In this subtitle, “Maryland Coordinate System” means the system of plane rectangular coordinates that has been established and adopted by the National Geodetic Survey for defining and stating the positions or locations of points on the surface of the earth within the State.

This subtitle: Does not apply to Baltimore City; and Does not refer to and is not connected with the coordinate system used by the Bureau of Plans and Surveys of Baltimore City.

If a land description uses the Maryland Coordinate System, it shall be designated on the land description. A survey of lands may not have endorsed on the survey any legend or other statement indicating that the survey is based on the Maryland Coordinate System unless the survey actually is based on the Maryland Coordinate System.

The plane rectangular coordinates of a point on the earth’s surface, to be used in expressing the position or location of the point on the Maryland Coordinate System, consist of two distances, expressed in meters and decimals of meters. One of the distances, known as the “eastings”, shall give the position in an east-west direction. The other distance, known as the “northings”, shall give the position in a north-south direction. The plane rectangular coordinates under this section shall be made to depend on and conform to the plane rectangular coordinates of the triangulation and traverse stations of the National Geodetic Survey within the State, as those coordinates have been determined by the National Geodetic Survey.

For the purpose of more precisely defining the Maryland Coordinate System, the standards of the National Geodetic Survey set out in this section are adopted. The Maryland Coordinate System is a Lambert conic conformal projection of the Geodetic Reference System of 1980, having standard parallels at north latitudes 38 degrees 18’ and 39 degrees 27’, along which parallels the scale shall be exact. The origin of coordinates is at the intersection of the meridian 77 degrees 00’ west longitude and the parallel 37 degrees 40’ north latitude. This origin is given the coordinates: Easting=400,000 meters and northing=0 meters. For the Maryland Coordinate System, the unit used to convert feet to meters is the United States survey foot, which is 39.37/12 feet for each meter. The position of the Maryland Coordinate System shall be as marked on the ground by triangulation or traverse stations established in conformity with the standards adopted by the National Geodetic Survey for first-order and second-order work, whose: Geodetic positions have been rigidly adjusted on the North American Datum of 1983; and Plane coordinates have been computed in accordance with this section.

A triangulation or traverse station may be used in establishing a survey connection with the Maryland Coordinate System if: The triangulation or traverse station is established: In accordance with § 14-405 of this subtitle; or By or in accordance with the requirements of the State department authorized to administer this subtitle; and The connection is made in accordance with the regulations adopted by the State department authorized to administer this subtitle.

This subtitle does not require any purchaser or mortgagee to rely wholly on a description based on the Maryland Coordinate System.