The appropriate county planning board shall approve or disapprove a subdivision plat within 30 days after the plat is submitted to the county planning board. If the county planning board does not take action in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection: the plat shall be considered approved; and the county planning board shall issue a certificate of approval on demand. An applicant may consent to an extension. A plat submitted to the county planning board shall contain the name and address of a person that may be sent notice of a hearing. The county planning board shall hold a hearing before taking action on a subdivision plat, unless: the county planning board approves the plat exactly as the plat was submitted by the applicant to the county planning board; or the applicant waives the hearing requirement in the application. At least 5 days before a hearing, the county planning board shall send notice of the hearing to the address included with the plat in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. Subdivision regulations may include provisions for: notice to owners of properties that would be substantially affected by approval of a subdivision plat; public hearings on the applications; and an appeal to the district council from a decision approving or disapproving a subdivision plat. The grounds for disapproval of a plat shall be stated on the records of the county planning board.

This section applies only in Montgomery County. The subdivision regulations shall provide that before the county planning board takes action on a preliminary subdivision plan, the plan shall be referred to the County Executive for a recommendation as to whether public facilities are adequate to support and service the area of the proposed subdivision. The County Executive shall return the preliminary subdivision plan to the county planning board with a recommendation of approval or disapproval based on: criteria developed by the County Executive and approved by the district council; and standards set forth in the county subdivision regulations. This subsection applies to property that: is located in a municipal corporation or governed special taxing district; or shares a common boundary line, or a part of a common boundary line, with property located entirely in a municipal corporation or governed district. This subsection does not apply to a municipal corporation that exercises zoning, planning, and subdivision authority under Division I of this article. The subdivision regulations and zoning law shall provide that, before any action is taken by the county planning board on an application for a preliminary subdivision plan, project plan, or site plan review for property described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, a copy of the application shall be referred promptly to the municipal corporation or governed district for review and comment. If the municipal corporation or governed district chooses to comment, the municipal corporation or governed district promptly shall forward its written comments to the county planning board. On referral of a preliminary plan proposing the resubdivision of residentially zoned property located in a municipal corporation or governed special taxing district, the municipal corporation or governed district shall make an initial determination whether to transmit a recommendation concerning the plan to the county planning board. If the municipal corporation or governed district chooses to transmit a recommendation, the municipal corporation or governed district shall: hold a hearing before it transmits the recommendation to the county planning board; and provide reasonable public notice of the hearing. A recommendation transmitted under this subsection shall: be in writing; and based on the record of the hearing, include all pertinent findings of fact and conclusions of law supporting the recommendation. A municipal corporation or governed district may recommend denial of a plan under this subsection only if the municipal corporation or governed district determines that the plan does not comply with a particular provision of the subdivision regulations. If a municipal corporation or governed district recommends denial of a plan, it shall transmit a written record of the hearing to the county planning board for inclusion in the record compiled by the county planning board. A municipal corporation or governed district shall be considered to have waived its right to make a recommendation under this subsection unless it transmits its written recommendation and complete record, if required, to the county planning board within 45 days after the delivery of the plan and application by the county planning board. A two–thirds majority vote of the members of the county planning board then present and participating is required to override a recommendation of a municipal corporation or governed district to deny a residential resubdivision application.

The county planning board may provide in the subdivision regulations for: a preapplication procedure; subdivision approval; and tentative or conditional approval or disapproval of preliminary plans.

This section applies only in Montgomery County. The subdivision regulations may: establish a time period within which the county planning board shall approve or disapprove a preapplication or preliminary plan submission; and provide that an applicant may: waive the time period within which the county planning board shall take action in accordance with item (1) of this subsection; and consent to an extension of the time period. A preapplication or preliminary plan submission that has not been approved or disapproved in accordance with this section is considered approved. If a preapplication or preliminary plan submission is considered to have been approved under this subsection, on demand, the county planning board shall issue a certificate of approval. If the county planning board disapproves a preapplication or preliminary plan submission, the county planning board shall: state the grounds for disapproval in the records of the county planning board; and mail, postage prepaid, a copy of the record stating the grounds for disapproval to all parties of record at their last address.

This section applies only in Prince George’s County. The county planning board shall approve or disapprove a preliminary subdivision plan within 70 days after the complete plan application is submitted to the county planning board. If the county planning board does not take action in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection: the plan shall be considered approved; and the county planning board shall issue a certificate of approval on demand. The 70–day time period under paragraph (1) of this subsection does not include: the month of August; or December 20 through January 3. Each office to which the county planning board refers a preliminary subdivision plan shall return to the county planning board one copy of the plan and any comments noted on it within 30 days after the referral. If an office does not reply in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection, the plan shall be considered to be approved by the office. An applicant may consent to an extension not greater than 70 days.

In Prince George’s County, the subdivision regulations may provide for: the classification of a subdivision as a major or minor subdivision; and a sketch plan that: in the case of a minor subdivision, may be approved by the planning director and filed as the record plat; and in the case of a major subdivision, may be required before the submission of a preliminary plan of subdivision.

Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the subdivision regulations may provide for tentative approval of a plat before improvements and installations. Tentative approval of a plat may not: be entered on the plat; or entitle the plat to be filed or recorded. Instead of requiring the completion of improvements or installation of utilities before the approval of a plat, the county planning board or county may accept security to secure the construction of improvements and installation of utilities at a time and according to specifications set by or in accordance with the subdivision regulations. The county planning board or county may enforce the security by any appropriate legal or equitable remedy. This subsection applies only in Montgomery County. The county planning board, or a designee of the county planning board, may tentatively approve a subdivision plat subject to the completion of specified conditions. A tentative approval of a subdivision plat under this subsection may not: be entered on the subdivision plat; or allow the subdivision plat to be filed or recorded. The county planning board, through its chair or a designee, may not endorse a subdivision plat that is subject to specified conditions before all the conditions are completed. If all the conditions specified in the tentative approval are completed, a postcompletion hearing before the county planning board is not required before the subdivision plat is approved and submitted to the land records of Montgomery County.