The Baltimore City Health Department encourages everyone to remember to clean out their medicine cabinets and dispose of any unused prescriptions. Use these methods to dispose of them:

• Dispose of expired, unused, unwanted or over-the-counter medications at all Baltimore City Police Precincts. Drop boxes are available 24 hours a/day, 7 days/week
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends disposing of unused prescription drugs at home by flushing them down the toilet; or
• At your pharmacy - some pharmacies have mail-back programs and disposal kiosks for unused medicines. Ask your pharmacist for additional information. To find controlled substance disposal locations near you, visit the link below.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bed bugs do not transmit diseases (see bedbug info link below). For this reason they are not considered to be a health hazard and therefore not investigated by the Health Department. If you suspect you have bed bugs you may report this by calling 311 or by accessing Baltimore CitiTrack Service Request System online for the Department of Housing to investigate.

Additional resources regarding bedbugs are linked below.

Tattoo facilities are regulated under Baltimore City Health Code Title 13. Mobile tattoo facilities and the practice of “tattoo parties” are prohibited in the City of Baltimore. For a list of licensed tattoo facilities in Baltimore, click the link below.

HealthCare Access Maryland (HCAM) is a nonprofit agency that plays a critical role in strengthening Maryland’s health care delivery system. Working with both government and private-sector support, HCAM helps residents enroll in public health care coverage, navigate the complex health care system and connect to educational and other resources.  HCAM helps connect over 125,000 clients each year to health insurance and care and to vital community resources through a variety of programs serving the uninsured, under-insured and vulnerable populations of the state.

How to Apply for a Pet License

Step 1: Have your pet(s) vaccinated for rabies, and keep the rabies vaccination certificate.

Step 2: Purchase a pet license tag by going directly to: http://www.petdata.com/for-pet-owners/blt

All cats and dogs over age six months must be licensed.  Pet licensing is extremely important as a means of confirming that pets have been inoculated against Rabies.  Rabies inoculation is necessary, even for pets that remain indoors, because bats frequently gain entry to homes and are then pursued by pets, making bites likely.  Licensing helps reunite lost animals with their owners, and provides critically needed revenue to support open admission shelters, such as BARCS.

Baltimore City does not offer spraying for mosquitoes.

If you observe standing water that you believe mosquitoes are breeding in you may place a complaint using 311 for exterior standing water.

Upon investigation, if mosquito larva is observed in the water a violation notice will be issued to the property owner and if possible the water will be drained so that the larva will die. If the water cannot be drained the property owner will be given a violation notice and will have 5 days to eliminate the collection of water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. If it is not corrected within 5 days, Environmental Health will treat the collection of water with a larvacide and issue a citation to the property owner.

Please note: Exterior standing water will only be investigated between June 1 and October 31. 

Recreational Pools:  

• Requires at least one lifeguard on duty on the deck observing the pool while an individual is in the pool. 
• There is to be 1 lifeguard on duty on the deck if there is 1 to 30 individuals within the pool enclosure,
• An additional lifeguard must be on duty for each additional group of 50 or fraction thereof.

Limited Public-Use Pools: 

• If an organized group, agency, or other person using a limited public-use pool for swimming lessons or water safety training there must be a lifeguard on duty on the deck for each 25 bathers or fraction of 25 bathers if the pool:
  • is more than 3 1/2 feet in depth at the shallow end of the swimming area,
  • has an area more than 5 feet in depth at the deepest point,
  • does not have a rescue pole that can be practically used to reach beyond the midpoint of the pool, or an obstruction, such as a wall or tall fencing, exits within the pool enclosure that restricts the use of the pole, or
  • has a diving board, a sliding board, or recreational play equipment that is not blocked off to restrict use.

Private Pool/Spa:  

• No lifeguard required.

Semipublic Pool/Spa: 

• At least one lifeguard is required on duty on the deck if the semipublic pool has a water surface area greater than 2,500 square feet or that is part of a multiple pool facility within one enclosure that has a combined water surface area greater than 2,500 square feet 
• There is to be 1 lifeguard on duty and on the deck in the ratio of one guard per 50 individuals in the water.