The following is a partial list of the types of cases filed and processed by the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court:

Civil Department
With certain exceptions, matters which involve a claim for damages in excess of $30,000 are filed with the Circuit Court. In general, concurrent jurisdiction is shared with the District Court in matters which involve a claim for an amount between $5,000 and $30,000.

• Appeals of an outside agency’s decision
• Appeals from the District Court
• Matters which involve titles to property, foreclosures and injunctions
• Adoption (Records are not available to the public)
• Guardianships (Records are not available to the public)
• Paternity Matters which may include determination of child’s father
• Child Support and Custody issues
• Divorce Proceedings
• Domestic Violence
• Emergency evaluations (Some records are not available to the public)
• Military Discharges (Records are not available to the public)
• Name changes
• Civil Liens and Judgments including encumbrances, Federal Tax Liens, Hospital Liens, Mechanics Liens, Maryland Tax
• Liens, District Court Liens, Civil Judgments, and some United States District Court Judgments

• Criminal Information
• Grand Jury Indictments
• Prayer for Jury Trials
• District Court Appeals

Juvenile Department

• Juvenile cases may include any matter brought before the courts that involve persons under the age of eighteen years. (Records are not available to the public)

The following is a partial list of documents recorded with the Clerk’s Office for permanent retention and available to the public for review:

Land Records

• Records available from 1773 to Present
• Deeds (title to property)
• Mortgages also known as Deeds of Trust
• Releases of Mortgages and Deeds of Trust
• Assignments of Mortgages and Deeds of Trust
• Leases over 7 years
• Easements, Rights of Ways, and Restrictions

Plat Records

• Subdivision (drawings of property)
• Condominium (condo drawings)
• PLATO (Maryland Archives Plat Imaging Application - access can be granted with the username: plato and the password: plato#)

Miscellaneous Services

• Marriage Licenses
• Civil Marriages
• Business Licenses
• Public Official Commissions-The Oaths of Office for elected and appointed local officials, as well as officials appointed by the Governor for certain boards and commissions, are administered by the Clerk.
• Notary Public Commissions-an application for a notary public commission can be obtained from the Secretary of State (www.sos.state.md.us). Upon approval of the application, notary public commissions are issued by the Clerk.

The records maintained by the Office of the Clerk of Court are available to the public for review. However, the records of juvenile or adoption cases can be accessed only through an order of the Court.

Please note that the Office of the Clerk is prohibited by Law from rendering any legal advice.