Maryland Practice Test → Land Use & Zoning (alternative)

Maryland Land Use & Zoning (alternative)
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)

Land use and zoning questions on the Maryland exam test both general zoning principles and Maryland-specific land use controls. The Maryland Real Estate Commission covers zoning classifications, variances, special use permits, nonconforming uses, and eminent domain. Maryland's specific land use laws, including Maryland environmental regulations and local zoning ordinances, are tested in the state portion. Candidates frequently confuse variances (permission to deviate from existing zoning) with rezoning (changing the zone itself) — a distinction the MD exam tests repeatedly.

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Updated May 2026 · Maryland Real Estate Commission exam outline

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Maryland Land Use & Zoning (alternative) — Practice Questions & Answers

64 questions on Land Use & Zoning (alternative) from the Maryland real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 64.

Q1. A Maryland town exercises 'police power' when it:

A.Arrests trespassers on private property
B.Enacts zoning ordinances and building codes to protect public health, safety, and welfare
C.Purchases land for a new fire station
D.Reduces property tax rates

Explanation

Police power is the government's inherent authority to regulate private conduct to protect public health, safety, morals, and welfare — the basis for zoning, building codes, and land use regulations.

Q2. Maryland's 'subdivision regulations' govern:

A.The creation of tenant subdivisions within rental buildings
B.The division of land into lots, including requirements for street widths, utilities, and lot sizes
C.The rezoning of agricultural land
D.The SDAT assessment of new subdivisions

Explanation

Subdivision regulations in Maryland control how land is divided into lots, setting standards for lot size, road layout, utilities, drainage, and other infrastructure.

Q3. In Maryland, 'density bonuses' may be granted to developers who:

A.Build in designated enterprise zones
B.Include affordable housing, green space, or other community benefits beyond what is required
C.Build near mass transit stations
D.Use local contractors and materials

Explanation

Many Maryland jurisdictions grant density bonuses — allowing more units per acre than base zoning — in exchange for community benefits such as affordable housing units, public space, or transit-oriented design.

Q4. In Maryland, mixed-use zoning allows:

A.Agricultural and industrial uses only
B.Residential and commercial uses within the same building or development
C.Any use without restriction
D.Industrial and residential uses only

Explanation

Mixed-use zoning allows a combination of residential, commercial, and sometimes office or light industrial uses in the same building or area, supporting walkable, transit-friendly communities.

Q5. A Maryland county planning board reviews a proposed subdivision's traffic impact study to ensure:

A.The development meets aesthetic standards
B.The local road network can handle the additional traffic the development will generate
C.The developer has paid all impact fees
D.The subdivision meets MREC listing requirements

Explanation

Traffic impact studies evaluate whether existing road infrastructure can accommodate the trips generated by a proposed development, and whether improvements are needed.

Q6. In Maryland, a property in an 'overlay zone' is subject to:

A.Only the base zoning requirements
B.Both the base zone requirements and additional requirements from the overlay zone
C.Less restrictive standards than the base zone
D.Exemption from Critical Area regulations

Explanation

An overlay zone adds requirements on top of the base zone. Properties in an overlay district must comply with both the base zone requirements and the overlay requirements (which may be stricter).

Q7. Maryland's growth management legislation (Smart Growth Act) gives state agencies the authority to:

A.Directly override local zoning decisions
B.Deny or withhold state funds and infrastructure support for development outside Priority Funding Areas
C.Require all developers to seek state approval
D.Mandate affordable housing in all new developments

Explanation

Maryland's Smart Growth Act does not override local zoning but withholds state funding and infrastructure support for projects outside Priority Funding Areas, creating financial incentives for smart growth.

Q8. A 'regulatory taking' occurs in Maryland when:

A.The government purchases property for less than market value
B.Government regulation so severely restricts a property's use that it effectively deprives the owner of all reasonable economic use
C.A homeowner's property taxes are increased significantly
D.The government places a lien on the property

Explanation

A regulatory taking occurs when a regulation effectively destroys all economically beneficial use of private property, entitling the owner to just compensation as if the land were physically taken.

Q9. In Maryland, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is typically:

A.A structure used exclusively for commercial purposes
B.A secondary housing unit on a single-family property such as a basement apartment or detached cottage
C.A temporary structure not subject to zoning
D.Prohibited in all Maryland residential zones

Explanation

An ADU (accessory dwelling unit) is a secondary dwelling on a single-family lot — a basement apartment, carriage house, or detached cottage. Maryland counties increasingly permit ADUs to address housing supply needs.

Q10. Maryland's 'Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy' requires local governments to develop plans to:

A.Build more marinas along the Bay
B.Reduce pollutant loadings from agriculture, stormwater, and development into Bay tributaries
C.Promote waterfront development
D.Register all waterfront properties with MDE

Explanation

The Tributary Strategy requires Maryland's major watershed jurisdictions to develop plans for reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loadings to the Bay's tributaries.

Q11. A Maryland developer seeking to build in a FEMA-designated floodplain must obtain:

A.Only a standard building permit
B.A Floodplain Development Permit from the local jurisdiction and comply with NFIP standards
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