Dorchester County Local Guide

Your Guide to Settling In

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

• Request USPS mail forwarding online or at a Post Office, and confirm the start date for your move.
• Update your address with important accounts and contacts, including banks, insurers and your employer. Use the federal address change guide for relevant government agencies.
• Update applicable Maryland license or ID and vehicle addresses. Moving from another state? Follow the new resident process.
• If eligible to vote, register or update your voter address and confirm the change with election officials.
• Confirm electric, water and sewer providers for your actual address and arrange needed transfers. Check internet availability and any landlord or community service arrangements.
• Confirm municipal, private or county drop off trash and recycling arrangements for your address. Save the collection schedule or relevant site, permit and material rules.
• Join Dorchester County’s Everbridge alerts, or update your existing profile with your new address and preferred phone and email contacts.

Use the steps that apply to your move. Confirm jurisdiction, provider coverage and landlord or community arrangements, and check official sources for current requirements.

Settling in sources reviewed 10/17/2026

Find the Right Office

Start with Dorchester County’s department directory for county services. Planning and Zoning handles county land use, permits and related inspections. Finance is the starting point for county tax billing questions, while Environmental Health handles private wells and septic systems.

If the property is inside Cambridge or another incorporated municipality, ask that town which services and approvals it administers. Cambridge has its own building safety office. A Cambridge, Hurlock or Vienna mailing address does not prove that a parcel is within municipal boundaries.

• County Planning and Zoning
• Cambridge Building Safety Services
• Dorchester Municipal Directory

Set Up Utilities and Care for Septic Systems

Electric service in Dorchester includes Delmarva Power and Choptank Electric Cooperative territories. Confirm the utility at your exact address with the current account or property manager before arranging a start or transfer. Contact Delmarva Power or Choptank Electric Cooperative as appropriate.

Water and sewer arrangements vary by town and parcel. In Cambridge, use the city’s utility billing resources. Elsewhere, confirm service and billing with the relevant municipality or property manager. A nearby public line is not proof that a home is connected. Some homes have a private well, septic system or both.

Private Wells and Septic Systems

Request available permits, system plans and maintenance records. The county Health Department’s individual water supply program reviews private wells and provides guidance on testing and replacement requirements. Its septic program reviews systems and changes that may affect them. Consult Environmental Health before a repair, addition or change in use, and ask about current Bay Restoration Fund eligibility where relevant.

Internet Access

Use the FCC National Broadband Map to check reported service at the actual building, then ask each provider to confirm installation availability, timing, equipment and total charges. The FCC’s map instructions explain address searches and how to challenge inaccurate availability information.

Do not treat a countywide expansion announcement or a line on a map as a promise that a home is ready for installation. For a rental or shared building, ask the property manager about access, wiring and any included service before ordering your own connection.

Recycling and Household Waste

Confirm whether your address uses municipal collection, a private hauler or county drop off facilities. Cambridge publishes street and sanitation information. Outside a municipal collection area, do not assume countywide curbside service is included with your taxes or rent.

The county’s Solid Waste page lists the landfill, convenience centers, accepted materials and current fees. It limits disposal to waste generated in Dorchester County and specifies residential recycling. Bagged household trash requires the applicable sticker permit. Confirm purchase locations and site hours before loading a vehicle.

Check the rules separately for bulky items, appliances, electronics, hazardous materials and yard debris. Not every facility accepts every item. Use the current county page rather than older references to New Beulah Landfill, which stopped accepting waste in February 2025.

Find Property Records and Tax Bills

Use Maryland SDAT’s property search instructions to locate the parcel by county and address and save its property account identifier. Ownership and assessment information are not the same as a current tax bill. Check county billing separately and ask whether municipal charges also apply.

Start with County Finance and its official tax account portal for billing information. If a mortgage servicer pays from escrow, compare its statement with the actual tax account. Ask the relevant town about municipal bills rather than assuming every charge appears in the county record.

For deeds and recorded instruments, follow the Maryland Courts land records guide. Keep your closing documents, survey or plat and permit records together. Tax data alone does not resolve a boundary, easement or title question.

Find Tax Information and Relief

Maryland’s Homestead Property Tax Credit limits qualifying increases in taxable assessment for an eligible principal residence. Check your application status and the state’s current requirements. The credit is not a general exemption from property tax.

The income based Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit is a different program with an annual application. Review current eligibility and deadlines, and ask County Finance about any applicable local relief. Do not assume an application changes the amount due before approval is reflected in your account.

Plan a Renovation

Describe the whole project before requesting estimates, including additions, decks, accessory buildings, grading, tree removal or shoreline work. Gather a survey or plat, existing permits and any well or septic records. Ask Planning and Zoning about setbacks, floodplain requirements, the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area and other reviews that may affect the design.

Within a municipality, confirm town review as well. In Cambridge, ask about historic district review if applicable. Check landlord, condominium or HOA permission separately. A private approval does not replace a required public permit, and an estimate may not include every review, fee or inspection.

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

Use the county’s online permit portal for county applications and records, and contact Planning and Zoning before starting work. Ask which building and trade permits apply, who is responsible for obtaining them and what documents will establish final approval.

County building, plumbing and HVAC inspections are handled through its inspection program. Electrical inspections use recognized independent agencies. Read the county inspection guidance and arrange required inspections in advance. In Cambridge, confirm requirements with Building Safety Services instead of assuming the county process is sufficient.

Repair and Housing Assistance

Maryland DHCD’s housing rehabilitation programs offer financing options for qualifying owner occupied homes and eligible repairs. Income, occupancy, project scope and funding rules apply. Some assistance is a loan secured by the property, not a free grant, so review the actual terms before proceeding.

Habitat Choptank’s home repair program also serves eligible Dorchester homeowners with qualifying health, safety and accessibility needs. Ask about current eligibility, the application process and any required repayment or homeowner contribution. Program availability is not a guarantee of approval or immediate work.

Check a Contractor

Check the exact business or individual through the Maryland Home Improvement Commission before hiring for work that requires an MHIC license. Confirm that the license is active and ask which separate trade credentials apply to the job. A name on a truck or advertisement is not a substitute for checking the record.

Obtain a written scope, itemized price and payment schedule. Confirm insurance, references, who obtains permits and who schedules inspections. Keep change orders in writing and retain the contract, receipts and final approvals. Ask the permitting office when the required credentials or approvals are unclear.

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