The Department of Housing and Community Development is the statewide adopting authority. Local jurisdictions can amend the state codes to suit local conditions with the exception of the 2015 IECC and the MD Accessibility Code. Both codes can be made more stringent. Local jurisdictions can amend but must adopt the new editions although no penalties occur should a jurisdiction fail to adopt in a timely manner. Maryland’s law related to building codes is called the Maryland Building Performance Standards (MBPS). It requires each jurisdiction in Maryland to use the same edition of the same I-codes.

State (the Department) has adopted the 2021 edition of IBC, IRC, IECC, IgCC & IEBC for  
(I) COMAR 09.12.50 Model Performance Code & COMAR 09.12.51 Maryland Building Performance Standards  
(II) COMAR 09.12.57 International Green Construction Code  
(III) COMAR 09.12.58 Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code Regulations 

State of Maryland adoption of 2021 edition of I-codes and other codes, under Maryland Building Performance Standards and Model Performance Code, has become final in the Maryland with an effective date of May 29, 2023. 

Please review the information found here for code adoption:
https://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/build/comar091251.pdf
https://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/build/buildcodes.shtml 
https://dsd.maryland.gov/Pages/MDRegister.aspx

The tall mass timber provisions went into effect in 2023 for Howard County, MD.

Page last updated: December 2023