Hazardous Materials Inspection Program

The amount of hazardous materials in use, storage, or being handled in Howard County continues to increase along with the number of emergency responses to facilities that utilize such substances. Due to this fact, in conjunction with heightened community concern, an increased emphasis has been placed on inspections involving hazardous materials along with requisite response protocols.

In early 2016, the Howard County Council approved the revisions to the locally adopted Fire Code which now includes a section on Hazardous Materials Inspections. These code revisions have established a five tier system based on hazardous materials type and quantity, as well as an annual assessment fee corresponding to each permit type. The fees generated are used to fund an Office of the Fire Marshal inspection program designed to help businesses that use, store, or handle hazardous materials to reduce their risk, comply with the Fire Code, and facilitate providing that information to first responders for an efficient and safe response for our community.

The application for the Hazardous Materials Inspections permit can be found below. The form is front and back, with the back including instructions and a detailed account of the permit types. One of the required supplemental items to be submitted along with the form is a Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement.  In order to ensure consistency among all occupancies, this form can be found below as well,  along with a detailed instructions sheet for its use. 

The Office of the Fire Marshal understands that this will be new to most of our business partners in the community and we want to assure you that we are here to assist you through this process. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us at  hazmat@howardcountymd.gov.