Mission Statement

Mission: The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) mission is to ensure the public's safety, health, and sustainability, and create an environment of economic vitality in Montgomery County.

Vision: The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services aspires to be a world-class permitting organization through timely, transparent, solution-driven services.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Department of Permitting Services is $50,251,466, an increase of $1,763,702 or 3.64 percent from the FY26 Approved Budget of $48,487,764. Personnel Costs comprise 81.04 percent of the budget for 247 full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 255.03 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 18.96 percent of the FY27 budget. The recommended budget includes a 25 percent increase in all permit fees, with the exception of residential-related permits, which will increase by 10 percent.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

• Easier Commutes
• A Greener County
• Effective, Sustainable Government
• A Growing Economy

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY26 estimates reflect funding based on the FY26 approved budget. The FY27 and FY28 figures are performance targets based on the FY27 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY28.

The department combines department and applicant time components when measuring "total time to issue a permit." These times may be impacted by satisfaction of related preconditions such as sediment control submissions and approvals and outside agency approvals.

Initiatives

• Drafted Executive Regulation 21-25, requiring all multi-family rental apartments to submit emergency safety plans for Fire Code Compliance (FCC) for review and approval, enhancing community safety and awareness.
• Using call data from Montgomery Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) to identify high-risk buildings and work with building owners to reduce calls to 9-1-1.
• Land Development will publish a guidance document to assist agrotourism businesses in understanding the requirements related to the development of their property. This document will be finalized in FY26.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Developed and implemented a streamlined food licensing process for the Department of Health and Human Services, including the food licensing programs for the Cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg.

• Updated the Design for Life program by adding new accessibility features eligible for credit and streamlining the application process for those features.

• Accomplishments

  • Completed the Recipe for Success initiative by aligning budget resources to stabilize restaurant permitting, enhance customer service consultations, and strengthen interagency coordination.
  • Achieved a 98 percent completion rate for residential inspections on their scheduled dates.
  • Led the adoption of the 2021 International Code Council codes and the Fire and Life Safety standards (NFPA 1 and NFPA 101).
  • Secured a Department of Energy ten-million-dollar Net-Zero Energy for All grant to support a technical assistance program, public outreach and education, system upgrades for data collection, and a comprehensive third-party data evaluation.
  • Earned the SolSmart Platinum designation, highlighting Montgomery County's commitment to advancing solar photovoltaic energy. Additionally, expanded the eSolar program to include residential projects integrating both solar PV and battery storage.
  • Finalized a Memorandum of Understanding between DPS, the Office of Agriculture, and the Soil Conservation District to clarify responsibilities related to agritourism. Launched an online appointment system for prospective agritourism businesses, enabling joint consultations from all three agencies to provide coordinated guidance on processes and requirements.

• Collaborations and Partnerships

  • The DPS Zoning and Compliance Division is an active participant in the Development Review Committee (DRC), a standing interagency working group that ensures development applications, including site plans, preliminary plans, record plats, and conditional use requests are reviewed collaboratively and consistently before Planning Board action. Participating partners include the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (DOT), the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS), WSSC Water, utility companies, developers, and their consultants.
  • DPS Zoning actively contributes to the development of local and state legislation by providing technical support to legislative attorneys and professional staff working on zoning text amendments, subdivision regulation amendments, and county and state bills. Collaborative organizations include the M-NCPPC Planning staff, County Council staff, County Executive staff, and County departments including the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA), DEP, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), and the Office of the County Attorney (OCA).
  • Collaborated extensively with the OCA, DHCA, the Office of Consumer Protection, and the Regional Services Centers to assist communities in resolving life-safety property issues.
  • The FCC section joined the Anti-Hoarding Task Force and meets monthly with the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) to enhance DPS's preparedness for major emergency responses.
  • The Sustainability, Energy, and Mechanical (SEM) section continues to provide technical assistance to DEP, and M-NCPPC. The SEM manager serves on the Technical Advisory Committee for DEP's Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) program, and the SEM team provides technical guidance to M-NCPPC to support the development of its elective measures program.

Program Descriptions

  Land Development

The Land Development Division is responsible for ensuring the protection of the County's land and water resources; the protection of the environment[ and the safety of residents and businesses through its engineering and inspection functions related to storm water management, sediment control, floodplain management, special protection areas, storm drain design...

  Residential Construction & Fire Code Compliance

The Residential Construction staff is responsible for ensuring public safety through the effective application of residential building, structural, electrical, mechanical, and energy conservation codes. This is accomplished through technical plan review and inspection processes.The Fire Code Compliance staff is responsible for ensuring compliance with adopted National Fire Codes and Standards,...

  Commercial Building Construction

The Commercial Building Construction program is responsible for ensuring public safety and performance through the effective adoption, application, and enforcement of commercial building, structural, electrical, mechanical, fire-safety, accessibility, and sustainability construction codes and standards. As the "First Preventers," this is accomplished through plan review and construction site inspections to...

  Administration

The Administration program provides goal and policy development, strategic planning, and leadership for all programs within the department. The administration also provides high level coordination with other county departments and agencies as well as the Office of the County Executive and the Montgomery County Council.The administrative staff is responsible for...

  Zoning and Code Compliance

The Zoning and Code Compliance Division protects the quality of life, public health, safety, and welfare of Montgomery County residents. This is accomplished through the effective application and enforcement of the Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance development and use standards; Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) certified site plan requirements;...

  Customer Support & Outreach

The Customer Support and Outreach Division is responsible for all administration and issuance of building, land development, and zoning-related permits, applications and licenses, information requests, pre-design consultations, and other specialty services. This division was formed to provide a multipronged approach to enhance methods for service delivery and communication for our...