NOTICE

The Carroll County Clerk’s Office will close early at 2:45pm on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 for their annual Holiday Employee Celebration. The office will reopen at normal time, 8:30am, Wednesday, December 11, 2024.

SCAM ALERT:

It has been reported that there have been phishing emails sent to Maryland citizens by scammers pretending to be the company “Lifelock” or the company “Norton”.
The email claims that a property was bought in Carroll County (or another Maryland County) in your name.
There is an email to click which leads whoever is reading the email to give the scammers important personal information or even access to their computer or cell phone. Please DO NOT CLICK on the link and please DELETE these emails.
They are phishing scams meant to steal your personal information.
**If you are still unsure after deleting the email, you may call the Carroll County Clerk’s Office at 410-386-8760 to verify a property was not sold or bought in your name.

Welcome to the Clerk’s Office
of the Carroll County Circuit Court, Maryland

Clerk of the Circuit Court for Carroll County, Heather S. DeWees

Heather S. DeWees, Clerk
Circuit Court for Carroll County, MD

The customer service goal set by Clerk Heather S. DeWees and her staff is safe, efficient, and effective service for all. All customers can contact the office by email or phone and expect prompt, informative and courteous service by an attentive, educated and patient staff. In addition to visiting the office in person, customers can use the Clerk’s Office Drop Box located at the front of the Circuit Court Annex at 55 North Court Street in Westminster to submit filings or payments. We welcome you to the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office and hope you have a positive experience.

Notice:
The Clerk's Office does not manage Jury Duty. All JURY DUTY questions or concerns should be sent to the Carroll County Circuit Court Jury Commissioner at [email protected] or jurors can call
410-386-2093 for the Jury Office.


EMAIL the following if you have questions for the Carroll County Clerk's Office:

  • [email protected] for Carroll County Circuit Court case or filing questions (This email is NOT to be used for communication with a Judge.)
    • To correspond with a Circuit Court Judge, please call your attorney, call 410-386-8720 for assistance from the Clerk’s Office, or write a letter to the Judge mailed to: Carroll County Circuit Court, 55 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21157.
  • [email protected] for Carroll County Business License questions
  • [email protected] for Carroll County Marriage License, Ceremony or Certificate questions
  • [email protected] for Maryland Land Recordings in Carroll County
  • [email protected] to contact Heather S. DeWees, Carroll County Clerk of Circuit Court
  • [email protected] to contact the Carroll County Jury Commissioner (**The Carroll County Clerk's Office does NOT manage jury duty.**)

CALL:

  • 410-386-8760 for the Land Records & Licensing Department (Land Records, Business & Marriage Licenses, Notary, Civil Wedding Ceremonies, Public Office or Governor Appointment Oaths)
  • 410-386-8720 for Circuit Court Case filings (Civil, Criminal, Family, or Juvenile) and all other customers
  • 410-386-8715 to contact the Heather S. DeWees, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Carroll County
    *** 410-386-2093 for Circuit Court Jury Duty in Carroll County (***The Carroll County Clerk’s Office does NOT manage jury duty.)

OTHER SELF HELP PHONE NUMBERS:

  • 410-260-1392 Maryland Courts Help Center: (Monday-Friday 8:30am-8:00pm)
  • 1-800-845-8550 Family Law Hotline: (Monday-Friday 9:30am-4:30pm)
  • 443-863-4040 Veterans’ Legal Hotline: (Tuesdays 3:00-7:00pm and Thursdays 9:30am-1:00pm)
  • 1-877-462-7555 or 1-855-604-4663 Foreclosure Assistance: (Call 1-888-784-0136 for bad lending practices or scams)
  • 1-877-422-9500 Employment Hotline: (Tuesdays 9:30am-1:00pm and 1st Thursday of each month 5:00-7:00pm)

PARKING Information for the Carroll County Circuit Court: Clerk's Office and Circuit Court Parking Map

  • The Circuit Courthouse Annex parking is located in front of the building parking on North Court Street, behind the Circuit Courthouse Annex on Greenwood Avenue or in the Parking Lot adjacent the Westminster Cemetery at the corner of Ralph Street and Greenwood Avenue.
  • Parking for the Historic Courthouse is located on Willis Street and on North Court Street.
  • Parking for Circuit Court visitors with Disability Placards is located on Greenwood Avenue behind the Circuit Courthouse Annex adjacent to the Employee Only Parking Lot. Visitors with a disability may enter the front or rear entrance of the Circuit Courthouse Annex.
  • Parking directly behind the Circuit Courthouse Annex is designated EMPLOYEE PARKING ONLY except for the spots designated for those visitors with Disability Placards. Please DO NOT PARK BEHIND the Circuit Courthouse Annex if you do not have an EMPLOYEE PARKING PERMIT or are not parking in the disability placard spots.

Important Links for the Public

  • Business License Update for cigarette and electronic smoking device type licenses: The Tobacco Modernization Act of 2024 (MD Senate Bill 1056) has been implemented. The new cigarette and electronic smoking device license types now cost $300 per license as of October 1, 2024.
  • ONLINE Business License Renewals: To renew a business license in Carroll County, please visit: https://jportal.mdcourts.gov/license.
    1. Business owners can log onto their account and pay for their renewal application online.*
      *Applications will NOT be processed online if the Business Owner has not paid for previous years' licenses.
    2. The Carroll County Clerk’s Office will mail out the license to the business owner when payment is received.
    3. When an online payment is submitted, the Clerk’s Office cannot void or return payment. The business owner has to apply for a refund.
  • Business License Renewal Tips for Carroll County: Carroll County Clerk's Office Brochure for “Obtaining a Business License”.
    1. The Maryland State Licensing Year runs May 1st -April 30th each calendar year.
    2. Business owners have until June 1st to return the application and payment or go ONLINE and renew before monthly fees begin to accrue.
    3. If a business owner plans to mail back the renewal application with payment, it is necessary to:
      • Include a signed & dated check or money order made payable to: Heather S. DeWees, Clerk
      • Place in CLERK'S OFFICE DROP BOX or mail to: Carroll County Clerk's Office, 55 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21158.
      • Please call 410-386-8760 or email [email protected] if you have questions or need to update your business address.
  • ADA Access: Maryland Courts Accommodation Information and Request Form: For any person with a disability who has business in a Maryland court can request an accommodation. This includes litigants, lawyers, defendants, witnesses, potential jurors, and other members of the public using court services.
    • Those with Disability Placards may enter the front entrance or rear entrance of the Carroll County Circuit Courthouse Annex.
  • Case Search for Maryland Judiciary: https://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch/
    • This website provides public access to the case records of the Maryland Judiciary.
    • Access is governed by Maryland Rules on Access to Court Records.
    • The Carroll County Clerk’s Office is NOT responsible for its contents.
  • Check Policy: Click here for the updated Check Policy. For payments of court fees, please make checks or money orders payable to: Heather S. DeWees, Clerk.
  • Family Law Information: For more information, please email [email protected] or call 410-386-2751
    • Clinics and Seminars ONLY provide advice and DO NOT provide court representation. They are first come first serve and subject to change due to availability of an attorney.
      1. FREE Carroll County Family Law PUBLIC SEMINARS are now being offered on the 1st Wednesday of each month. There is NO income limitations for this seminar. To register please email [email protected] or call 410-386-2751.
      2. FREE Carroll County FAMILY LAW LEGAL ADVICE CLINICS are offered on Wednesdays 1:00pm-4:00pm & Thursdays 9:00am-Noon BY PHONE to those with a LOW income. Please call 410-386-2751 for this FREE limited legal advice opportunity.
      3. Family Law Resource Packet
  • Marriage License and Marriage Certificate Information: For those who wish to be married within the next 6 months, please call 410-386-8760 or email [email protected].
    • Resident Marriage Application: For residents of Carroll County that wish to marry in Carroll County, please fill out the Marriage License Application.
    • NON-RESIDENT Marriage License Application: For those who are Non-Residents of Carroll County who wish to marry in Carroll County within the next 6 months and cannot visit the office, please read the Non-Resident Marriage Application directions and fill out the following NON-Resident Marriage License Application.
    • Civil Wedding Ceremonies at the Circuit Court can be conducted INDOORS with 10-12 guests or OUTDOORS if parties have more guests and weather is permitting. Please call 410-386-8760 to make an appointment. Ceremonies are conducted between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
    • For marriage license or ceremony payments, please make check or money order payable to: Heather S. DeWees, Clerk
    • Carroll County Clerk’s Office Marriage Certificate Copy Request Form: For those married in Carroll County and wish to obtain a copy of their Marriage Certificate.
  • Office of Legislative Audits (OLA) Fraud Hotline Information: Visit the website or call TOLL FREE 1-877-FRAUD-11.
    • In effort to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse of State resources, this TOLL FREE HOTLINE was established by the Maryland Office of Legislative Audits (OLA) for those to report fraud, waste and abuse of Maryland State Government Resources in Maryland State Government.
  • Public Terminal Access Information: Public computers are available for use on both the 2nd Floor (Civil, Criminal, Family & Civil Departments) & the Ground Floor (Land Records & Licensing). Computer use is limited to 30 minutes per customer.
  • Register of Wills Information for Carroll County: http://registers.maryland.gov/main/carroll.html
    • Unlike other states such as West Virginia, the Carroll County Clerk’s Office does NOT manage protection and executions of wills. The purpose of the Register of Wills and the Orphans’ Court is to offer protection for the decedent, the heirs, the legatees, the creditors and the State of Maryland. Please call the Carroll County Register of Wills Office at 410-848-2586 or email [email protected] for all questions regarding such matters.
  • Important SCAM NOTICES for the Public: If you believe you are the victim of a court scam, please call 410-386-8710 to report the scam to the Clerk of Court.
    • Public Service Announcements from Clerk Heather S. DeWees:
    • POWER LINE LAND SCAM ALERT: It you get a solicitation (mailer / email / phone call / text) offering a FAST transaction to SELL your home, land, or portion of your property related to the POWER LINES planned for Carroll, Frederick, Baltimore, or Harford Counties please forward the information to Delegate April Rose or Clerk Heather S. DeWees. It could be a fraudulent offer or a SCAMMER with ill intent.
       
    • NEW DEED SCAM ALERT: In this mail scam, the mailer claims to be from PROPERTY PROFILE and displays a new property owner’s address, the lot description, a transfer date and value on the document. The letter offers a copy of the deed and a complete “Property Profile Assessment” to the property owner for $109 claiming it provides a “wealth of information”. This profile supposedly gives property owners information on total assessed value, square footage, tax delinquency report and a flood report after the property owner mails them a check. This mailer is a scam. This mailer is a scam. If you get a letter in the mail like this, SHRED IT. Copies of deeds are available at the Clerk’s Office for under $10. Citizens can get property demographics from the internet for free. If you have another example of a DEED SCAM, please call the Carroll County Clerk’s Office at 410-386-8715.
       
    • Property Sale SCAM ALERT:  A scammer, who is not the legal owner, will list a property or house for sale online through a realtor that is not usually from the area. The scammer uses a fake email that contains the real owner’s name to sound valid, refuses to meet face to face with the realtor, and list properties that are often someone else’s vacant lot, second home, or vacant home. 

      ​** It is suggested that you search your property on the internet once a month to review if it has been listed for sale fraudulently.  

      ​** You should also check mdlandrec.net to familiarize yourself with the current documents associated with your property (deed, mortgage, assignment, powers of attorney, homeowner association statement of lien, or a release).  

      ​** Finally, it is recommended that you go to the State Department of Taxation (SDAT) at SDAT: Real Property Data Search (maryland.gov) and verify that all names of the owners associated with your property are accurate and listed. The Carroll County Clerk’s Office is diligently working with the Maryland Judiciary to protect homeowners from property sale & deed fraud. Please call the Carroll County Clerk’s Office at 410-386-8760 and the Maryland Real Estate Commission at 410-230-6200 if your property has been fraudulently listed for sale. 
       
    • DEED SCAM ALERT: In this mail scam, the mailer claims to be from PROPERTY RECORDS MD and displays a new property owner’s address, the lot description, a transfer date and value on the document. The letter offers a copy of the deed and a complete property profile to the new property owner for $99. This profile supposedly gives property owners information on property history, neighborhood demographics and a school report after the property owner mails them a check. This mailer is a scam. If you get a letter in the mail like this, SHRED IT. Copies of deeds are available at the Clerk’s Office for under $10. Citizens can get property demographics from the internet for free. If you have another example of a DEED SCAM, please call the Carroll County Clerk’s Office at 410-386-8715.
       
    • RECENT JURY SCAM ALERT: In this phone scam, the caller claims to work at the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and tells the person he or she “did not report for jury duty” and has a “bench warrant” for their arrest. The scammer’s phone number may show 410-386-5900 because the caller has “spoofed” or manipulated the phone call to appear to be from the Sheriff’s main phone line. The caller demands payment over the phone through Cash App or Zelle. The caller may ask the person to go to the Sheriff’s Office and turn themselves into the Sheriff after they to go to a grocery store or CVS and buy a Money-Pak Prepaid Debit Card to be used at the Carroll County Detention Center Commissary Machine. Sometimes, the caller states that they are Sgt. Barry Davis or Lt. Mark Johnson of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. No one by these names work for the Sheriff’s Office. This phone call is a scam. If you get a call like this, HANG UP. Maryland Courts, Sheriff’s Offices and Jury Offices do not call citizens to get payment over the phone for a fine for missing jury duty. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office does not take payments through a machine for missing jury duty. If you have any questions about Jury Duty, please call the Carroll County Jury Office at 410-386-2093.
       
    • TELEPHONE “SUBPOENA” SCAM: In this phone scam, the caller claims to work for a court, tells the person that he or she is being served with a subpoena and risks being charged with contempt if he or she does not answer the caller’s questions. The caller then claims to need the person’s information such as name, address, zip code, social security number and a bank account number to verify the person’s identity and serve him or her with the subpoena. This phone call is a scam. If you get a call like this, hang up. Maryland Courts DO NOT call citizens and ask for their identity information or bank account information.
       
    • TELEPHONE “CLERK'S OFFICE PAYMENT” SCAM: In this phone scam, the caller claims to work for a court or the Clerk's Office, and tells the person he or she can pay their court fees by credit card. This phone call is a scam. If you get a call like this, hang up. Maryland courts do not call citizens to get payment over the phone and the Carroll County Clerk’s Office does NOT ACCEPT credit card payment over the phone. We do accept credit card as a form of payment in the office with proper identification.
       

 

Rich in the tradition and history of Maryland, the Office of Clerk of the Circuit Court is one of the oldest public institutions in the state.

Welcome to the Carroll County Courthouse and the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court is a public institution of importance that dates back to the very beginning of the Province of Maryland in St. Mary’s County.

The Clerk provides invaluable service to both the Court and to the Maryland public. The Clerk of the Court was, and still is, responsible for recording the proceedings of the Court; for recording deeds, conveyances and other papers; and for preserving the records of the Court. Since 1777, the Clerk has been authorized to issue marriage licenses and other licenses required by law.

The Clerk’s responsibilities were clearly defined and delineated in the Maryland Constitution of 1867. As a prescribed and constituted commission of the State Government the Clerk eventually evolved from an appointed to an elected office. The Clerk is a locally elected State official who occupies an integral position within the Judicial Branch of Government.

Photo of the Carroll County Courthouse

Courtesy of MD Manual Online

The title of Clerk misrepresents the substantial responsibilities and prestige attached to this office within the judiciary. The Clerk’s office is responsible for a variety of functions often requiring involved processes prescribed by the law. The strict nature of the work demands the consistent accuracy and productivity of all employees in each assignment. Whether it is the recording of a deed, the docketing of a case or any of the multiple functions performed by the Clerk’s office, each activity directly affects individuals within the community.

The Clerk is ultimately responsible for the actions of his or her employees, and is directly accountable to not only the judiciary but to the electorate for the performance of his or her office.

Photo of Heather DeWees being sworn in

Clerk Heather S. DeWees being given the oath of office

As you can see, the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court is a very busy place. I am very proud of the employees in my office and the work we do. I am also extremely proud and blessed to serve the citizens of Carroll County.

Please browse through the available links to the above left or below for more information. If my office or I can be of more assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME IN THE CLERK’S OFFICE.

Heather S. DeWees, Clerk