Maryland Property Records
Maryland property records are public documents held by county Circuit Courts, the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, and the Maryland State Archives. Every deed, mortgage, plat, and assessment tied to real estate in Maryland is part of this system. You can search these records online through the SDAT Real Property database, the Maryland Land Records portal, or by going in person to the Circuit Court Clerk in any of Maryland's 24 jurisdictions. This guide covers where to look, what you will find, and how to get copies of property records across the state.
Maryland Property Records Overview
Where to Find Maryland Property Records
Two state systems handle most property record searches in Maryland. The first is the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, known as SDAT. This agency holds assessment data for every parcel in the state. You can look up any property by address, account number, or map reference at no cost. The second is the Maryland Land Records portal, which gives access to recorded deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments filed at each county Circuit Court. Both systems are free to search online.
SDAT runs the Real Property database at dat.maryland.gov. This tool covers all 24 Maryland jurisdictions, including Baltimore City. It does not search by owner name. You must use an address, account number, or the map-parcel reference found on your tax bill. Once you pull up a parcel, you can see the current assessment, owner of record, legal description, lot size, and recent sale history. Assessment data updates each year as part of the three-year assessment cycle that Maryland uses for all real property.
The SDAT main office is at 301 W. Preston Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. You can reach them by phone at 410-767-1184 or by email at sdat.411@maryland.gov. Each county also has a local SDAT office that handles assessment appeals and in-person inquiries. Contact info for all local offices is on the SDAT site.
The SDAT Real Property Search portal shown below is the primary starting point for Maryland property records online. It covers ownership, assessment values, and basic parcel data for the entire state.
From this portal you can navigate to any Maryland county or Baltimore City to look up current assessed value, owner name, and property details without creating an account.
SDAT Real Property Database Search
The direct SDAT real property search at sdat.dat.maryland.gov/RealProperty lets you pull parcel data by county. Select the jurisdiction first, then enter the street address or account number. Results show the owner, assessment, land use code, zoning, and sale history. You will not find a name search option. SDAT does not allow searching by owner name to limit privacy concerns. Use an address or tax account number instead.
The search result screen below is what you will see after entering a property address through the SDAT portal. It shows current and prior assessments along with lot size and building details.
Assessment notices go out on a rolling basis. Every Maryland property is reassessed once every three years. You have 45 days from the notice date to file an appeal with your local SDAT office.
Maryland offers several tax credit programs linked to property records. The Homestead Tax Credit limits how much your taxable assessment can rise each year. The Homeowners' Property Tax Credit reduces tax bills for qualifying owners. The Renters' Property Tax Relief program helps qualifying renters as well. All of these are administered through SDAT, and applications are available at the SDAT site.
Maryland Land Records Portal
Deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, and other recorded instruments are searchable through the Maryland Land Records portal. This system is run by the Maryland State Archives. The portal launched at a new address in fall 2025: landrec.msa.maryland.gov. The old address at mdlandrec.net still redirects to the same system. Free registration is required to view document images, but basic index searches are open without an account.
This screenshot shows the current Maryland Land Records portal. Registration takes only a few minutes, and access to recorded documents is free once you have an account.
The portal covers all 24 jurisdictions. You can search by grantor, grantee, instrument type, or date range. Results link to scanned images of the original recorded documents. Most counties have records going back at least to the 1970s online, with some extending further.
The alternate mdlandrec.net address has served Maryland researchers for years and still routes to the same database. Either URL gets you to the same portal and the same records.
When you find a deed in the Land Records portal, note the liber and folio numbers. These are the book and page references used in Maryland's recording system. Most county clerks index records by liber and folio, and knowing these numbers speeds up in-person research.
Recording a deed in Maryland involves two basic steps in most counties. The Finance or Treasury office in each county must stamp the document to verify that recordation and transfer taxes have been paid. After that stamp, the deed goes to the Circuit Court Clerk for recording. Some counties add more steps, so confirm the process with the county clerk before you bring documents to the courthouse.
Recording fees are set at the state level. The base fee is $20 for the first two pages and $5 for each additional page. A $75 surcharge applies to most deeds. There is also a $10 fee per statutory condition and a $40 agricultural land transfer tax surcharge in some counties. Recordation taxes and local transfer taxes vary by county and are paid separately before recording.
Maryland State Archives and Historical Records
The Maryland State Archives in Annapolis holds some of the oldest property records in the country. The Archives are located at 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401. You can reach them at 410-260-6400. Records on site go back to the colonial era, with some dating to 1634. The Archives holds original land grants, patent records, and early county deed books that are not fully digitized.
The Archives site at msa.maryland.gov provides access to digital finding aids and some online collections. The home page below shows the range of record groups available for Maryland research, including property, court, and vital records.
For researchers working on historical property chains, the Archives is often the only source. Deeds from the 1700s and early 1800s exist only in original deed books held at the Archives or in county courthouses. Not all of these have been scanned.
The Archives also publishes a detailed land records research guide at guide.msa.maryland.gov. This guide explains how Maryland's recording system works, how to read liber and folio citations, and where to find records for each county going back centuries. It is a useful starting point for anyone new to Maryland property research.
The guide covers each county's unique record history and notes which records are available online versus in person only.
Plat Maps and Survey Records in Maryland
Plat maps show the boundaries of subdivisions and individual lots. They are recorded at each county Circuit Court when a developer creates a subdivision or an owner subdivides land. PLATS.net at plats.net is a statewide imaging service for Maryland plat maps. You can log in with the username plato and password plato# to access the plat database at no charge. The system covers plats from all 24 Maryland jurisdictions.
PLATS.net is widely used by title companies, attorneys, and surveyors doing Maryland property research. You can search by subdivision name, county, or plat number. Images download as PDFs. The service covers recorded plats going back many decades for most counties.
Plat maps are an important part of any title search. They confirm lot boundaries, easements, and utility corridors that may not appear on a deed. When researching Maryland property records, checking the recorded plat is a standard step.
Maryland Property Record Laws
Maryland's Real Property Article governs how property is transferred, recorded, and assessed in the state. Under Real Property Article § 3-101, all instruments that affect title to land must be recorded in the county where the land is located to be valid against third parties. This makes recording essential for any deed or mortgage in Maryland.
Ground rent is a unique Maryland institution that traces back to colonial land grants. A ground rent is a perpetual lease on land, with a home built on top. The homeowner owns the building but pays annual rent on the land. Under Real Property Article § 8-703, ground rents created after 1884 must be registered with SDAT. Ground rents that existed before 2020 and were not registered by that date became extinguished by law. New ground rents have been banned in Maryland since 2007.
Maryland's public information laws give anyone the right to inspect recorded land records. Deeds, mortgages, and most other recorded instruments are open to the public once filed at the Circuit Court Clerk's office. The Maryland Land Records portal makes this access available statewide from any computer. You do not need to show ID or explain why you are searching.
State transfer tax in Maryland is 0.5% of the sale price. First-time buyers pay only 0.25% on their half of the transfer tax. These taxes are collected at closing and noted on the deed. The recordation tax rate varies by county and is listed on the SDAT site by jurisdiction. Some counties also charge a local transfer tax on top of the state rate. All of these are paid before recording so that the clerk's stamp confirms they were settled.
Note: Tax rates can change with each county budget cycle. Confirm the current recordation and transfer tax rates with the county Finance office before closing on a property.
Maryland Judiciary Case Search for Property Records
Court records can affect property titles. Judgments, liens, and lis pendens notices filed in court become encumbrances on real estate. The Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us lets you search civil case records statewide. This helps identify any court judgments tied to a property owner's name before buying or refinancing in Maryland.
The case search covers District Court and Circuit Court records for all jurisdictions. You can search by party name or case number. Results show case type, filing date, and current status. For a full title search, checking for open judgments in the case search is a standard step alongside reviewing Land Records.
Browse Maryland Property Records by County
Each of Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City maintains property records at the Circuit Court Clerk's office. SDAT has a local office in each jurisdiction for assessment questions. Choose a county below to find local contact details and resources for property records in that area.
Property Records in Major Maryland Cities
City residents search for property records at the Circuit Court of the county where the city is located. Baltimore City handles its own property records separately. Choose a city below for local resources and search tools.