Germantown, Maryland Dog Poop Law

Quick answer: Yes. Germantown requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs under Montgomery County Code § 5-203(a)(2). The set ticket for a first offense is $100, and $150 for a repeat.

What the Germantown ordinance says

How the penalty works

§ 5-305(c)(3) makes a § 5-203(a)(2) violation a Class B violation. Under § 1-19, a Class B civil citation is $100 for an initial offense and $150 for a repeat offense (or up to $200 and 30 days in jail if prosecuted as a misdemeanor). If the same behavior happens again after the County has warned the owner in any form, including an oral warning, it becomes a 'public nuisance' under § 5-203(b)(1), which is a Class A violation: $500 initial and $750 repeat as a civil citation. Each day a violation continues is a separate violation (§ 5-305(a)).

The carry rule

No bag-carry requirement. An owner must not allow an animal to 'damage or defecate on property outside the owner's property,' but an animal may defecate on public property or shared common areas 'if the owner immediately removes and disposes of the feces by a sanitary method approved by the Office.'

Service animals

§ 5-203(a)(2) contains no service-dog exemption.

How Germantown compares

At $100, the Germantown ticket is higher than Columbia ($50), and lower than Baltimore ($200).

In practice

Pick up every time, bag it, and put it in a trash can. That is the one method that satisfies every ordinance in the country. The Walk Dispenser clips to the leash and holds a full roll.

Elsewhere in Maryland

Maryland dog poop laws covers the state and its other large cities. Nearby: Baltimore dog poop law · Columbia dog poop law. All 50 states.

Source

Checked 2026-09-10 against the Germantown municipal code. Codes change, so read the current version before relying on this for an actual citation.

This page is general information, not legal advice.