Baltimore County - Transfer Tax - Exemption for First-Time Home Buyers

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0602*

HOUSE BILL 602
Q6 6lr1595
HB 1295/25 – W&M
By: Delegates R. Long and Mangione
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Baltimore County – Transfer Tax – Exemption for First–Time Home Buyers 2

FOR the purpose of exempting instruments of writing that transfer improved residential 3
real property to certain first–time home buyers from the Baltimore County transfer 4
tax; and generally relating to the Baltimore County transfer tax. 5

BY adding to 6
Article – Tax – Property 7
Section 13 –601 and 13 –602 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 6. Baltimore 8
County Transfer Tax” 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13

Article – Tax – Property 14

SUBTITLE 6. BALTIMORE COUNTY TRANSFER TAX. 15

13–601. 16

IN THIS SUBTITLE, “FIRST–TIME MARYLAND HOME BUYER ” MEANS AN 17
INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NEVER OWNED IN THE STATE RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY 18
THAT HAS BEEN THE INDIVIDUAL’S PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE. 19

13–602. 20

2 HOUSE BILL 602

(A) IF THERE ARE TWO OR M ORE GRANTEES , THIS SECTION DOES NO T 1
APPLY UNLE SS EACH GRANTEE IS A FIRST–TIME MARYLAND HOME BUYER O R A 2
CO–MAKER OR GUARANTOR O F A PURCHASE MONEY M ORTGAGE OR PURCHASE 3
MONEY DEED OF TRUST AS DEFINED IN § 12–108(I) OF THIS ARTICLE FOR THE 4
PROPERTY AND THE CO–MAKER OR GUARANTOR WILL NOT OCCUPY THE RESIDENCE 5
AS THE CO–MAKER’S OR GUARANTOR’S PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE. 6

(B) AN INSTRUMENT OF WRIT ING THAT TRANSFERS I MPROVED 7
RESIDENTIAL REAL PRO PERTY TO A FIRST –TIME MARYLAND HOME BUYER W HO 8
WILL OCCUPY THE PROPERTY AS A PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE 9
BALTIMORE COUNTY TRANSFER TAX. 10

(C) TO QUALIFY FOR THE EX EMPTION UNDER SUBSEC TION (B) OF THIS 11
SECTION, EACH GRANTEE OR AGEN T OF THE GRANTEE SHA LL PROVIDE A 12
STATEMENT THAT IS SI GNED UNDER OATH BY T HE GRANTEE OR AGENT OF THE 13
GRANTEE STATING THAT: 14

(1) (I) THE GRANTEE IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NEVER OWNED IN 15
THE STATE RESIDENTIAL REA L PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN THE INDIVIDUAL ’S 16
PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE; AND 17

(II) THE RESIDENCE WILL B E OCCUPIED BY THE GR ANTEE AS 18
THE GRANTEE’S PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE; OR 19

(2) (I) THE GRANT EE IS A CO –MAKER OR GUARANTOR O F A 20
PURCHASE MONEY MORTGAGE OR PURCHASE MONEY DEED OF TRUST AS D EFINED 21
IN § 12–108(I) OF THIS ARTICLE FOR THE PROPERTY; AND 22

(II) THE GRANTEE WILL NOT OCCUPY THE RESIDENCE AS THE 23
CO–MAKER’S OR GUARANTOR’S PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE. 24

(D) A STATEMENT UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION BY A N AGENT 25
OF A GRANTEE SHALL STATE THAT THE STATEMENT: 26

(1) IS BASED ON A DILIGE NT INQUIRY MADE BY T HE AGENT WITH 27
RESPECT TO THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT; AND 28

(2) IS TRUE TO THE BEST OF THE KNOWLEDGE , INFORMATION, AND 29
BELIEF OF THE AGENT. 30

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 31
1, 2026. 32