Baltimore County Local Guide

Your Guide to Settling In

View Your Guide to Settling Into Baltimore County (PDF) ↗ (opens in a new tab)A helpful, print friendly checklist for your move by LizyTylerCo · www.lizytylerco.com

• Request USPS mail forwarding and confirm the start date.
• Update important accounts and contacts, including banks, insurers, your employer and relevant agencies.
• Update applicable Maryland license or ID and vehicle addresses. Arriving from another state? Follow the new resident process.
• If eligible, register or update your voter address and confirm the change.
• Confirm utility transfers, actual water and sewer connections, and landlord billing arrangements. Check internet availability at your address.
• Save your county collection schedule or confirm private arrangements with your property manager. Review drop off rules before taking materials.
• Join BaltCo Alert or update your existing address, contact information and notification preferences.

Use the steps that apply to your move. Confirm the property’s jurisdiction, provider coverage and landlord or community arrangements with official sources.

Settling in sources reviewed 10/17/2026

Find the Right Office

Check whether the actual property is in Baltimore County or Baltimore City before using a tax, permit or collection service. A Baltimore mailing address is not enough. These are separate jurisdictions, not a city within this county.

For county building and zoning questions, begin with the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections. The Maryland State Archives county agency directory identifies the county’s building permits, zoning review and development review offices.

• County Permits, Approvals and Inspections
• County online services

Set Up Utilities and Care for Septic Systems

Confirm electric and any natural gas service at the exact address with BGE’s start, move or stop service team. Ask the landlord or seller which accounts you must open yourself and arrange the start date before moving.

Public water and sewer responsibilities cross jurisdictional lines. For county properties served by the regional system, Baltimore City handles water billing, while county wastewater and water distribution charges appear on county property tax bills. Check both records and confirm the property’s actual connections and current account arrangements. The official regional water billing report explains this division of charges. Do not assume a public line nearby means a home is connected.

Some properties use private wells or septic systems. Obtain construction, testing and maintenance records and consult the county’s Ground Water Management section before system repairs or changes to the home. Its well and septic guidance explains site evaluation and permit review.

Internet Access

Search the FCC National Broadband Map using your full address, then confirm availability, installation timing, equipment and the complete price directly with each provider. The map shows provider reported coverage, not a guarantee that service can be installed immediately.

Baltimore County Public Library offers public computers and WiFi at its branches. Use the county branch directory to find a nearby location and check its services. Baltimore City’s Enoch Pratt Free Library is a different system.

Recycling and Household Waste

Find your address’s county collection schedule rather than using a Baltimore City calendar. Save the trash, recycling, yard material and bulk collection dates that apply. If you live in an apartment or managed community, ask whether collection is arranged privately.

Read the county trash and recycling guide for setout rules, holiday changes, accepted materials and residential drop off centers. Vehicle type, number of visits and the material brought can affect drop off eligibility or charges. Construction debris and special wastes need separate checks.

Find Property Records and Tax Bills

Select Baltimore County, not Baltimore City, in SDAT Real Property Data Search. Save the property account identifier and review ownership, assessment and Homestead status. Assessments are separate from the amount currently due on a tax bill.

Use the county property tax search and payment system for county bills. If a mortgage servicer pays through escrow, reconcile its records with the county account. For recorded deeds and related documents, consult the Maryland Courts land records guide. Records alone do not settle a boundary or easement question.

Find Tax Information and Relief

Maryland’s Homestead Property Tax Credit limits qualifying increases in taxable assessment on an eligible principal residence. Check your application status rather than assuming the previous owner’s approval transfers to you.

The Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit is a separate income based program with an annual application. Review current eligibility and deadlines directly with SDAT, and ask the county about any additional local relief. A pending application does not automatically reduce the amount due.

Plan a Renovation

Prepare a full scope, photographs and a survey or plat before requesting estimates. Ask county permitting staff about zoning, setbacks, historic designation, floodplain or environmental review and any work affecting drainage. Confirm which requirements apply to this parcel.

Check HOA or condominium approvals separately. On a property with a private well or septic system, contact Ground Water Management before planning additions or changes that could affect the system or its replacement area.

• County project and permit starting point
• County well and septic development guidance

Put your goals, priorities, questions and next steps in one place.View Home Project Planning Sheet (PDF) ↗ (opens in a new tab)To keep completed entries, save a copy with your changes using the PDF viewer’s controls.

Understand Permits and Inspections

Ask the county which building and trade permits your project needs before work begins. Describe structural, electrical, plumbing, grading and utility connection work together so staff can identify the appropriate reviews.

The county online services portal provides permit searches and selected application and inspection functions. Confirm the correct current submission route with Permits, Approvals and Inspections, who will arrange inspections, and what final approvals to keep.

• County online services
• Permits, Approvals and Inspections

Repair and Housing Assistance

Ask Baltimore County Housing and Community Development about current repair and rehabilitation assistance before signing a construction contract. Eligibility, eligible work, available funding and repayment terms vary. Do not assume that a program is a grant or that spending first will be reimbursed.

The Maryland DHCD local program directory lists a Baltimore County contact separately from Baltimore City. Start there or with the county loan programs page to confirm the current intake process. Renters should ask which programs require an owner’s participation.

Check a Contractor

For home improvement work, check the business and license through the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. Match the licensed name to the contract, request insurance information and references, and confirm separately any required trade license.

Get a written scope, payment schedule and responsibility for permits and inspections before authorizing work. Keep changes in writing. A license check does not establish that a particular design or property alteration is approved.

Keep useful questions and conversation notes together as you compare your options.View Questions Before Hiring a Contractor (PDF) ↗ (opens in a new tab)