Permits, Licenses & Applications

All permit, license, and application forms are available at Town Office.  Please contact us if you have any questions.

Building
Permits

Building permits are required for any construction whether new or replacement. Applications are available at the Town Office, but they must be taken to the Carroll County Bureau of Permits at 225 N. Center St. in Westminster. The County then reviews and forwards them to the Town. Cost is 50% of the Carroll County permit fee. Building permits require a scaled drawing (for information on scaled drawings, see the link at the bottom of this page).

Sign Permits

Article XV of the Town Code requires a permit & zoning certificate for most new signs. To apply for a Sign Permit, you will need the following information: a good description of the sign; dimensions; materials; wording and sign colors; and the exact location and dimension of building facade to which the sign shall be affixed.  Applications for a Sign Permit are available at the Town Office. (Also available under Helpful Links.)  Please note:  if your sign location is on Main Street within the Revitalization Area, you must appear before the Hampstead Planning and Zoning Commission for approval.  Please contact Town Office for details.

Utility Permits


Utility permits are required to install gas lines, cable, pipe or electric service in the Town of Hampstead.  Before a company can dig in the Town limits they are required to submit an application to the Town for a Utility Permit along with detailed drawings of the proposed site.  Applications for a Utility Permit are available at the Town Office.  (Also available under Helpful Links.)

Dog
Licenses

Effective 2025, dog licenses are no longer being sold at the Town Office; however, they will continue to be sold at the Hampstead True Value located at 4001 Houck Avenue. The cost is $5.00 for an altered dog and $25.00 for an unaltered dog. (Senior citizens receive a discounted rate of $3.00 for an altered dog and $10.00 for an unaltered dog.) Dog licenses for the upcoming year can be purchased beginning on December 1. Beginning March 1, a $10.00 late penalty will be assessed. You will need your dog’s rabies certificate (which includes the rabies tag number and revaccination date). If the dog has been altered, you will need to show proof. Dog licenses expire on December 31 of each year.
 

Hawking and Peddling Licenses

Vendors must file an application for a permit to solicit, hawk or peddle goods, wares or services in Town. The fee is $50 and the applicant must provide a recent photo and three references who have known them for at least a year.  Applications are available by clicking here and are also located under Helpful Links & Documents. Vendors soliciting within Town limits without a valid license will be prosecuted.

Rental Housing Licenses

The Town  of Hampstead has an ordinance that requires the owner of any rental property within Town limits to have a license (specifically, chapter §80.5 of the Town Code, which states that it is unlawful to operate rental housing within the Town limits without obtaining a license).  The Rental Housing License is much like a business license.  There is no inspection of your property.  You simply have to complete the application (available at the Town Office), provide state-mandated lead paint information (if required) and send it in with payment for the license ($75.00 per unit dwelling; maximum fee per property of $1,500.00).  Please refer to Helpful Links & Documents for rental housing license applications as well as useful information on renting your property.

Applications - Applications are required for the following:

Board of Zoning Appeals Case  An application is needed for a hearing made to the Board of Zoning Appeals for variances from the Town's Zoning Code. Costs are: filing fee of $100, advertising charge of $90 and mailing costs (current rate of certified/return receipt postage for each adjoining property owner).

Meeting Room Rental  For use of Town Hall, please schedule 3 weeks in advance. The fee is $25 for in-Town residents and organizations ($50 for all other users), payable in the Town Office.

Public Gatherings  An application for public events on public streets or other Town-owned property must be obtained at the Town Office at least 3 weeks prior to the scheduled event.  (A public gathering is any parade, event, fair, carnival, circus, block party, march, fun run, walkathon, athletic event, bicycle race or any other such gathering of at least 25 people in which the activity takes place on, in or through any public sidewalk, street or right-of-way or on public property such as municipal parks.)

Use of Open Space  An application for use of Town parks and other Town Open Space properties may be completed at the Town Office. The fee is $10 for a Town resident and $25 for an out-of-Town user.  Pavilion rental at the Hampstead Panther Park (formerly known as the Municipal Park) is $75.

Zoning Certificates  Zoning Certificate Applications must be filed with the Town Office for: building additions and modifications; new homes; use and occupancy or change of use; day care operations.

Payments

Residents may pay for corporation taxes, water bills, police reports, tickets, and the above referenced permits, licenses and applications at the Town Office.