Title 9. Fire Protection and Prevention — Subtitle 7. Fire Prevention Codes of Counties and Municipal Corporations
Statutes in effect as of October 1, 2026.
Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety § 9-701 (2026)
Title 9. Fire Protection and Prevention
Subtitle 7. Fire Prevention Codes of Counties and Municipal Corporations
§ 9–701LinkCopy Citation
(a)
Subject to subsection (e) of this section, the local governing body of each county and the legislative body of each municipal corporation in the State may adopt by ordinance or resolution a fire prevention code to:
(1)
provide for protection against fires and the removal of fire hazards;
(2)
provide for the appointment of inspectors to enforce the fire prevention code; and
(3)
establish penalties for violation of the fire prevention code or an ordinance, resolution, or regulation for the prevention of fires or removal of fire hazards.
(b)
(1)
Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, a fire prevention code of a county or municipal corporation adopted under this section may incorporate by reference a code or part of a code prepared by a governmental unit or a trade or professional association for general distribution in printed form as a standard or model on any subject that relates to fire prevention, fire hazards, or flammable or dangerous substances.
(2)
An amendment to a standard or model code described in paragraph (1) of this subsection is not effective until specifically incorporated into the fire prevention code of the county or municipal corporation.
(c)
(1)
Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, the local governing body of a county or legislative body of a municipal corporation may not adopt a fire prevention code under this section until a summary of the proposal is published for at least 3 weeks in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the county or municipal corporation.
(2)
The summary shall specify the date for a public hearing on the proposal and shall state that copies of the proposal may be obtained on application to:
(i)
for a county fire prevention code, the administrative officer of the county; or
(ii)
for a municipal fire prevention code, the clerk of the municipal corporation.
(d)
Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, a fire prevention code adopted by a county under this section does not apply within a municipal corporation that has adopted a fire prevention code after the effective date of the adoption of the fire prevention code by the municipal corporation.
(e)
(1)
This subsection applies only to Frederick County.
(2)
The summary of the fire prevention code required to be published under subsection (c) of this section shall be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the county at least 2 weeks before the adoption of the fire prevention code by the county.
(3)
A copy of the fire prevention code proposed for adoption under this section may be obtained on application to the administrative officer of the county.
Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety § 9-702 (2026)
Title 9. Fire Protection and Prevention
Subtitle 7. Fire Prevention Codes of Counties and Municipal Corporations
§ 9–702LinkCopy Citation
(a)
In this section, “plan review” has the meaning stated in § 6–308 of this article.
(b)
(1)
This section applies only to:
(i)
a county that has adopted a comprehensive nationally recognized fire prevention code as the fire prevention code of the county; or
(ii)
a municipal corporation that has adopted a comprehensive nationally recognized fire prevention code as the fire prevention code of the municipal corporation.
(2)
This section does not apply to an inspection or plan review that is not within the jurisdiction of or is not conducted by:
(i)
the county fire prevention bureau or office of county fire marshal; or
(ii)
the municipal fire prevention bureau or office of municipal fire marshal.
(c)
(1)
To ensure compliance with the fire prevention code of the county or municipal corporation, the local governing body of the county or legislative body of the municipal corporation may adopt ordinances or regulations to establish and administer a fee schedule for conducting inspections and plan reviews.
(2)
(i)
The county fire prevention bureau shall:
(1)
collect the fees established by the local governing body of the county for conducting inspections;
(2)
keep records of all fees collected under this section; and
(3)
pay all money collected under this section into the general fund of the county.
(ii)
The municipal fire prevention bureau shall:
(1)
collect the fees established by the legislative body of the municipal corporation for conducting inspections;
(2)
keep records of all fees collected under this section; and
(3)
pay all money collected under this section into the general fund of the municipal corporation.
(3)
To ensure that the money collected at least covers the costs of conducting inspections and plan reviews, the fee schedule adopted under this section shall be reviewed annually by:
(i)
for a county, the local governing body of the county and the chief fiscal officer of the county; and
(ii)
for a municipal corporation, the legislative body of the municipal corporation and the chief fiscal officer of the municipal corporation.
(d)
(1)
Plans shall be submitted to the county fire prevention bureau and to the municipal fire prevention bureau for plan review and approval before actual construction of:
(i)
a new building or addition;
(ii)
a building undergoing a change of occupancy that requires substantial modification; or
(iii)
a part of a building that has sustained damage from fire, explosion, or other cause.
(2)
Plans for a building undergoing alterations, renovations, or remodeling that do not require submission under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be submitted for review of maintenance of proper egress and fire protection features.
(3)
(i)
The county fire prevention bureau shall conduct a plan review to ensure compliance with the fire prevention code of the county.
(ii)
The municipal fire prevention bureau shall conduct a plan review to ensure compliance with the fire prevention code of the municipal corporation.
(4)
The fee for each plan review shall be submitted with the plans.