Living Here

From getting settled to caring for your home, find the right starting point for the task in front of you.

Settling In

A practical start for renters and homeowners. Work through the short checklist, then find more detail about the services at your address.

Your Guide to Settling In

View Your Guide to Settling Into Prince George’s 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.
Update your address with important accounts and contacts, including banks, insurers, your employer and relevant agencies.
Update applicable Maryland license or ID and vehicle addresses. Moving from another state? Follow the new resident process.
If eligible, register or update your voter address and confirm the change.
Confirm electric and gas providers from the property’s service records. For a WSSC served home, arrange water account changes. Check internet availability for your address.
Confirm trash and recycling arrangements with the county, municipality, landlord or community manager. Save collection days and disposal rules.
Join Alert Prince George’s or update your existing profile with your new address and current contact methods.

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

Settling in sources reviewed 10/17/2026

Find the Right Office

Begin with your exact property address and confirm whether it is inside an incorporated municipality. DPIE directs residents to the Municipal Boundary layer in PGAtlas and publishes a matrix showing county and municipal permit responsibilities. A Bowie, Laurel or Hyattsville mailing address is not enough to decide which government serves the property.

Use PGC311 for county service questions and requests, including routing an issue to the responsible department. Ask your municipality separately about local services. Confirm trash and recycling independently because their service areas may differ.

For public school assignments, use the PGCPS address lookup rather than a neighborhood name. Confirm enrollment requirements directly with the school system.

Set Up Utilities and Care for Septic Systems

Confirm each provider using the property’s current bill or service record. Electricity, gas, water and sewer do not necessarily share the same boundaries. Ask the existing provider about a transfer or new account rather than assuming one utility covers the entire county.

The City of Bowie operates water and sewer service in selected neighborhoods, while other city addresses use WSSC Water. Confirm water and sewer separately against the city’s service list.

For properties served by WSSC Water, use its start or stop service process. WSSC accounts are assigned to the property owner, with tenants able to receive secondary bills. Confirm the settlement date, meter arrangements and whether water is currently on before submitting a request.

If the property uses a private well or septic system, collect construction records, permits, test results and maintenance history. County Environmental Health provides well and sewage disposal resources. The county notes that DPIE Health Review issues well and septic permits for new construction. Ask before changing bedrooms, expanding the house or repairing the system.

Internet Access

Use the FCC National Broadband Map to identify reported providers for the exact address, then confirm availability directly with each provider. The map is a research starting point, not a promise that installation can happen on a particular date.

Compare upload and download speeds, equipment, installation lead time, total charges and any contract commitment. County library branches provide another place to access online resources while home service is being arranged.

Recycling and Household Waste

Confirm whether your address receives county contracted collection, municipal collection or another arrangement through a landlord, community or private hauler. County trash and recycling service coverage are not identical. Save your collection days and check the official holiday schedule.

The county’s Clear the Curb resources explain trash, recycling, composting and bulky items. Some appliances, electronics and scrap materials require a separate appointment or disposal route. County carts stay with their assigned address when residents move.

Check current facility notices before taking household hazardous waste or electronics to a drop off site. At review, the county reports the Brown Station Road landfill’s hazardous waste and electronics sites closed during construction and directs residents to alternate arrangements. Do not assume ordinary convenience center access includes these materials.

Owning & Improving a Home

Keep these resources close when you need property information, help caring for your home or a starting point for a project.

Find Property Records and Tax Bills

Use Maryland SDAT’s Real Property Data Search to locate the parcel, ownership and assessment record. Save the property account identifier, then check the county’s property tax information separately for bills, payments and current instructions. Review municipal or special charges rather than assuming the assessment page is the complete bill.

Keep deeds, your survey or plat, closing records, permit approvals and utility information together. If a mortgage servicer pays taxes from escrow, reconcile its payments with the county record. A tax record does not settle a boundary or easement question.

Find Tax Information and Relief

Maryland’s Homestead Property Tax Credit and Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit are different programs. Homestead limits qualifying assessment increases for an eligible principal residence. The Homeowners’ credit is based on income and requires an application under the current annual rules.

Check your application status, current deadlines and county credit options directly with the administering agency. Do not assume a pending application changes what you owe. Review the actual bill and ask about any adjustment that has not appeared.

Plan a Renovation

Write down the full project scope before collecting estimates. Gather the survey or plat, existing permits and any well or septic records. Ask DPIE which building, site and inspection approvals apply and whether zoning, tree conservation, floodplain or other reviews affect the design.

For a property within a municipality, use the county’s responsibility matrix and confirm requirements with the local office. Check HOA or condominium approvals separately. Put permit responsibility, inspections and final documentation in your agreement with the contractor.

Start With the Permit Process

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

DPIE processes county permits, but a project can involve other reviewers. The county identifies M–NCPPC for planning and zoning reviews, WSSC Water for relevant plumbing and gas work, and health review for wells and onsite sewage systems. Municipal responsibilities vary by project and location.

Use the official portal to select the correct application system. Ask which inspections must be scheduled and keep final approvals with the property file. Do not assume an existing improvement was permitted or that a contractor’s estimate includes every review.

Repair and Housing Assistance

The county’s housing rehabilitation page links to the Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program and Maryland repair resources. Ask about current funding, eligible work, income and ownership requirements, and whether approval is required before work begins.

If a housing payment or utility bill is becoming difficult, seek guidance early rather than waiting for a deadline. Program names and old announcements do not guarantee that applications are still open. Confirm current availability with the administering office.

Check a Contractor

Check a home improvement contractor’s current Maryland Home Improvement Commission license and use the state’s consumer guidance before signing. Confirm insurance, references, the written scope, payment stages and responsibility for permits.

Electrical, plumbing and other specialized work may involve separate credentials and approvals. Ask the appropriate permitting office which licenses apply. Keep contracts, change orders, receipts and final inspections together.

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

General information to help you find the right starting point. Requirements, eligibility, service areas, and application processes can change. Confirm details with the office or provider serving your exact address. Official links open in a new tab. Found a broken link or a changed office? Contact LizyTylerCo and include “Prince George’s County Guide,” the link name, and what happened. Return to All Resources.