The purpose of this program is to promote and assure public safety, health and welfare, to prevent deterioration of Vacant Residential Structures, Vacant Non-Residential Structures and Vacant Non-Residential First Floor Space in the City of Hagerstown, to support property values, and to encourage responsible management and use of Vacant Structures and Spaces through licensing and inspections.

This program was approved by Mayor and Council on December 19, 2006 and revised on September 30, 2014, October 25, 2016, June 20, 2023 and October 28, 2025.

• Ordinance
• Brochure

Mandatory Registration

• Any non-residential structure that is vacant a continuous six (6) month period.
• A mixed-use structure located in the City Center Mixed Use (CCMU) zoning district having one or more vacant non-residential uses on the first floor.
• Any residential structure, single or multi-unit, that has been vacant for a continuous six (6) month period.
• Any residential structure with a pending foreclosure on a mortgage or deed of trust is deemed a blighted vacant structure.
• Any structure placarded by the City of Hagerstown for thirty (30) days as uninhabitable is deemed a blighted vacant structure.

Exemptions to Registration

• ACTIVE WORK – Regularly ongoing modifications to bring a structure up to code and which involve two or more systems, including but not limited to constructing, enlarging, altering, moving, demolishing, erecting, installing, removing, converting or replacing any electrical, plumbing, or mechanical system.  Active Work also includes modifications to the structure itself.
• CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY - The one (1) year period immediately following the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for new construction and six (6) month period immediately following the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for existing construction.
• LISTED FOR SALE - the first year of vacancy of a non-blighted structure while being marketed via a currently licensed real estate agent through Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation.
• SHELL CONDITION - A mixed-use structure with a vacant non-residential use located on the first floor space complaint with the shell condition space standards policy adopted by the Mayor and City Council as amended time to time.

Required Inspections

The exterior will be inspected annually.  The interior of a vacant structure will be inspected in accordance with the following schedule:

• Vacant Residential, Non-Residential Structures and Non-Residential First Floor Space
  • At first renewal and annually thereafter
• Vacant Blighted Residential, Blight Non-Residential Structures and Blighted Non-Residential First Floor Space
  • At initial application and on an annual basis thereafter