project application in accordance with the laws or regulations governing a local regulatory authority or the Commission; or

  (2) limit the ability of a local regulatory authority or the Commission to:

    (i) require approvals or permits for each phase of a housing development project subject to a phased development plan in accordance with the laws and regulations in effect at the time of submission of a complete application for each respective phase;

    (ii) enforce health and safety laws or regulations that are necessary to address immediate threats to public safety;

    (iii) execute a development rights and responsibilities agreement under Title 7, Subtitle 3 of this article; or

    (iv) approve a zoning text amendment, application for rezoning, or other local equivalent to increase the density of a housing development project beyond the maximum allowable amount at the time of complete application submission under subsection (a) of this section.

(e) The requirements of this section apply to a local regulatory authority and the Commission only to the extent that the requirements do not conflict with other State or federal laws or regulations.

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Md. Code Ann., Land Use (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)