Every deadline, width and penalty here was read on September 23, 2026, off the city's own page or the municipal code that city hosts, and each one is quoted and linked beside the line it supports. Cities amend these ordinances between winters and several publish the deadline on a seasonal page that changes in autumn, so the link beside a line is what governs on the day.

Maryland Sidewalk Snow Removal: 3 to 48 Hours

Q: Does snow have to be cleared from the sidewalk or the street in Maryland?

The rules collected here are sidewalk rules, and the great majority of Maryland cities publish a second one about where the snow may go once it has been moved, most often forbidding it on the travelled part of the road. Both come off the same city pages linked below, and the Maryland cities that publish only the second are listed as such rather than folded in with the rest.

Q: Which cities in the country give you the least time?

St. Louis, Santa Fe, Sheridan, where the ordinance allows no hours at all. Above them, 57 of the 150 cities that count in hours give twelve hours or less, 74 give exactly a day, and 18 give more than a day. The widest gap inside a single state is Maine, from four hours to three days.

Nothing

What state law sets

37 states are in the same position

3 to 48h

The range across its cities

[object Object] is the tightest

8 of 8

Cities with an ordinance

5 clear it themselves and bill

September 23, 2026

Read

7 publish a penalty

The short answer

Maryland runs from three hours in Annapolis to two days in Howard County

Maryland has no sidewalk clearing statute that any of the codes read here relies on. The clock is a city's instead, and eight Maryland cities count in hours. The tightest is Annapolis at three hours and the loosest Howard County at two days, a gap of 45 hours inside one state. Nationally the deadlines run from no hours at all to three days across 150 cities, and no state legislature anywhere has put a number on it.

One of the Maryland cities below publishes somewhere to report a walk that has not been cleared, linked on its own line. The city that publishes the rule is the city that answers questions about it.

Nothing found8 of 8 cities with an ordinance8 counting in hours5 clear it themselves

City by city, in each city’s own words

The 8 Maryland cities that publish an ordinance

Eight Maryland cities publish a count of hours, and each one below is quoted from the ordinance or the city page it was read from. A day is the commonest figure in Maryland as it is nationally: 74 of the 150 cities that count in hours land on exactly that.

Each card below carries what that city published and nothing else: the deadline in its own sentence, the sentence it was read from, and the width, the penalty and the wording about ice where the city printed them. The chip is a band derived from the wording for sorting, not a restatement of it.

Annapolis
Up to 6h
within three hours after the precipitation has stopped, or by 11:00 a.m. the following morning when it stops between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Property owners or occupants with a sidewalk adjacent to their property must remove any snow, sleet, or ice from that sidewalk within three hours after the precipitation has stopped.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
Property owners or occupants with a sidewalk adjacent to their property
What it says about ice
snow, sleet and ice are treated together under one three hour clock
- Width at least four feet wide or the full width of the sidewalk, whichever is smaller
- Penalty a municipal infraction, with the fine set by annual resolution of the City Council
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Section 14.04.060
- Published by City of Annapolis Department of Public Works
14.04.060 Clearing sidewalks of snow, sleet, and ice, Annapolis Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Baltimore
Up to 6h
within 3 hours after the snow stops, or by 11 am when snow stops between 3 pm and 6 am
When to Shovel: Remove snow and ice from sidewalks within 3 hours after the snow stops. If snow stops between 3 pm and 6 am, it should be cleared by 11 am.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
Homeowners and businesses are responsible for clearing sidewalks.
- Width a clear path at least 2 feet wide
- Penalty Homeowners: $50 Businesses: $100
- Published by Baltimore City Department of Transportation
Be Shovel-Ready, Baltimore, Baltimore City Department of Transportation, read September 23, 2026 Where the city takes reports
Frederick
7h to 12h
within twelve (12) hours after snow stops falling
Within twelve (12) hours after snow stops falling, a person owning or occupying a lot or part of a lot abutting a city sidewalk shall remove the snow and ice from the abutting sidewalk for a width of four (4) feet, or the width of the sidewalk, whichever is less.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
a person owning or occupying a lot or part of a lot abutting a city sidewalk
What it says about ice
the same twelve hour clock covers snow and ice together
- Width a width of four (4) feet, or the width of the sidewalk, whichever is less
- Penalty a municipal infraction, a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00)
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Sec. 22-16
- Published by City of Frederick Code Enforcement
Sec. 22-16 Removal of snow and ice from sidewalks, Frederick Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Gaithersburg
7h to 12h
more than twelve (12) hours from the last snowfall or freeze brings a removal order, then twelve (12) hours from receipt of that notice
When it is called to the attention of the city manager that snow or ice has been permitted to remain upon the sidewalks or a walk abutting the property of an owner or occupant for a period of more than twelve (12) hours from the last snowfall or freeze, the city manager shall order the removal of such snow or ice by sending a notice to the owner, owner's agent, or occupant to remove the same within twelve (12) hours from the receipt of such notice
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
any occupant or owner of a dwelling or place of business or a condominium or homeowner's association, or the owner or operator of multifamily residential buildings within the city
What it says about ice
the twelve hour period runs from the last snowfall or freeze, so ice is on the same clock
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Sec. 19-1
- Published by City of Gaithersburg
Sec. 19-1 Removal of snow and ice from sidewalks, Gaithersburg Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Baltimore County
13h to 24h
Within 24 hours after the fall of any snow
Within 24 hours after the fall of any snow, each person or public institution occupying or using a residential, commercial, or industrial building in any manner or for any purpose shall remove and clear away, or cause to be removed and cleared away, the snow from the foot pavements fronting the respective houses, stores, shops, stables, houses of worship, lots occupied by any buildings, unoccupied buildings, and unoccupied lots that run along streets in the county.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
each person or public institution occupying or using a residential, commercial, or industrial building
What it says about ice
the section also requires ice and other obstructions to be kept out of the gutters
- Penalty a misdemeanor, a fine of $25 for each failure and an additional $25 for each day the obstruction continues
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Sec. 18-3-107
- Published by Baltimore County Government
Sec. 18-3-107 Removal of snow, ice, Baltimore County Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Cumberland
13h to 24h
within twenty-four (24) hours after the fall of any snow, and within six (6) hours in the named commercial areas
Within twenty-four (24) hours after the fall of any snow, the occupants of houses or dwellings on every public street or public way or the owners or agents having charge of vacant houses or dwellings and unimproved lots and persons having charge of public buildings shall clear away such snow or cause it to be cleared away from the sidewalks or footways in front of such buildings or unimproved lots, in such manner as to make clear at least one-half the width of such sidewalk or footway, except as otherwise provided in this section.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the occupants of houses or dwellings on every public street or public way or the owners or agents having charge of vacant houses or dwellings and unimproved lots and persons having charge of public buildings
- Width at least one-half the width of such sidewalk or footway
- Penalty a municipal infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00)
- Section Sec. 22-9
- Published by City of Cumberland
Sec. 22-9 Removal of snow from sidewalks, Cumberland Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Rockville
13h to 24h
within 24 hours after a snowfall of three inches or less, 48 hours after more than three inches, and 72 hours after more than ten inches
The owner of the premises shall remove or cause to be removed snow and ice from the areas identified in Section 302.3 within 24 hours after the end of a snowfall resulting in three inches (3") or less accumulation, and within forty-eight (48) hours after the end of a snowfall resulting in more than three inches (3") accumulation, and seventy-two (72) hours after the end of a snowfall resulting in more than ten (10") inches accumulation, in such a manner as to provide a safe, unobstructed, passable path of travel between and within properties, said path to be a minimum of 36 inches width.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
The owner of the premises
What it says about ice
In icy conditions, the ice must be removed or treated within 24 hours after the end of icy precipitation in a manner sufficient to provide a reasonably non-slick surface.
- Width a minimum of 36 inches width
- Penalty a municipal infraction, with the fine set by resolution of the Mayor and Council
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Sec. 5-287, International Property Maintenance Code Section 302.3.1
- Published by City of Rockville
Sec. 5-287 Same Amendments, Rockville Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Howard County
Over 24h
within 48 hours after the snow has fallen
it shall be the duty and obligation of the owner of property abutting a sidewalk in a public right-of-way to remove snow from the sidewalk within 48 hours after the snow has fallen.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the owner of property abutting a sidewalk in a public right-of-way, and in a multiunit building with more than one occupant the lessor unless the lessor has obligated a tenant actually occupying the property
- Penalty a misdemeanor, a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $50.00
- Section Sec. 18.402(h)
- Published by Howard County Government
Sec. 18.402 Maintenance of sidewalks, driveways, Howard County Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026

Why one Maryland answer does not exist

Annapolis and Howard County are 45 hours apart

A house on one side of a city line in Maryland has three hours and a house on the other has two days, which is the whole reason a state level answer to this question is no answer. 23 states carry a gap like it, the widest being Maine at 68 hours.

Neither city is wrong and neither is unusual. A sidewalk ordinance is written by a council for the street outside its own window, and nothing above it in Maryland obliges one council to look at what the next one wrote. The figure that applies to a reader is the one their own city published, which is why every card above carries the city’s name before it carries a number.

A sidewalk cleared earlier in the day with fresh wind blown snow already lying back across the outer half of it, a plowed road to one side and an unbroken snow field to the other — Almost every hour count on these pages runs from the end of the snowfall rather than from its start, which is the one drafting choice the ordinances broadly share. What counts as the end of it, and what a fresh drift across a cleared walk does to the clock, is left to the wording each city chose, and that wording is quoted in full on the state pages. “Snow drifting onto a shoveled sidewalk, Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, 2024-01-20”, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0

What Maryland itself did

Maryland has written nothing on this

Maryland sets no statewide sidewalk clearing deadline; each city and county writes its own clock, and the eight codes read here run from three hours to forty eight.

That is the national pattern rather than a Maryland quirk. 13 of the 50 legislatures have a statute that touches sidewalk snow at all, 10 of those do nothing but let a city decide, and not one of them sets a deadline. The clock is a municipal ordinance everywhere in the country.

No statute found, and the cities cite none

No Maryland statute was found on this

has no sidewalk clearing statute that any of the codes read here relies on

What happens if it is not done

A bill or a penalty, depending on the Maryland city

Five Maryland cities publish a rule letting the city clear the walk and put the cost on the property. That is the commoner enforcement route nationally: 102 of the 187 cities with an ordinance carry one, against 105 that publish a penalty.

Seven Maryland cities print a penalty beside the rule, five of them as a dollar figure and the rest as the class of offence the ordinance creates. Each is reproduced below in the words its own ordinance used.

Both routes are printed on the cards above in the sentence each was read from, because a penalty clause paraphrased is a different statement than the one the city made. Where a city publishes a page for reporting a walk that has not been cleared, that link is on its card too.

How Maryland compares

The same question in the other forty nine

150 cities nationally count in hours, and the counts run from no hours at all to 72. 74 land on exactly a day, 57 give twelve hours or less, and 18 give more than a day. A further 22 set a time of day or a depth of snow rather than a count of hours at all.

The bar splits those 150 cities by how long they allow, and the table beneath it orders the states by how tight their tightest city is, which is a different ranking from how much snow a state gets.

3 of 150No hours allowed
23 of 150Six hours or less
31 of 150Within twelve hours
75 of 150Within a day
18 of 150More than a day

Fifty states and 267 cities, read September 23, 2026.
State	What the legislature did	What its cities do	With an ordinance	Tightest city
Missouri	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	ImmediatelySt. Louis
Wyoming	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	3 of 3	ImmediatelySheridan
New Mexico	A cross reference	Cities count in hours	1 of 4	ImmediatelySanta Fe
Michigan	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	2hMarquette
Maryland	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	8 of 8	3hAnnapolis
Massachusetts	A city may	Cities count in hours	8 of 8	3hBoston
Pennsylvania	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	3hErie
Virginia	A city may	Cities count in hours	6 of 7	3hRoanoke
Connecticut	A city may	Cities count in hours	8 of 8	4hDanbury
Ohio	A city may	Cities count in hours	8 of 8	4hAthens
New York	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	4hNew York City
Maine	A city may	Cities count in hours	4 of 8	4hWaterville
Vermont	A city may	Cities count in hours	1 of 6	4hWinooski
Rhode Island	A city may	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	5hNewport
Indiana	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	6hWest Lafayette
Nebraska	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	8hFremont
New Jersey	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	8hJersey City
Utah	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	5 of 5	8hPark City
Iowa	Owner duty, no clock	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	10hAmes
Kansas	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	12hSalina
Delaware	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	5 of 5	12hMilford
Washington	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	3 of 4	12hSeattle
California	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	1 of 2	12hSouth Lake Tahoe
North Dakota	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	24hBismarck
Wisconsin	The city clears it	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	24hGreen Bay
Colorado	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	24hAurora
Illinois	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	24hChampaign
Minnesota	A city may	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	24hDuluth
Montana	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	5 of 5	24hBillings
South Dakota	A city may	Cities count in hours	5 of 5	24hWatertown
Oklahoma	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	3 of 7	24hTulsa
West Virginia	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	3 of 4	24hMorgantown
Alaska	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	2 of 3	24hSeward
Idaho	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	2 of 3	24hIdaho Falls
Texas	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	2 of 7	24hAmarillo
Arizona	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	1 of 5	24hFlagstaff
Oregon	Nothing at state level	Required, no time named	2 of 3	None published
Arkansas	Nothing at state level	Set by the clock or a depth	1 of 7	None published
Kentucky	Nothing at state level	Set by the clock or a depth	1 of 3	None published
Tennessee	Nothing at state level	Required, no time named	1 of 4	None published
Alabama	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
Florida	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
Georgia	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
Hawaii	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 2	None published
Louisiana	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 6	None published
Mississippi	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
Nevada	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
New Hampshire	A city may	No city rule found	0 of 7	None published
North Carolina	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 4	None published
South Carolina	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published

Maryland sidewalk snow removal questions

How long do you have to shovel your sidewalk in Maryland?

Maryland has no sidewalk clearing statute that any of the codes read here relies on. The clock is a city's instead, and eight Maryland cities count in hours. The tightest is Annapolis at three hours and the loosest Howard County at two days, a gap of 45 hours inside one state. Nationally the deadlines run from no hours at all to three days across 150 cities, and no state legislature anywhere has put a number on it. Eight Maryland cities publish a count of hours, and each one below is quoted from the ordinance or the city page it was read from. A day is the commonest figure in Maryland as it is nationally: 74 of the 150 cities that count in hours land on exactly that.

Does Maryland have a state law about clearing sidewalks?

Why do two Maryland cities give different deadlines?

A house on one side of a city line in Maryland has three hours and a house on the other has two days, which is the whole reason a state level answer to this question is no answer. 23 states carry a gap like it, the widest being Maine at 68 hours. Annapolis writes: “Property owners or occupants with a sidewalk adjacent to their property must remove any snow, sleet, or ice from that sidewalk within three hours after the precipitation has stopped.”

Will the city clear my sidewalk in Maryland?

Five Maryland cities publish a rule letting the city clear the walk and put the cost on the property. That is the commoner enforcement route nationally: 102 of the 187 cities with an ordinance carry one, against 105 that publish a penalty. Annapolis sets it out this way: “If the snow, sleet, and ice are not removed by 8:00 a.m. the following day after receiving the notice, the Director of Public Works is authorized to arrange for the necessary cleaning, clearing, and maintenance of the subject sidewalk remaining uncleared.”

What is the fine for not shovelling a sidewalk in Maryland?

Seven Maryland cities print a penalty beside the rule, five of them as a dollar figure and the rest as the class of offence the ordinance creates. Each is reproduced below in the words its own ordinance used. Annapolis prints a municipal infraction, with the fine set by annual resolution of the City Council: “Any person who violates this chapter is guilty of a municipal infraction and is subject to a fine as established by annual resolution of the City Council.”

Does snow have to be cleared from the sidewalk or the street in Maryland?

Which cities in the country give you the least time?

How current is this?

Sidewalk snow removal rules in every state

Maryland ice damsWhat builds at the eaves while the walk is being cleared, and the conditions that put it there.Maryland ground snow loadThe other winter number a city sets and the state usually does not, and who publishes it where.Maryland snowpackWhat is actually on the ground this winter, measured daily, against the years behind it.Maryland frozen pipesThe other thing a long cold spell does to a building, and the temperatures it starts at.

Maryland read September 23, 2026: the municipal code and the city published pages of the 8 cities above. Every deadline, width, penalty and duty above links to the document it was published in and is reproduced in that document’s own wording. An hour count on this site is a sorting key derived from a city’s sentence and never a replacement for it. Councils amend ordinances on their own schedule, so the section linked beside a line is what governs on the day. What a particular property owes, and to whom, is a question for the city that published the ordinance.