Understanding Street Addresses in Prince George's County, Maryland

The Authority Behind Your Street Address

In Prince George’s County, the power to assign and approve new street addresses, house numbers, and street names, as well as to make changes to existing ones, largely rests with The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission. This authority, granted by state law, covers most areas of the county. However, it’s important to note that for addresses within municipalities, especially the City of Laurel (as it existed before July 1, 2013), changes often require prior approval from the local governing body. The Commission’s direct addressing authority extends throughout the Maryland-Washington Regional District, excluding the historical City of Laurel, unless officially requested by the city itself.

Key Responsibilities in Street Address Management

The Planning Department takes on several vital duties to maintain an efficient addressing system. These responsibilities are designed to prevent confusion and ensure consistency across the county:

Maintaining a Master List of Approved Street Names: To avoid duplication and streamline the naming process, the department keeps a comprehensive list of approved and reserved street names. This list is a crucial resource when proposing new street names for developments or modifications.
Preventing Duplicate and Similar Street Names: Imagine the confusion caused by “Brown Street” and “Brown Road” in the same area. The Commission actively prevents such issues by carefully reviewing proposed street names against existing ones, ensuring each street name is unique and easily distinguishable.
Standardizing Street Name Suffixes: Consistency is key in addressing. The department maintains and provides a list of approved street name suffixes (like Street, Avenue, Road, Court) to ensure uniform and recognizable address formats throughout Prince George’s County.
Providing Clear Address Regulations: Understanding the rules is essential. The Planning Department makes address regulations readily accessible, ensuring that developers, homeowners, and other stakeholders can easily find and understand the guidelines governing street address assignments and modifications.
Clarifying Address Definitions and History: To further aid understanding, the department provides clear definitions of addressing terms and offers insights into the historical development of the addressing system in Prince George’s County. This background information can be helpful in understanding the current system and its evolution.
Facilitating Inter-Agency Communication: When a new street address is created or an existing one is changed, numerous government agencies need to be informed. The Planning Department ensures this crucial communication happens by providing a list of relevant government contacts who are notified of address updates, streamlining processes for various departments and services.
Offering a GIS Address Web Map: Visualizing address data can be incredibly useful. The department provides access to a Geographic Information System (GIS) web map that allows users to explore address information spatially, offering a powerful tool for planning and analysis.
Streamlining Address Updates in Official Databases: Ensuring address information is correctly updated in official databases is vital for property assessments and taxation. The department provides detailed workflows for entering new addresses or correcting existing ones within the Department of Assessments and Taxation database, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
Providing Access to Owner and Premise Address Information: For various needs, accessing owner and premise address information is essential. The department offers tools and resources to extract this data, facilitating tasks from property research to mail delivery.
Connecting to Helpful External Resources: Beyond internal resources, the department also points users to helpful external websites like the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), the Board of Elections, and the Local Post Office. These links provide access to related services and information that complement the Planning Department’s addressing functions.

Street Name and Address Guidelines for Accurate Records

Prince George’s County Planning Department adheres to the United States Postal Service (USPS) ZIP Code system when assigning primary postal city names and zip codes for street addresses. This alignment with the USPS is critical for ensuring seamless communication with various stakeholders. This includes government agencies like public safety and tax assessment offices, as well as essential delivery services such as Amazon, UPS, and FedEx. Utilizing the USPS system ensures that these entities can effectively process and deliver mail and services based on street addresses.

It’s worth noting that occasionally, a discrepancy may arise between the postal city name or zip code associated with a street address and an owner’s mailing address or other records. This can be due to factors like evolving ZIP code boundaries managed by the USPS or differences in conventions across various databases and mapping systems. If you encounter any uncertainties or require address verification, the Address Team is available to provide assistance.

When proposing a new street name, it’s highly recommended to consult the existing list of approved street names and suffixes beforehand. This proactive step helps prevent the creation of duplicate names and streamlines the approval process. Remember that the street name list is updated quarterly, so recent additions may not be immediately reflected in the published version.

For any further assistance or clarification regarding street addresses, don’t hesitate to reach out to the dedicated Address Team.