| Fence or wall | County permit? |
|---|---|
| Fence 6 feet or shorter, interior lot, not waterfront | Not required |
| Fence taller than 6 feet | Yes |
| Any fence on a corner lot | Yes |
| Any fence on a waterfront property | Yes |
| Retaining wall taller than 24 inches | Yes |
| Pool (in-ground, or above-ground over 36 in) | Yes, pool permit with a barrier |
1. When the county requires a permit
Anne Arundel County's rule is short: "Fences over 6 feet tall, fences on corner lots, and fences located on waterfront properties require a permit." Fence permits are filed as a Residential Accessory Structure through the county's Land Use Navigator, with a site plan showing property lines, easements, rights of way and any well, septic system or grinder pump. Every commercial fence needs a permit.
2. Where fences can go
The county zoning code allows fences in front yards, and fences are exempt from the setback rules that apply to buildings. That doesn't mean anything goes: stay on your side of the property line (a survey helps), keep out of utility easements where a utility could remove the fence, and check your HOA or community covenants, which often set heights, styles and materials of their own. Barbed-wire and electric fences have their own rules in the zoning code.
3. Waterfront lots and the Critical Area
Every fence on a waterfront property needs a permit. Near tidal water, the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area adds limits: the first 100 feet from the shoreline is a protected buffer, any disturbance there needs a buffer management plan, and removing vegetation needs a vegetation management plan with native replanting. Plan the fence line around trees and the buffer before you dig. See our Critical Area guide.
4. Retaining walls and pool fences
Retaining walls taller than 24 inches need a permit. Every in-ground pool, and every above-ground pool taller than 36 inches, needs a pool permit, and pools must have a compliant safety barrier under the county's adopted 2021 pool code, so design the fence and gates with the pool.
5. Inside Annapolis city limits
The City of Annapolis has its own zoning and permits. In the historic district, a fence is an exterior change that needs a Certificate of Approval from the Historic Preservation Commission, and the design guidelines rule out chain link, vinyl and stockade fences in favor of low, open front fences. See our historic district guide.
