Find Dundalk Property Records
Dundalk is an unincorporated community in eastern Baltimore County, and all property records for the area are held by Baltimore County government offices. Baltimore County uses a two-step recording process, and copy fees here run $1.00 per page, which is higher than the $0.50 standard charged at most other Maryland courts. Note that Baltimore County and Baltimore City are two completely separate Maryland jurisdictions, and Dundalk falls under Baltimore County, not the city.
Dundalk Overview
Baltimore County Circuit Court Land Records
Dundalk has no municipal government of its own. Every deed, mortgage, lien, easement, and other land document for a Dundalk property must be recorded at the Baltimore County Circuit Court. The Land Records division is part of the Circuit Court Clerk office at 401 Bosley Ave, Room 300, Towson, MD 21204. The main clerk line is (410) 887-2601. You can also find clerk information at courts.state.md.us/clerks/baltimore.
Baltimore County copy fees are $1.00 per page. This is notably higher than the $0.50 per page charged at most Maryland circuit courts. If you need a long deed or a mortgage with many pages, plan for a higher cost at this office. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Call the clerk at (410) 887-2601 before you visit to confirm current fee amounts and hours. The office is in Towson, which is the county seat and where most Baltimore County records work gets done.
The two-step recording process applies in Baltimore County. Before you bring a deed to the Circuit Court Clerk, you must first take it to the Baltimore County Finance Department for a tax stamp. Finance reviews the transfer, calculates any recordation or transfer taxes owed, and stamps the document. Only after you have that stamp will the Land Records office accept the deed for recording. Skip this step and the clerk will turn you away. Attorneys and title companies can use eRecording platforms to submit documents electronically and avoid in-person trips.
The Baltimore County Circuit Court clerk page at courts.state.md.us/clerks/baltimore provides contact info, hours, and records request details.
The clerk page lists current hours and direct contact numbers for the Land Records division that handles all Dundalk deed recordings.
| Circuit Court Clerk | Baltimore County Circuit Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 401 Bosley Ave, Room 300 Towson, MD 21204 |
| Phone | (410) 887-2601 |
| Copy Fee | $1.00 per page (higher than most Maryland counties) |
| Clerk Info | courts.state.md.us/clerks/baltimore |
Property Assessments for Dundalk
The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, SDAT, handles all property assessments in Dundalk. The Baltimore County SDAT office is at 300 E Joppa Rd, Suite 602, Towson, and the phone is (410) 512-4900. Maryland reassesses all real property on a three-year rotating cycle. You get your assessment notice in December before the new cycle starts, and you have 45 days from that notice to file an appeal if you think the value is wrong.
You can search any Dundalk property in the SDAT Real Property database online. Go to sdat.dat.maryland.gov and search by address, account number, or parcel ID. SDAT does not allow searches by owner name. The result shows the current assessed value, a property description, the owner of record, and any tax credit status. Dundalk's location along the Patapsco River and its proximity to the Port of Baltimore have historically kept property values in the moderate range relative to other Baltimore County communities.
SDAT's Real Property search at sdat.dat.maryland.gov lets you look up assessed values and owner of record for any Dundalk parcel.
The SDAT portal is the fastest way to confirm ownership and assessed value for a Dundalk property without visiting any office in person.
SDAT also administers the Homestead Tax Credit for Baltimore County homeowners in Dundalk. This credit limits how much your taxable assessment can increase each year. If your assessment jumps sharply, the Homestead Credit can soften the blow to your tax bill. Apply at dat.maryland.gov or call 410-767-1184. The Baltimore County SDAT office at (410) 512-4900 can answer specific questions about Dundalk parcels and reassessment schedules.
Searching Dundalk Deeds Online
Maryland Land Records is the main online tool for finding recorded deeds and other instruments. The system is run by the Maryland State Archives and available at two addresses: landrec.msa.maryland.gov and mdlandrec.net. Both reach the same underlying database. You can search Baltimore County records going back many decades and find deeds, mortgages, releases, plats, and liens for Dundalk properties without making a trip to Towson.
Maryland Land Records at mdlandrec.net provides online deed and mortgage search for Dundalk properties recorded at Baltimore County Circuit Court.
MDLandRec indexes Baltimore County documents by grantor name, grantee name, date, and document type, making it easy to trace ownership history for any Dundalk address.
Browsing records on MDLandRec is free. Some document images carry a small fee to download, but basic index searches cost nothing. You search by the grantor's or grantee's name, or by the liber and folio reference number if you already have it from a prior deed. For Dundalk properties, select Baltimore County as the jurisdiction and enter the name or document reference. The system will return matching instruments with their recording dates and liber/folio numbers. Keep in mind that older records may only be partially indexed online and may require an in-person visit to the clerk's office at 401 Bosley Ave.
For plat maps and subdivision records, check PLATS.net at plats.net. Dundalk developed over many decades, and subdivision plats are recorded in the Baltimore County land records system. PLATS.net can help you find lot boundaries, easements, and building lines for specific parcels. Log in with the credentials plato / plato# to access plat images. Baltimore County plats recorded at the circuit court are indexed and searchable through this platform.
Court Liens and Case Records
Property liens filed through Maryland courts show up in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search system. This includes judgment liens, mechanic's liens, and other court-ordered encumbrances on Dundalk properties. Visit casesearch.courts.state.md.us and search by party name to find any open cases that may have resulted in liens against a property. This is a useful step when researching the title history of a Dundalk home or commercial property.
Judgment liens attach to real property when a creditor wins a court judgment and records it in the county where the debtor owns property. In Dundalk, that means Baltimore County Circuit Court. If you are buying a Dundalk property, a title search should cover both the MDLandRec deed chain and any judgment liens in the court system. Title companies routinely check both systems as part of a standard title search in Baltimore County.
Under Real Property Article § 3-101, deeds in Maryland must be recorded to be effective against third parties. An unrecorded deed in Dundalk does not protect the buyer from a later purchaser who records first. This recording priority rule makes timely recording at the Baltimore County Circuit Court an important step in any Dundalk property transfer. The two-step process with Finance stamps can slow things down slightly, but the recording date is set when the clerk accepts the final stamped document.
Baltimore County Is Not Baltimore City
This is worth stating plainly because it causes real confusion. Baltimore City and Baltimore County are two separate Maryland jurisdictions. They do not share courts, recording offices, or tax systems. Dundalk is in Baltimore County. It is not part of Baltimore City, even though the two jurisdictions border each other and share a name.
If you need records for a Baltimore City address, those go to the Baltimore City Circuit Court and the Baltimore City SDAT office, not to the county. Sending a records request to the wrong jurisdiction will cause delays. Always confirm whether a Dundalk address falls in Baltimore County before you contact an office. The SDAT address search at sdat.dat.maryland.gov will tell you which jurisdiction a property belongs to if you are unsure.
Baltimore County, which surrounds but does not include Baltimore City, is governed from Towson. That is where the Circuit Court, the clerk's office, and the county SDAT office are all located. For Dundalk residents, Towson is the place to go for in-person records work. The drive from Dundalk to the courthouse at 401 Bosley Ave in Towson takes about 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic.
Legal Framework for Dundalk Property Records
Maryland property records law is found in the Real Property Article of the Maryland Code. Under Real Property Article § 3-101, all deeds, mortgages, and other land instruments must be recorded with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the property is located. For Dundalk, that means Baltimore County Circuit Court at 401 Bosley Ave. Recording gives public notice to all later buyers and lenders about the state of title on a given piece of land.
Lease agreements for commercial properties of one year or more are also subject to recording rules under Real Property Article § 8-703. Long-term commercial leases in Dundalk should be recorded at the Baltimore County Circuit Court to protect the tenant's interest against third parties. Residential leases of less than one year are generally not recorded and do not appear in the land records system.
Nearby Cities
These nearby Maryland cities also have property records pages. Each is served by its county's circuit court.
Baltimore County Records
All Dundalk property records are maintained by Baltimore County. Visit the county page for full details on the Baltimore County Circuit Court, Land Records office, and recording procedures.