County Guide
Montgomery County, MD Building Permits Guide
How Montgomery County, MD building permits work: the county department that issues them, which cities run their own, and how to look up records.
If you are pulling a building permit in Montgomery County, Maryland, or trying to look one up, the first thing to sort out is who has authority over your address. Most of the county is served by one department, but a couple of its larger cities run their own permit offices. Here is who issues building permits in Montgomery County, what the county covers, and how to find the records.
Who Issues Building Permits in Montgomery County?
Building permits in Montgomery County are issued by the county's Department of Permitting Services, usually shortened to DPS. DPS reviews applications, checks plans against the adopted building code, issues the permit, and runs the inspections through final sign-off. It is the authority having jurisdiction for construction across most of the county. If that term is new to you, see our guide to what the AHJ is.
DPS runs an online portal called eServices, where contractors and owners can apply for permits, upload plans, pay fees, schedule inspections, and check status. The same system backs a public permit search, so you do not need an account just to look up a record.
The County vs. the Cities Inside It
DPS covers unincorporated Montgomery County and most of its municipalities, but not all of them. The cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg run their own building and permitting operations, so a project inside those city limits is reviewed and permitted by the city, not by DPS.
This matters when you search. A permit pulled in Rockville will not appear in the county's records, and the reverse is true too. Before you apply or look something up, confirm whether the address sits inside an incorporated city or in the county's jurisdiction.
How to Look Up Permits in Montgomery County
Start with the official source. DPS publishes a public permit search tied to its eServices system, where you can look up records by address, permit number, or contractor. For a single property, that is the authoritative record.
If you want the bigger picture, which types of work are being permitted across the county and how volume is trending, our live Montgomery County permit tracker pulls the county's residential filings every week and summarizes the busiest permit and trade categories. Permit records are open to the public, which is exactly why tools like this can exist. For the background, see are building permits public record.
Permit Activity in Montgomery County
Montgomery County runs a steady volume of residential permitting. Permit Ledger tracked about 1,700 residential permits in the county in the trailing 30 days as of mid-July 2026, up modestly from roughly 1,500 in the prior 30-day period. That count covers renovation, remodel, addition, solar, and pool work, not new commercial construction.
Month-to-month movement like this is normal. For contractors and suppliers, the takeaway is that demand held steady into the summer rather than falling off.
Who Uses This Data
County permit data is a working tool for several groups: remodeling, roofing, HVAC, and solar contractors use fresh filings as high-intent leads; investors watch for active projects and stalled permits; and direct mail marketers build address lists from recent renovation activity. Because the records are public, anyone can use them. To research a single address, see how to look up permit history by address.
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Montgomery County, MD?
The county's Department of Permitting Services (DPS) issues building permits for unincorporated Montgomery County and most of its municipalities. It reviews plans, issues permits, and runs inspections through final sign-off.
Do Rockville and Gaithersburg use the county for permits?
No. The cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg run their own building and permitting operations. A project inside those city limits is permitted by the city, and those records are separate from the county's.
How do I look up a Montgomery County building permit?
Use the DPS eServices permit search to look up records by address, permit number, or contractor. You do not need an account to search. For a market-wide view of activity, Permit Ledger publishes a weekly Montgomery County permit tracker.
Are Montgomery County building permits public record?
Yes. Building permits are public record in Maryland, as they are in every state. You can search them for free through the county's system without owning the property or holding a license.
How many building permits does Montgomery County issue?
Permit Ledger tracked about 1,700 residential permits in Montgomery County in the trailing 30 days as of mid-July 2026, up modestly from roughly 1,500 in the prior 30-day period. That count covers residential renovation, remodel, addition, solar, and pool work.
See Live Montgomery County Permit Data →Related guides
- What Is the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)?
- What Is a Parcel Number? Definition and How to Find It
- Unpermitted Work: What Happens If You're Caught
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