Instructions & Important Information about Forms

Accessibility
Important Information about Forms
Software Requirements
Search for a Form
Opening and Viewing Forms
Completing the Fillable Form
Form Costs
Saving Forms
Printing Forms
Clearing Entered Information from a Form
Guide & File
Form Revision Notification
Notice Regarding Forms

The District Court of Maryland is committed to making as many forms as possible available on our web site, in a printable, fillable format or in a new Guide & File interview. The process of converting forms to Guide & File interviews will take time. Guide & File interviews will be added as they are created. Some court forms will not be fillable online due to their complexity.

For a list of all District Court forms and fine schedules available to the public and the date the form was last revised, click on Forms Index. Single copies of forms not available on our web site may be obtained from the District Court location nearest you. 

The fillable forms listed in the index are in Portable Document Format (PDF). To view and print PDF files, you may need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

If you are unsure of which form you should use (i.e., filing for a Protective Order rather than a Peace Order), please visit the District Court's Brochures page, which includes information on peace and protective orders, the filing of civil cases, and criminal matters.
 

Accessibility

To read a PDF with a screen reader or magnifier:
Use the Accessibility Setup Assistant to set up Reader for either a screen magnifier or a screen reader.
Choose Document > Accessibility Setup Assistant, and then select the options you want from each screen of the Setup Assistant.

Important Information about Forms

  • The District Court cannot accept forms via the Internet.
  • Forms must be submitted to the District Court in person or by mail.
  • Any required court fees must be included when you submit the form.
  • The correct number of copies (as noted in the right hand column of the Forms Index) must be submitted to the District Court.
  • Two copies of most forms are available from a District Court clerk for free. Additional forms may cost $.50 each. For information on obtaining forms in bulk, contact the:
    District Court Warehouse
    2002A Industrial Drive
    Annapolis, Maryland 21401
    Telephone: 410-260-1650
  • The District Court will not mail forms.

NOTE: District Court forms are subject to unscheduled and unannounced revisions. We suggest you purchase no more than a two (2) to three (3) month supply.

Software Requirements

To view, complete and print fillable forms you will need the freely available Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer. The Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html Acrobat Reader does not allow you to save your completed, or partially completed forms to a disk or on your computer. Print an extra copy for yourself before exiting the form. The ability to save completed or partially completed forms is available commercially with the Adobe Acrobat full program product.

NOTE: Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or better is required for forms to print correctly. If you use an older version of Reader, printed forms may have items missing.

Search for a Form

Using the Title Search box on the District Court Forms Index will allow you to filter the list of form titles by keyword. This can be helpful if you are unsure where the form is categorized or if you are looking for multiple forms related to a single topic.

If you know the form number you are looking for, use the Form Number Search box to filter by form number.

You can also use the following method to find a form:
  1. Press CTRL+F to open the Find dialog box:
  2. Type a word or phrase in the Find dialog box (e.g. postponement).
  3. Click the "Next" button or press "Enter" to continue searching for the next match.

Opening and Viewing Forms

Place the mouse cursor over the form name you would like to open. This is a hyperlink that will open the form in PDF format. If you do not already have the PDF viewer; a link to the free download is available on this page.

Completing the Fillable Form

Once the form is open, left click in the first field where you need to type information. Use either the tab key or the mouse to move to the next field, type in the information, hit the "tab" key to move to the next field that will need to be filled in, continue to hit the "tab" key after each entry to navigate through the fields until the form is completed. Where possible, the tabs have been organized to lead you from one field to another in the order in which each field or box needs to be completed. If at anytime you want to go to a certain field, you can click in that field. If a field requires a "checkmark" or "X" you will need to place the mouse cursor over the field and left click in the field to have one appear. Hit tab to continue filling out the form.

Note: You must hit the tab or enter key after the last entry on the form. If you do not, the entered data may not print.

The fillable pdf does not have a fillable field for an electronic signature as they are not accepted by the court at this time. Your form should be signed and submitted to the court location where you will file your case along with the fees and required number of copies.

Saving Forms

You cannot save a form using Acrobat Reader. To save an Adobe PDF form you need to purchase either Adobe Approval or Adobe Acrobat. See the Adobe site for more details http://www.adobe.com.

Printing Forms

To print a form, you will need to click on the printer icon from the toolbar that is directly above the form. You will not be able to print the form from the file menu on the top of the screen.

Clearing Entered Information from a Form

Forms can be reset removing all information by using the "reset form" button on the bottom of the form. Remember all data will be lost when you reset the form.

Guide & File

Guide & File is a tool developed by the Maryland Courts to help you complete court forms online. The application guides you through a series of questions called an "interview." This free program copies your interview answers directly into your court form exactly as you enter it. When you're done, the program automatically generates completed forms, along with detailed instructions on what to do next.

Available Interviews and Additional Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Reference Guide

Form Revision Notification

Upon written (email) request, the District Court will send you e-mail notifications alerting you of new or revised District Court forms. If you subscribe to this service, you will be notified of all new/revised District Court forms for use by the public. Unfortunately, due to the large volume of forms, we are unable to customize the notifications for specific forms or case types for each requestor. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this service, click the link below to send an email to District Court Headquarters. Indicate you wish to subscribe/unsubscribe to forms notifications, provide your name, email address, and telephone number and you will be added/deleted from our mailing list.

Send an e-mail request to receive form updates by clicking here.

Notice Regarding Forms

Functionality/Display Issues - If you are experiencing any issues with the functionality (tabbing – order moving between fields, spacing, display, accessibility, etc.) of a form, please contact us via e-mail at: [email protected]. Please feel free to provide any suggestions or comments on how to improve the functionality of our court forms.

Request for New/Revised Forms - Requests to amend and/or create a District Court, Circuit Court, or joint form should be submitted on form CC-DC-076, Judiciary New and Revised Form Request. Please include any mark-ups and supporting documentation, with your request to: [email protected]

 MDEC counties only: If the form being submitted contains Restricted Information (confidential by statute, rule or court order), you must file a Notice Regarding Restricted Information Pursuant to Rule 20-201.1
(form MDJ-008).
In some instances, you must also check the Restricted Information box on the top of the form.
This does not apply if you are filing into a restricted case type (Adoption, Emergency Evaluation, Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO), Guardianship, Juvenile).