St. Mary's County, Maryland solar ordinance
Solar: 75 ft (Somerset County, medium solar facility) from property lines, 100 ft (Queen Anne's County) from roads, 20 ft (Baltimore County, R.C. Zone) maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
19 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackBaltimore County, R.C. ZoneAboveground components of the solar facility, including solar collector panels, inverters, and similar equipment, must be set back a minimum of 50 feet from the tract boundary. | 50 ft |
Property line setbackQueen Anne's County75 feet from any lot line, except as provided in Subsection S(3)(d)[3] herein. | 75 ft |
Property line setbackSomerset County, medium solar facilityMedium solar energy facilities must be setback seventy-five (75) feet from adjacent property lines. | 75 ft |
Property line setbackWorcester County, large solar system in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 DistrictsAll large solar energy systems shall be set back a minimum of one hundred feet from all property lines for sites in the E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 Districts | 100 ft |
Property line setbackWorcester County, large solar system in A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 Districtsand a minimum of fifty feet from all property lines for sites in the A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 Districts. | 50 ft |
Road setbackQueen Anne's County100 feet from any road and/or right-of-way, unless a greater setback is required | 100 ft |
Setback from cemetery or graveyardSomerset County, medium solar facilityAll components of a medium solar energy facility including underground wiring must be setback at least one-hundred (100) feet from a cemetery or graveyard . | 100 ft |
Setback from existing dwellings, schools, churches, public right-of-ways, and subdivisionsSomerset County, utility scale substation or connector stationNew substations or connector stations, inverters, and transformers must be setback sixhundred (600) feet or more from existing dwellings, schools, churches, public right-ofways, and subdivisions of ten (10) or more improved lots. | 600 ft |
Maximum heightBaltimore County, R.C. ZoneA structure may not exceed 20 feet in height. | 20 ft |
Fence heightAnne Arundel County, community solarincluding all equipment and solar panels, shall be enclosed by a fence no less than seven feet in height. | 7 ft |
Minimum lot sizeWorcester County, large solar system in A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 DistrictsLarge solar energy systems may be located in the A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 Districts with a minimum lot area of twenty acres. | 20 acres |
Minimum lot sizeWorcester County, large solar system in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 DistrictsSuch systems may also be located in the E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 Districts with a minimum lot area of thirty acres | 30 acres |
Minimum lot sizeWorcester County, utility scaleUtility scale solar energy systems may be located in the A-1, A-2, E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1 and I-2 Districts with a minimum lot area of fifty acres | 50 acres |
Maximum lot coverageAnne Arundel County, community solarThe area to be used for the solar facility may not exceed 25% of the net area of the site, or 20 acres, whichever is less. | 25% |
Maximum lot coverageAnne Arundel County, utility scaleThe area used for the facility may not exceed 25 % of the net area of the site. | 25% |
Maximum project sizeCommunity solarCommunity solar projects are small-scale projects of 2 Mega watts (MW) or less that provide energy to two or more electricity customers | 2 MW |
Maximum project sizeAnne Arundel County, community solarThe area to be used for the solar facility may not exceed 25% of the net area of the site, or 20 acres, whichever is less. | 20 acres |
Noise limitQueen Anne's CountyProvide documentation that noise generated by the facility shall be limited to 60 DBA as measured at the property line | 60 dBA |
Decommissioning bondAnne Arundel CountyThe County shall review the amount of the security every five years and may require additional security or reduce the amount of the posted security if it determines, at its sole discretion, that the posted security no longer equals 125 % of the decommissioning costs. | 125% |
Source: St. Mary's County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 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 St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's County, MD?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 50 ft (Baltimore County, R.C. Zone) from property lines, 75 ft (Queen Anne's County) from property lines, 100 ft (Queen Anne's County) from roads, 75 ft (Somerset County, medium solar facility) from property lines and 100 ft (Worcester County, large solar system in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 Districts) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in St. Mary's County, MD?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 20 ft (Baltimore County, R.C. Zone). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What is the minimum lot size for a solar farm in St. Mary's County, MD?
The ordinance sets a minimum lot size of 20 acres (Worcester County, large solar system in A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 Districts), 30 acres (Worcester County, large solar system in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 Districts) and 50 acres (Worcester County, utility scale). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.