Flag of the State of Maryland

The Guide to Maryland Courts


The Maryland trial court system consists of Circuit Courts, District Courts, and Orphans Courts.
 
Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. District Courts and Orphans Courts have limited jurisdiction. Circuit Courts generally handle cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. District Courts handle certain types of civil and criminal cases, and Orphans Courts handle certain types of probate and guardianship cases.
 

Find court records by county Find court records by town or zip code Find court resources by category Find court records in other states
Please select a Maryland county below to view directory of all courts with links to court record resources for each court. Find Maryland court pages by Town or Zip Code. Select a court record or online resource category below to view all resources at both the statewide and county level. Go to the court records pages for another state.

 

 



 
WeCanSolveIt.org
Public Records Search    Advertising
 
First Name
 MI Last Name State
 
I entered a partial first name above
adkey

Maryland Circuit Courts

Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction to hear all civil and criminal cases but typically will only hear cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts.

Cases typically heard by Circuit Courts include general civil cases with more than $5000 in dispute, exclusive of interest, costs and fees. Circuit Courts also hear felony criminal cases, domestic violence protective orders and peace orders.

Circuit Courts also handle divorce, child custody, child support, child protection, termination of parental rights and most cases that request equitable relief.

Circuit Courts may have divisions for Juvenile Court and either a Family Division or a Family Services Program, depending on the size of the court.

Maryland District Courts

District Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of civil and criminal cases.

Criminal cases typically heard by District Courts include some felonies, felony preliminary hearings, most misdemeanors, most violations of county or municipal ordinances, and motor vehicle and boating violations.

Civil cases typically heard by District Courts include general civil claims for up to $25,000, exclusive of interest, costs and fees. District Courts also handle landlord-tenant cases, actions for replevin, domestic violence protective orders, peace orders, and some juvenile cases.

Each District Court has a Small Claims division for most general civil cases involving $5,000 or less, excluding interest, costs and fees. District Courts shares some jurisdiction with Circuit Courts for certain cases, including civil cases where the amount in dispute is between $5,000 and $25,000, exclusive of interest, costs and fees.

District Courts do not have jurisdiction over certain types of cases, including cases that properly request a jury trial, requests for declaratory relief, most requests for equitable relief, most felony crimes, and most cases involving disputes over ownership of land.

Maryland Orphans Courts

Orphans Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of probate and guardianship cases.

Cases typically handled by Orphans Courts include most probate matters, some tax issues related to probate cases, some issues involving the ownership of land related to probate cases and some guardianships.

Orphans Courts share some jurisdiction with Circuit Courts over certain types of cases, including guardianships of a minor.

Maryland Court Notes

Maryland has several quasi-judicial agencies that conduct formal hearings for legal issues that include appeals of administrative agency decisions and some disputes between private individuals.

These quasi-judicial agencies include the Office of Administrative Hearings, the Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs and the Maryland Tax Court.

These agencies have authority to review evidence, conduct hearings and issue various types of orders. Though these quasi-judicial agencies operate in a manner that is similar to trial courts, they are not considered part of the state trial court system.

Where to find court cases in Maryland

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in Maryland.
 

Most Cases = Most or all cases.     Some Cases = Some cases.

Case Type Court Type
CivilCircuit CourtsDistrict CourtsOrphans Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
Most or all General Civil - Unlimited cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
General Civil - Limited
Some General Civil - Limited cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some General Civil - Limited cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Small Claims 
Most or all Small Claims cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Civil Equity
Most or all Civil Equity cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Complex Commercial
Most or all Complex Commercial cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Foreclosures and Liens
Some Foreclosures and Liens cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some Foreclosures and Liens cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Most or all Real Estate Title and Boundary cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
 
Some Real Estate Title and Boundary cases can be found in the Orphans Courts
Landlord / Tenant
Some Landlord / Tenant cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Most or all Landlord / Tenant cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Ordinance Violations 
Most or all Ordinance Violations cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Some Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Administrative Agency Appeals
Some Administrative Agency Appeals cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
CriminalCircuit CourtsDistrict CourtsOrphans Courts
Felony
Most or all Felony cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some Felony cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Some Felony Preliminary Hearings cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some Felony Preliminary Hearings cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Misdemeanors
Some Misdemeanors cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Most or all Misdemeanors cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Ordinance Violations 
Most or all Ordinance Violations cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Juvenile
Most or all Juvenile cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some Juvenile cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Traffic and Infractions 
Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Domestic RelationsCircuit CourtsDistrict CourtsOrphans Courts
Divorce
Most or all Divorce cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Child Custody and Visitation
Most or all Child Custody and Visitation cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Child Support
Most or all Child Support cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Paternity
Most or all Paternity cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Some Domestic Violence Protection Order cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some Domestic Violence Protection Order cases can be found in the District Courts
 
JuvenileCircuit CourtsDistrict CourtsOrphans Courts
Adoptions
Most or all Adoptions cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Juvenile Delinquency
Most or all Juvenile Delinquency cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some Juvenile Delinquency cases can be found in the District Courts
 
Child Abuse and Neglect
Most or all Child Abuse and Neglect cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Termination of Parental Rights
Most or all Termination of Parental Rights cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Children in Need of Supervision
Most or all Children in Need of Supervision cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Mental HealthCircuit CourtsDistrict CourtsOrphans Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Most or all Involuntary Commitments cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Other Mental Health Cases
Some Other Mental Health Cases cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
Some Other Mental Health Cases cases can be found in the District Courts
Some Other Mental Health Cases cases can be found in the Orphans Courts
ProbateCircuit CourtsDistrict CourtsOrphans Courts
Wills & Estates
Some Wills & Estates cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
 
Most or all Wills & Estates cases can be found in the Orphans Courts
Name Changes
Most or all Name Changes cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
  
Trusts
Some Trusts cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
 
Most or all Trusts cases can be found in the Orphans Courts
Guardianships and Conservatorships
Some Guardianships and Conservatorships cases can be found in the Circuit Courts
 
Some Guardianships and Conservatorships cases can be found in the Orphans Courts
Google
 
Web www.courtreference.com

 
© Northwest Location Services, Inc. 2008 - Your use of this site indicates agreement to the terms of use.
We strive to provide accurate information, however, Courtreference.com is not an official source of information for any court or court clerk.
No legal advice is offered here and this site is not an alternative to competent legal counsel.