What Happens to Open Code Violations When You Sell a Prince George’s County House?

You have a Notice of Violation or a citation on a house in Prince George’s County and you want to sell. You can. The real questions are what happens to the open case, the fines and the required repairs when ownership changes, and who you need to call to find out where things stand. Those answers changed in 2026.

Who enforces the code now

A 2026 county executive order (EO 13-2026) transferred the enforcement division’s duties from the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) to the Office of Homeland Security (OHS) Code Compliance Division. Older guides, including some state legal-information pages, still name DPIE. Code Compliance can be reached at 301-636-2090, or through 311 (301-883-4748 from outside the county). DPIE still handles building permits.

The county enforces Subtitle 13 of the County Code (Housing and Property Standards), the zoning ordinance, the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code and the anti-litter and weed ordinance. Several cities and towns in the county have their own housing codes, and the county directs lot complaints inside a municipality to the city or town office. Check the letterhead on your notice to see which government issued it.

How a code case moves

1. Notice of Violation or citation. The county issues a Notice of Violation, a civil citation, or both, to the owner or person responsible for the property.
2. Administrative citation. The county’s citation page explains that a $300 fine must be paid within 30 days, or the owner can request a hearing. Ignoring it exposes the owner to the maximum penalties, including a $1,000 civil fine. Paying the fine “does not relieve the Respondent of the obligation to abate/correct ongoing violations.”
3. County abatement and lien. Under the county’s Clean Lot ordinance, if the owner doesn’t comply, the county can correct the condition itself and place a lien on the property for the cost.

What changes when the house is sold

• The condition stays with the house. Notices go to the owner or responsible person. After settlement, that is the buyer, so a buyer should expect to finish the repairs. Ask Code Compliance how it handles an open case after a transfer.
• Fines and liens are money owed. Abatement costs recorded as a lien show up in a title search and are normally paid from the proceeds at settlement. Unpaid citations should be resolved before closing as well.
• Disclose it. Give buyers copies of every notice and citation, and write into the contract who will fix what and who pays any fines.

Unpermitted work is a separate issue

Additions, basement finishes and electrical or plumbing work done without permits can come up during a sale even without a code case. DPIE warns that penalties of $1,000 per day can be assessed for working without a permit or outside its scope. Post-construction permits and fines are listed on DPIE’s fee schedule. Permit history can be searched through the county’s Momentum permit system.

Finding out where your case stands

1. Call Code Compliance at 301-636-2090 with the address and case or citation number.
2. If the notice came from a city or town, call that municipality’s code office instead.
3. Search the property’s permit history in Momentum.
4. Order a title search to see whether any abatement lien has been recorded.

The guide to selling a Maryland house with code violations covers your options beyond this county, and the Maryland liens and title help guide explains how liens are cleared at settlement. For other local options, see the Prince George’s County home-selling page.