Codes of Record

International Energy Conservation Code, residential

Maryland enforces the 2021 IECC residential

The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for residential buildings has been in force in Maryland since May 29, 2023. It applies statewide. Adopted by Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Administration. The legal citation is COMAR 09.12.51.02, .04; Public Safety Article 12-503.

Record of adoption

Edition in force

2021 IECC

Maryland Building Performance Standards

Verified

In force since
Legal citation
COMAR 09.12.51.02, .04; Public Safety Article 12-503
Adopted by
Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry, Building Codes Administration
Second reading
Applies
Statewide
Also called
MBPS, COMAR 09.12.51.04D

State has Maryland modifications to the IECC (COMAR 09.12.51.04D); statute bars energy requirements less stringent than the IECC. Local adoption was required by May 29, 2024.

Coming next

  • 2024 IECCPartial
    No date yetProposedCOMAR 09.12.50, 09.12.51 (proposed)

    Agency page names the IECC among 2024 editions proposed (Maryland Register Jun 26, 2026, per the page); a NEEP comment letter also refers to the proposal. No final adoption found.

How Maryland adopts the IECC residential

  • Agency rule
  • The legislature sets the update schedule

Statute requires Labor to adopt each new MBPS version, including the IECC, within 18 months of issue and to keep energy requirements at least as stringent as the IECC. Labor amends COMAR by proposal and hearing; locals implement within 12 months.

Cycle. statutory 18-month target after each ICC edition

Laws, rulings, and other actions

  1. Legislation
    HB 870, Large Buildings for Tomorrow Act, Chapter 4122026 regular session

    Enacted title requires counties and municipalities to notify the Department of the Environment of new-building permit applications of 35,000 sq ft or more; the first-reader text also had Labor adopt energy requirements by Oct 1, 2028.

    Enacted May 12, 2026, effective Oct 1, 2026

    mgaleg.maryland.gov (opens in a new tab)
  2. UndatedLegislation
    HB 212, Fossil Fuel Use and Electric-Ready Standards2025 regular session

    Would have required Labor to adopt, as part of the MBPS, a no-fossil-fuel and electric-ready requirement for new buildings.

    Not enacted (last recorded action: House committee hearing)

    mgaleg.maryland.gov (opens in a new tab)
  3. UndatedLegislation
    HB 210, Fossil Fuel Use and Electric-Ready Standards2024 regular session

    Earlier version of the same proposal, with a January 1, 2025 deadline for Labor.

    Not enacted (last recorded action: House committee hearing)

    mgaleg.maryland.gov (opens in a new tab)
  4. UndatedLegislation
    Public Safety Article 12-50318-month adoption rule, HB 57, 2016 regular session first-reader text moved 12 to 18 months

    Requires Labor to adopt the MBPS by regulation and each later version within 18 months after issue, and bars energy requirements less stringent than the IECC.

    In force (current statute text)

    mgaleg.maryland.gov (opens in a new tab)

How it was checked

Verified

Two separate readings of the state’s own record agree, and the passage is on file word for word.

Read twice: a second, blind reading of the state’s record agreed with the first on .

The state’s record was last read on , from three source pages.

Evidence 4 sources

Sources for the record itself come first, the state’s own records ahead of others. A label marks a source about something else, such as an exception. A source marked secondary is not the state’s own record.

  • “as may be modified by the Department”

    Maryland Building Performance Standards, COMAR 09.12.51Maryland Department of Laborlabor.md.gov (opens in a new tab)Administrative codeRetrieved

  • “2021 IECC (MBPS)”

    Current Adopted Building-Related Codes in the State of Maryland (3/18/2026)Maryland Department of Labor, Building Codes Administrationlabor.maryland.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved

  • “On May 29, 2023, the State of Maryland adopted the 2021 IECC.”

    Building Codes (IECC Information Page)Maryland Energy Administrationenergy.maryland.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved

  • About how the state adopts codes

    “to adopt the most recent version of the IECC within 18 months of the ICC’s release of a new code”

    Building Codes (IECC Information Page)Maryland Energy Administrationenergy.maryland.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved

Tracker cross-checks

Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not Maryland’s own record.

  • DOE’s energycodes.govCross-checkAgrees with the record

    Current State Code: 2021 IECC; Effective Date 05/29/2023; no pending code listed

    energycodes.gov (opens in a new tab)Read

  • BCAP’s code status pageCross-checkDoes not agree with the record

    Maryland Building Performance Standards based on the 2018 IECC, effective 3/1/2022

    bcapcodes.org (opens in a new tab)Read

Related pages

Other codes in Maryland