Montgomery County’s “Bring Your Own Bag” law took effect Jan. 1, prohibiting plastic carryout bags and increasing the fee for paper bags to 10 cents. Plastic bags remain permitted for certain items, including prescription medicines, dry cleaning and perishable objects.
Montgomery County originally implemented a 5-cent fee on paper bags in 2012. However, a 2023 Office of the Inspector General report prompted the new legislation after finding that many businesses failed to collect the fee, and the county lacked a system to track the missing revenue.
Alana Applebaum, Whitman representative for Montgomery County’s Student Climate Council, said she always brings reusable bags when shopping, and hopes the law will encourage others to do the same.
“I think this law is a great step forward for the county in fighting back against single-use plastics,” Applebaum said. “They can clog our waterways, degrade our natural landscape and emit greenhouse gases in both their production and incineration.”
The Montgomery County Council passed the “Bring Your Own Bag bill” Feb. 11, 2025, raising the paper bag fee to 10 cents. Half of the revenue now covers administrative costs, while the other half is allocated to the Water Quality Protection Fund, which supports stormwater management and litter collection throughout the county.
Lead sponsor and Montgomery County Council President Kate Stewart said in a statement she understands the risk of increasing environmental waste, noting that the world produces over 400 million tons of plastic each year.
“We know a lot more every day about the issue of microplastics and impact on public health,” Stewart said. “The more we can reduce plastic in our everyday lives, the better off we will all be.”
Designed to decrease waste, improve water quality and encourage the use of reusable bags, the law now requires businesses to include the bag charge on receipts and post signage outlining the new rules in English and Spanish.
The county’s Department of Environmental Protection will oversee compliance, as retailers are required to submit payment for paper bag sales and quarterly tax reports. Retailers who continue using plastic bags will face a first-time fine of $500.
Nine municipalities haven’t adopted the plastic bag ban, including the Towns of Glen Echo and Chevy Chase Section 3. Although the county requires all towns to impose a 10-cent tax on carryout bags, municipalities retain autonomy and aren’t automatically subjected to the county’s specific prohibition.
Junior Parker Satlof said she supports the countywide law because it would increase the policy’s overall effectiveness.
“Especially since we’re so close to the Potomac River, it is incredibly important to cooperate on issues regarding the environment,” Satlof said. “We can only make a difference if we have these cohesive laws.”
