Harford County, Maryland solar ordinance
Solar: 150 ft (B1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excluded) from property lines, 250 ft (B1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excluded) from homes, 15 ft (B1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excluded) maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 29, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
6 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackB1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excludedNo energy producing or service structures shall be located closer than 150 feet from any property line | 150 ft |
Setback from homesB1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excludedno closer than 250 feet from any offsite dwelling unit. | 250 ft |
Setback from scenic by-wayshall not be located within 1 mile on either side of any designated scenic by-way on any County or State maintained roadway. | 1 mile |
Setback from other community solar projectNo single community solar project shall be closer than 2,000 feet from any other community solar project. | 2,000 ft |
Maximum heightB1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excludedNo structures shall exceed 15 feet in height. | 15 ft |
Fence heightThe CSEGS shall be enclosed by a security fence that is located between the landscape buffer and the CSEGS and is a minimum height of 6 feet | 6 ft |
Source: Harford County ordinance (PDF), read September 29, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Maryland state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Maryland rules and counties.
State siting: Maryland Public Service Commission
Solar over 2 MW needs a Public Service Commission certificate or approval before construction.
Public Utilities Article 7-207, 7-207.1, 7-207.4, 7-218. Source
Limits on local rules
Counties and towns cannot ban solar of more than 1 MW or deny a site plan that meets the state standards, with some exceptions.
Public Utilities Article 7-218(h) (Renewable Energy Certainty Act, Ch. 624 of 2025). Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies to ground-mounted solar over 1 MW (AC) that sells wholesale, is community solar or is aggregate net metered; the owner must meet these figures, and a county or town may not ban such solar or deny a site plan that meets them. A siting agreement with the county may set looser terms; agrivoltaics are exempt from the figures.
| Homes (non-participating) | 150 ft |
| Property line (non-participating) | 100 ft |
| Fence height | 20 ft max, no barbed wire |
| Public roads | 50 ft (fence from road right-of-way) |
| Panel height (average) | 15 ft average |
| Screening buffer width | 35 ft max |
| Berms | County may not require |
| Decommissioning | Bond up to 125% of cost, with the PSC |
Md. Code, Public Utilities 7-218(b), (f), (g), (h) (Renewable Energy Certainty Act, Ch. 623 of 2025). Source
Every Maryland figure in one spreadsheet
79 figures from 11 counties and 1 town or township, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus Maryland state law.
How these figures were read
We found Harford County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Harford County, MD?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 150 ft (B1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excluded) from property lines and 250 ft (B1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excluded) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Harford County, MD?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 15 ft (B1, B2, B3, CI, LI and MO Districts excluded). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.