Circuit Court for Howard County - Land Records Department

The Land Records Department acts as a custodian for the recording and maintenance of all public records connected to real estate in Howard County. Our research room is open to the public. Information is obtained by self-research and copies are readily available for a fee. The Clerk's Office is prohibited by law from providing legal assistance or performing title searches.

Recent legislation prohibits inclusion of social security numbers and driver's license numbers in deeds and other instruments to be recorded with the Land Records Department of the Circuit Court which will become available over an internet website. If you wish to ““mask”” these numbers from the Internet, please send an email to the Maryland State Archives at msahelp@mdsa.net or Wayne A. Robey, Acting Clerk of the Circuit Court at Wayne.Robey@mdcourts.gov. You will need to provide an adequate description of the public record including a name and address or the type and location (the location MUST be the county, book, and page) of the public record.

If you have any questions about the location of the public record, please contact Drew Furletti, Manager of the Land Records Department at Andrew.Furletti@mdcourts.gov.

Recording Process for Deeds:

All deeds must pass through a two step process in the following order:

Finance Department
3430 Court House Drive, 1st Floor
George Howard Bldg.
Ellicott City, Maryland 21043
410-313-2389
www.howardcountymd.gov
Land Records Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court
Thomas Dorsey Building
9250 Bendix Road
Columbia, Maryland 21045
410-313-5850

FEES & TAXES

Recording Fees:

$10.00 for a release 9 pages or less
$20.00 for any other instrument 9 pages or less
or for any instrument over 9 pages if it involves solely a principal residence
$20.00 for Termination of Financing Statements
$75.00 for any other instrument 10 page or more.

Surcharge:

$40.00 for all instruments recorded except Power of Attorney, Notice of Sale and Notice of Judgment.

Recording Taxes:

Recordation Tax is $2.50 per each $500.00 or fractional part of the consideration. (Recordation tax applies to both instruments that transfer an interest in real property and instruments that create a security interest on real or personal property, e.g., mortgage, deed of trust, etc.)
State Transfer Tax is ½ of 1% of the consideration (Note: State Transfer Tax applies only to instruments that transfer an interest in real property, e.g., deed, lease, easement, contract, etc.)
County Transfer Tax is 1% of the consideration (Note: County Transfer Tax applies only to instruments that transfer an interest in real property, e.g. deed, lease, easement, contract, etc.)

Miscellaneous Recording Fees:

$5.00 per page for plats recorded in the plat records (one original and two black line photo-process Mylar copies or paper copies)
$50.00 for Homeowners Depository records - initial filing
$5.00 per page up to a maximum of $25.00 - amendments
$15.00 for Notice of Sale and Notice of Judgment

Please be advised that the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court is prohibited by law from rendering legal advice and from performing title searches.