# Maryland SB 0891: Land Use and Real Property - Accessory Dwelling Units - Requirements and Prohibitions Maryland SB 0891, Land Use and Real Property - Accessory Dwelling Units - Requirements and Prohibitions, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Mary Washington (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-04-22 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 196); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0891-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland SB 0891 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Land Use and Real Property - Accessory Dwelling Units - Requirements and Prohibitions - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-03 - Last action: 2025-04-22, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 196 - Sponsor: Mary Washington (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Local Government - Generally, Real Property, Baltimore City, Boundaries, Chartered Counties -see also- AACo; BCo; CecilCo; etc., Construction, Contracts -see also- Procurement, Counties -see also- Chartered Counties; Code Counties; etc., Development Fees and Taxes, Excise Tax, Fees -see also- Attys' Fees; Devt Fees & Taxes, Homeowners Associations, Housing -see also- Apartments; Condos; Mobile & Manuf Homes, Land Records -see also- Deeds, Laws and Ordinances -see also- Pub Local Laws; Uniform Laws, Local Government Mandates, Municipal Corporations -see also- Annap; Balt; Hager; OC, Parking, Permits -see also- Building Permits, Time, Utilities -see also- Recycl; Refuse; Sewage; Teleph; Water, Waivers, Zoning and Planning - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (181 yes, 3 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Fewer building limits for homeowners' secondary homes: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, the law sets limits on local rules for accessory dwellings. Local enabling laws must exclude these homes from density calculations and residential-growth limits applying to the property. Required distances from side and rear property lines cannot exceed existing requireme… - Homeowners gain protection from private housing restrictions: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, private restrictions cannot unreasonably limit an owner's ability to build or rent an accessory dwelling. This covers deed covenants, contracts, homeowners association rules, and other property documents. Owners must have exclusive use rights and follow applicable laws; u… - Homeowners gain a path for secondary homes: mixed, medium. Effective October 1, 2025, Maryland requires local governments to adopt laws allowing accessory dwellings by October 1, 2026. This framework covers single-family residential land with a primary detached single-family home. The secondary home can be attached or separate, must remain subordinate in u… - Secondary homes face parking and safety rules: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, local governments can require extra off-street parking for accessory dwellings, with a waiver process. Before adopting requirements, they must complete a parking study. The study must consider construction costs, curb space, paved-surface and stormwater effects, and prope… - Secondary homes can change association dues, votes: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, homeowners associations can count an accessory dwelling as a separate lot for voting and assessments. Separate-lot treatment can increase an owner's dues and change voting power; associations choose whether to use it. Assessment authority overrides specified governing-doc… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mary Washington (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Cheryl C. Kagan (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-07 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 136 | 3 | 2 | | 2025-03-28 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 45 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (13) - 2025-04-22: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 196 - 2025-04-07: Returned Passed (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (136-3) (House) - 2025-04-04: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House) - 2025-04-04: Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-04-02: Rereferred to Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-03-31: Referred Rules and Executive Nominations (House) - 2025-03-28: Third Reading Passed (45-0) (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Favorable with Amendments {733529/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate) - 2025-02-03: First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-04-22: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_196_sb0891t.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-27: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0891t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-02-04: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0891f.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law) - HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed) ## Sources - [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_196_sb0891t.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0891t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0891f.pdf) ## Related - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS) - [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS) - [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS) - [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS) - [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS) - [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills) - [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0891-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).