Updated policy streamlines and clarifies permitting process and field use regulations.
WHEATON, Md. – Montgomery Parks will present its updated Athletic Field Use Permit Policy for approval to the Montgomery Planning Board on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The policy, last updated in 2013, addresses the changing needs of field users and serves as the primary framework for managing and permitting Montgomery Parks’ athletic fields.
Public outreach was a central component of updating the policy. Montgomery Parks solicited input from athletic field user groups between winter 2024 and the fall of 2025 to help guide changes. Outreach efforts included an online survey, a series of focus groups, and hosting several in-person park pop-ups to collect input from onsite field users. Montgomery Parks collected feedback from over 100 users.
The new policy reflects user input and features new information on:
- Field classification
- Order of consideration for field permits
- Equity update to Priority Use processes
- Online sales of available permits, known as “Go Live” events
- Ghost permitting, which is permitting a field without using the field during that time
- Updated permit cancellation and change fee structure
Items that remain unchanged include holiday closures for certain fields, the inability to practice on “game-only” fields, and requests to extend the playing season.
“With this new policy, Montgomery Parks provides better transparency in our processes and provides a more equitable permitting process to increase fair field access,” said Carl Weber, athletic field planner for Montgomery Parks.
If approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board, the policy will be implemented beginning in the Spring/Summer 2027 Season.
About Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 416 parks. Montgomery Parks is focused on promoting physical activity, social connectivity, and environmental stewardship, with an emphasis on teens, working-age adults, seniors, and kids. Montgomery Parks is a department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high-quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. MontgomeryParks.org
Accessibility
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice/TTY), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724 or ProgramAccess@MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification. Visit Montgomery Parks Accessibility for more information.
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