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County Seal
St. Mary's County, Maryland
Est. 1637
Office Status: Normal
Employee Information

Permits

The Permit Services Division’s principal function is to process building and other permits including environmental (Critical Area and Floodplain), residential entrances, home occupations, family daycare, change of business occupants, and sign permits in accordance with the applicable regulations, such as the Building Code, Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations. The Permits staff must also coordinate the routing of permit information to other required agencies for their review and approval.

Permit Counter Hours

All divisions are available to assist you from 8 am - 5 pm. Please note, however, permit applications are only accepted during the following hours:

  • Monday & Thursday 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
  • Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Application Forms

View the complete list of application forms.

Customer Assistance Guides

Our Customer Assistance Guides, or CAGs, are information sheets answering questions relating to many aspects of Land Use & Growth Management. Below is a list of the CAGs that are helpful in understanding the permit process and procedures.

  • How to Apply for a Residential Building Permit
  • "Drop Off" Process to Obtain Building Permit
  • "On Demand" Process to Obtain Building Permit
  • Building Permits for Decks
  • Building Permits for Swimming Pools & Spas
  • Building Permits for Mobile Homes
  • Building Permits Other than Residential
  • Building Permits in Critical Areas
  • What is an Environmental Permit?

Frequently Asked Questions

In our section entitled , LUGM answers your questions on many topics including:

  • Permit fees
  • Licenses
  • Perc tests
  • Requirements for home additions

Permit Status

Have your application number? View your permit status online. The status of the permit application will show "Pending" beside a required Agency so long as that Agency has not finished reviewing the application. If the status is listed as "On Hold", simply click on the words "On Hold" and specific comments will show why. When the status is listed as "Approved" please contact the Permit Office to check on the final details of the application before picking up the permit. This will allow our staff to verify that everything is in order and what total fees are due.