To Obtain Records
Births & Deaths
To obtain birth & death records for genealogical
purposes, contact the Maryland State Archives at:
Maryland State Archives
350 Rowe Boulevard
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-260-6400
800-235-4045
800-735-2258 (TTY)
archives@mdsa.net
Court Records
Circuit Court
for St. Mary's County, MD
41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650
Phone: 301-475-7844
Hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Civil
- With certain exceptions, matters which involve a claim for damages in excess of
$30,000 are filed with the Circuit Court. In general, concurrent jurisdiction is shared with
the District Court in matters which involve a claim for an amount between $5,000
and $30,000.
- The Circuit Court and District Court accept petitions for
protection from domestic violence, child abuse, and abuse of a vulnerable adult
during normal working hours and gives priority to such actions.
- Judicial Review of Administrative Agency Decisions
- Appeals from District Court judgments and prayers for jury trial
- Matters which involve domestic relations, titles to property, foreclosures, mechanics liens and injunctions
- Adoption and Paternity Matters
- Guardianships
- Name changes
Criminal
- Felony and certain misdemeanor charges filed by the Grand Jury or the State's Attorney
- Appeals from the District Court and prayers for jury trial
Juvenile
- Juvenile cases may include any matter brought before the Court which
involve persons under the age of eighteen years.
Liens and Judgments
- Liens and judgments including encumbrances, Federal tax liens, hospital liens,
Maryland tax liens, District Court liens, civil judgments, and United 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 Court of Appeals. Jury trials are available only in the
Circuit Courts.
Clerk
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
Plat Records
PLATS.NET (Maryland Archives Plat Imaging Application - access can be granted with the
username: plato and the password: plato#)
- Subdivision
- Condominium
- Highway
Miscellaneous Records
If you have more complete, up-to-date information, please let us know.
