ADU Pass
Annapolis
Anne Arundel County portion
Also in: No County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 7 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed
Maryland preempts most local ADU restrictions. Annapolis permits ADUs by right in single-family zones per its zoning ordinance.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $2,900 | $43,500 | $46,400 |
| 600 | 600 | $2,900 | $174,000 | $176,900 |
| midpoint | 675 | $2,900 | $195,750 | $198,650 |
| maximum | 1,200 | $2,900 | $348,000 | $350,900 |
Fee breakdown
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU explicitly permitted; Maryland owner-occupancy preemption (where applicable) makes ADU eligible for full landlord-tenant treatment.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Annapolis regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.
Utilities
- Water: Annapolis Water Utility · 21d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Annapolis Sewer / Wastewater · 21d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Annapolis Electric Utility · 14d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Annapolis Gas Utility · 21d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 17mo
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Maryland enacted HOA preemption for ADUs as part of the 2025 ADU Act. HB 1466 / SB 891 amended the Maryland Homeowners Association Act (Real Property Article, Title 11B), adding the ADU definition at §11B-101(a-1) and prohibiting HOAs from prohibiting or unreasonably restricting the construction or rental of ADUs on lots with primary single-family detached dwelling units. HOAs retain authority to (a) treat an ADU as a separate lot for voting and assessment purposes (optional, not required) and (b) impose reasonable design and architectural standards consistent with the community's overall character. The HOA preemption became effective 2025-10-01.
Regulatory overlays (2)
- flood-zone
Annapolis has FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas; elevation certificates and flood-resistant construction required for SFHA parcels. - historic-district
Annapolis historic districts trigger Architectural Review Board / Historic Preservation Commission review for ADUs in historic boundaries.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: City of Annapolis Municipal Code — Accessory Dwelling Units, adopted 2020-01-01, last amended 2024-04-01
- 2024-01-01 — City of Annapolis ADU code refresh (city-ordinance)
Conforming local-code amendments aligning with current Maryland accessory-dwelling framework.
Effect: Codified by-right ADU standards consistent with state law and local zoning.
Anne Arundel County — county ADU rules and overlays
County ADU ordinance
Anne Arundel County (state-capital county; ~588,000 residents — one of Maryland's largest counties; encompassing Annapolis, the state capital; plus the unincorporated communities of Arnold, Crofton, Edgewater, Glen Burnie, Pasadena, Severna Park, Severn, and many others; plus US Naval Academy, Fort George G. Meade, and Naval Support Activity Annapolis) regulates land use through the Anne Arundel County Code Article 18 (Zoning) and the Anne Arundel County Charter. Maryland is a home-rule state under Md. Const. Art. XI-A; Anne Arundel County is a charter county that exercises broad self-governance, including zoning over all unincorporated land. The City of Annapolis (the only incorporated municipality of meaningful size in the county) operates under its own Charter and zoning code. Maryland enacted HB 538 (2024) requiring counties and Baltimore City to permit at least one ADU on most residentially-zoned single-family lots; Anne Arundel County's pre-existing Article 18 ADU provisions were broadly compliant and were updated 2024-2025 to align with HB 538.
County regulatory overlays
Maryland state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
Maryland enacted statewide ADU preemption with the Accessory Dwelling Units Act of 2025 — HB 1466 / SB 891 (cross-filed) — passed by the General Assembly in the 2025 Regular Session and effective 2025-10-01. Counties and municipalities with planning and zoning authority must adopt local laws compliant with the Act by 2026-10-01. The Act establishes that it is the policy of Maryland to promote and encourage ADU creation on land with a primary single-family detached dwelling. ADUs are defined as secondary units on the same lot/parcel/tract as a primary single-family detached dwelling, no greater than 75% of the size of the primary dwelling. Counties and municipalities cannot prohibit ADUs or impose unreasonable restrictions on their construction or rental. The 2025 ADU Act ALSO amends the Maryland HOA Act (Title 11B of the Real Property Article), prohibiting community associations from prohibiting or unreasonably restricting ADU construction and rental. The state has been preparing this framework since 2023 (SB 382 created the ADU Policy Task Force, which issued its final report 2024-05-31).
State HOA preemption
Maryland enacted HOA preemption for ADUs as part of the 2025 ADU Act. HB 1466 / SB 891 amended the Maryland Homeowners Association Act (Real Property Article, Title 11B), adding the ADU definition at §11B-101(a-1) and prohibiting HOAs from prohibiting or unreasonably restricting the construction or rental of ADUs on lots with primary single-family detached dwelling units. HOAs retain authority to (a) treat an ADU as a separate lot for voting and assessment purposes (optional, not required) and (b) impose reasonable design and architectural standards consistent with the community's overall character. The HOA preemption became effective 2025-10-01.
State financing programs
Maryland does not currently operate an ADU-specific statewide loan, grant, or forgivable-loan program tied to the 2025 ADU Act. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers a broad portfolio of homeownership, rental development, and home-repair financing — including the Maryland Mortgage Program, Settlement Downpayment Loan Program, Project Restore (commercial-to-residential conversions), and various Energy & Home Repair loan products. None target ADU construction directly, though Project Restore can fund ADU-like conversions, and the Energy & Home Repair Loan can fund ADU-related electrical, HVAC, and weatherization upgrades.
State housing programs
Maryland's primary state-level ADU program is the 2025 ADU Act framework: statewide preemption requiring local jurisdictions to adopt compliant ordinances by 2026-10-01, including HOA preemption. The Maryland Department of Planning maintains an ADU resource hub with technical assistance for local governments. Maryland does not currently operate a statewide pre-approved ADU plan catalog, an ADU rebate, or an impact-fee waiver statute, but the local-compliance window through 2026-10-01 is expected to produce additional ADU-specific incentive programs.
- ADU Act 2025 Statewide Floor (HB 1466 / SB 891) — Counties and municipalities with planning/zoning authority must adopt compliant ordinances by 2026-10-01, allowing ADUs on every single-family-detached lot at up to 75% of primary dwelling size. Bars prohibitions and unreasonable restrictions. Includes HOA preemption.
- Maryland Department of Planning ADU Resource Hub — Resource hub with model ordinances, FAQs for local governments (HB 1466 FAQ), task-force final report, and statewide ADU ordinance inventory.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Codes
- 21012
- 21032
- 21035
- 21401
- 21402
- 21403
- 21409
Post Office
- 210 Admiral Cochrane Dr, 21401
- 210 Legion Ave, 21401
- 821 Chesapeake Ave, 21403