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§ 25-102. Powers of local authorities relating to highways

West's Annotated Code of MarylandTransportationEffective: October 1, 2022

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Transportation
Title 25. Vehicle Laws--Respective Powers of State and Local Authorities; Disposition of Abandoned Vehicles (Refs & Annos)
Subtitle 1. Powers of State and Local Authorities (Refs & Annos)
Effective: October 1, 2022
MD Code, Transportation, § 25-102
§ 25-102. Powers of local authorities relating to highways
Currentness
Scope of powers
(a) The provisions of the Maryland Vehicle Law1 do not prevent a local authority, in the reasonable exercise of its police power, from exercising the following powers as to highways under its jurisdiction:
(1) Subject to the provisions of § 21-1003.1 of this article, regulating or prohibiting the stopping, standing, or parking of vehicles;
(2) Regulating traffic by means of police officers or traffic control devices;
(3) Regulating or prohibiting processions or assemblies on highways;
(4) Designating particular highways or separate roadways as one-way highways and requiring that all vehicles on them move in one specified direction;
(5) Regulating the speed and weight of vehicles in public parks;
(6) Designating any highway as a through highway or designating any intersection as a stop intersection or a yield intersection;
(7) Restricting the use of highways as provided in Title 24 of this article;
(8) Regulating the operation of bicycles, requiring them to be registered, and imposing a registration fee;
(9) Regulating or prohibiting the turning of vehicles or specified types of vehicles at intersections;
(10) Altering speed limits as provided in Title 21, Subtitle 8 of this article;
(11) Regulating through truck traffic and prohibiting trucks from using any highway or alley that is not designated or maintained as a part or extension of the State or federal highway system, provided the local authority has designated an adequate alternate route for diverted truck traffic;
(12) Adopting any other traffic regulations as specifically authorized in the Maryland Vehicle Law;
(13) Regulating taxi stands, including taxi stands in the middle of a block;
(14)(i) In this paragraph, “all-terrain vehicle” includes an off-highway motorcycle.
(ii) 1. Subject to item 2 of this item, except in Allegany County and Garrett County, designating a certain portion of highways upon which snowmobiles may travel for the sole purpose of gaining access to snowmobile trails; but
2. Designating only those highways which divide snowmobile trails and which would otherwise obstruct direct access between snowmobile trails; and
(iii) In Allegany County and Garrett County:
1. Authorizing a person to:
A. Cross a highway on an all-terrain vehicle or a snowmobile at a right angle at a speed of not more than 25 miles per hour; or
B. Operate an all-terrain vehicle or a snowmobile on not more than 5 miles of highway at a speed of not more than 25 miles per hour; and
2. Designating a certain portion of highways upon which all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles may travel at a speed of not more than 25 miles per hour for the sole purpose of gaining access to:
A. Trails on which the operation of an all-terrain vehicle or a snowmobile is authorized;
B. Fields; or
C. Another area where the operation of an all-terrain vehicle or a snowmobile is authorized;
(15) Requiring a motorized minibike to be permitted by the local authority, and imposing a permit fee;
(16) In Allegany County, designating crossings on county highways where a person operating a golf cart may cross the highway for continued access to any portion of a golf course;
(17) Restricting use of a low speed vehicle on a highway;
(18) Authorizing an emergency vehicle not subject to registration to operate on a highway while performing an emergency service as defined in § 19-103 of this article; and
(19) Authorizing a person to cross a highway on an all-terrain vehicle at a right angle to access a farm or to move from one part of a farm to another part of the same farm.
Stop signs or traffic control signals at intersections with State highways
(b)(1) Unless it first obtains written approval from the State Highway Administration, a local authority may not place or maintain any stop sign or traffic control signal that requires the traffic on any State highway to stop before entering or crossing any intersecting highway.
(2) Unless it first obtains written permission from the State Highway Administration, a local authority may not place or maintain lighting along or at an intersection with a State highway.
Notice of local traffic regulations
(c) An ordinance or regulation adopted under subsection (a)(4), (5), (6), (7), or (10) of this section is not effective until a traffic control device giving notice of the local traffic regulations is placed on or at the entrances to the highway or its affected part.

Credits

Added by Acts 1977, c. 14, § 2, eff. July 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1977, c. 460; Acts 1981, c. 682; Acts 1982, c. 428; Acts 1985, c. 592; Acts 1994, c. 216, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1994; Acts 1994, c. 276, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1994; Acts 1999, c. 82, § 1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2005, c. 366, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2006, c. 562, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2006; Acts 2012, c. 406, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2012; Acts 2013, c. 632, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2013; Acts 2014, c. 241, § 1, eff. April 14, 2014; Acts 2015, c. 281, § 1, eff. June 1, 2015; Acts 2017, c. 694, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2017; Acts 2018, c. 12, § 1, eff. April 5, 2018; Acts 2018, c. 165, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2018; Acts 2018, c. 166, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2018; Acts 2019, c. 227, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2019; Acts 2022, c. 433, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2022.
Formerly Art. 66 ½, § 15-102.

Footnotes

1
Transportation, § 11-101 et seq.
MD Code, Transportation, § 25-102, MD TRANS § 25-102
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
End of Document