Rich in tradition and history of Maryland, the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court is one of the oldest public institutions in the State. The Clerk of Court is a locally-elected State official with responsibilities established and regulated by the laws of Maryland Rules of the Supreme Court of Maryland. Since 1658, the Office of the Clerk of Court has provided the citizens of Maryland with a variety of essential services. Every resident of the State is a potential recipient of the services. The revenue collected by the clerks for these services is distributed to county and state governments.
The following is a partial list of the types of cases filed and processed by the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court:
PLEASE NOTE: the Office of the Clerk is prohibited by Law from rendering any legal advice.
Civil
- Judicial Review of Administrative Agency Decisions
- Appeals from District Court
- Matters which involve domestic relations including divorce, child support, and custody
- Matters which involve non-domestic issues including foreclosures, mechanics liens and injunctions
- Adoptions and Paternity Matters
- Guardianships
- Name changes
- Motor torts and other torts
Certified copies may be obtained from the Civil Department in person, mail, email, or fax. Cost for certified copies is $5.50 each. Please complete the Request for Certified Copy of Divorce Decree or Request for Certified Copy of Name Change Decree. Acceptable forms of payments are cash (in office requests only - do not send cash through the mail), money order or credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Discover). The form is a fillable PDF which allows you to type directly into the document. You must have Adobe Reader version 5.1 or higher to use the fillable function. To download a free copy or upgrade to a newer version, visit the Adobe web site. Adobe Reader does not allow you to save the information you input into a form. Print an extra copy of the completed application form before exiting.
In person requests are taken at Clerk of the Circuit Court, 129 East Main Street, Room 110, Elkton, Maryland 21921.
Mail requests are sent to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Cecil County, Attn: Civil Department, 129 East Main Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Email requests to [email protected]
Fax requests to 1-410-996-5234
If you email or fax your request, you must use the Request for Certified Copy of Divorce Decree form referenced above, and payment must be by credit card.
Information needed for all requests:
- Names of both individuals at the time of divorce
- Date of Filing and/or Divorce (Approximate year at minimum)
- Case Number (if known)
- A money order payable to Clerk of the Court or credit card information and authorization (cost of certified copies is $5.50 each). Please note we do not accept personal checks.
- Return address for mailing copies
- A telephone number or email address in the event we have questions regarding your request
Certified Copies of Marriage Records
Certified copies may be obtained from the Licensing Department in person, mail, email, or fax. Cost for certified copies is $5.50 each. Please complete the Request for Certified Copy of Marriage License. Acceptable forms of payments are cash (in office requests only - do not send cash through the mail), money order or credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Discover). The form is a fillable PDF which allows you to type directly into the document. You must have Adobe Reader version 5.1 or higher to use the fillable function. To download a free copy or upgrade to a newer version, visit the Adobe web site. Adobe Reader does not allow you to save the information you input into a form. Print an extra copy of the completed application form before exiting.
Mail requests are sent to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Cecil County, Attn: Licensing Department/Marriage, 129 East Main Street, Elkton, MD 21921. Email requests to [email protected]. Fax requests to 1-800-569-0648. If you email or fax your request, you must use the Request for Certified Copy of Marriage License form referenced above, and payment must be by credit card.
Information needed for all requests:
- Names of both individuals at the time they were married
- Date of Marriage (if you can not remember the exact date, just give us your best estimate as to the year of marriage or even a date range [i.e., 1985 to 1990] – we just need a starting point for our research)
- A money order payable to Clerk of the Court or credit card information and authorization (cost of certified copies is $5.50 each). Please note we do not accept personal checks.
- Return address for mailing copies
- A telephone number or email address in the event we have questions regarding your request
Criminal
- Felony and certain misdemeanor charges filed by the Grand Jury or the State’s Attorney
- Appeals from the District Court and requests for jury trials
Copies may be obtained from the Criminal Department in person, mail, email, or fax. Cost for certified copies is $5.00 plus $.50 per page for each and regular copies are $.50 per page. Please complete the Request for Copies. Acceptable forms of payments are cash (in office requests only - do not send cash through the mail), money order or credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Discover). The form is a fillable PDF which allows you to type directly into the document. You must have Adobe Reader version 5.1 or higher to use the fillable function. To download a free copy or upgrade to a newer version, visit the Adobe web site. Adobe Reader does not allow you to save the information you input into a form. Print an extra copy of the completed application form before exiting.
In person requests are taken at Clerk of the Circuit Court, 129 East Main Street, Room 114, Elkton, Maryland 21921.
Mail requests are sent to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Cecil County, Attn: Criminal Department, 129 East Main Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Email requests to [email protected]
Fax requests to 1-410-996-5058
If you email or fax your request, you must use the Request for Copies form referenced above, and payment must be by credit card.
Information needed for all requests:
- Name defendant
- Case Number (if known)
- Document(s) requested
- A money order payable to Clerk of the Court (must obtain total amount due before submitting) or credit card information and authorization (cost of certified copies is $5.50 each). Please note we do not accept personal checks.
- Return address for mailing copies
- A telephone number or email address in the event we have questions regarding your request
Juvenile
- Juvenile cases may include any matter brought before the Court which involve persons under the age of eighteen years.
Liens and Judgements
- Liens and Judgments including encumbrances, Federal tax liens, hospital liens, Maryland tax liens, District Court liens, civil judgments, and Unites States District Court judgments are recorded in the Office of the Clerk.
Juries
- Citizens are selected randomly for service on grand and petit juries in the manner prescribed by the Supreme Court of Maryland. Jury trials are available only in the Circuit Courts of Maryland.
The following is a partial list of documents recorded with the Clerk for permanent retention:
Land Records
- Deeds
- Mortgages and Deeds of Trust
- Leases
- Releases of Mortgages and Deeds of Trust
- Land Contracts
Copies may be obtained online at www.mdlandrec.net (you must register and obtain a user name and password, but registration is free) or from the Land Records Department in person, mail, email, or fax. Cost for certified copies is $5.50 each and regular copies are $.50 per page. Please complete the Request for Copies. Acceptable forms of payments are cash (in office requests only - do not send cash through the mail), money order or credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Discover). The form is a fillable PDF which allows you to type directly into the document. You must have Adobe Reader version 5.1 or higher to use the fillable function. To download a free copy or upgrade to a newer version, visit the Adobe web site. Adobe Reader does not allow you to save the information you input into a form. Print an extra copy of the completed application form before exiting.
In person requests are taken at Clerk of the Circuit Court, 129 East Main Street, Room 114, Elkton, Maryland 21921.
Mail requests are sent to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Cecil County, Attn: Land Records Department, 129 East Main Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Email requests to [email protected].
Fax requests to 1-410-996-5058.
If you email or fax your request, you must use the Request for Copies form referenced above, and payment must be by credit card.
Information needed for all requests:
- Parties name(s)
- Document(s) requested
- A money order payable to Clerk of the Court (must obtain total amount due before submitting) or credit card information and authorization (cost of certified copies is $5.50 each). Please note we do not accept personal checks.
- Return address for mailing copies
- A telephone number or email address in the event we have questions regarding your request
Plat Records
- Subdivision
- Condominium
- Highway
PLATS.NET (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 Oath 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 by contacting the Secretary of State (www.sos.state.md.us) in Annapolis. Upon approval of this 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.