Find Property Records in St. Mary's County

St. Mary's County property records are maintained at the Circuit Court Clerk's office in Leonardtown, and many can be searched online through the Maryland Land Records system. This southernmost Maryland county sits on a peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. Many of its parcels are waterfront, which means riparian rights and Chesapeake Bay Critical Area rules play a bigger role here than in most other Maryland counties. The standard two-step recording process applies in St. Mary's County.

St. Mary's County Circuit Court Clerk

Clerk Debra J. "Debbie" Burch maintains St. Mary's County's land records at the courthouse at 41605 Court House Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650. This is where deeds, mortgages, liens, releases, and other land instruments are recorded under Real Property Article § 3-101. Once recorded, these documents become the official public record of land ownership and encumbrances in St. Mary's County. The Clerk's office indexes all documents and makes them available for public search.

Staff at the Clerk's office can help you find recorded instruments, request copies, and understand the steps for recording new documents. They do not give legal advice, but they can tell you what the office requires and how to prepare. If you are recording a deed, confirm the two-step process with the finance office before you arrive. Having all your paperwork in order will make the visit go much faster. Call the courthouse ahead of time to confirm current hours and any documents you need to bring to complete your recording in St. Mary's County.

The property records guidance page at stmarysrecords.us/property-records has helpful information about how to access St. Mary's County property records, what you can request, and how the recording process works locally.

Review this resource before your visit so you know what to bring and which steps to follow when recording or requesting documents at the courthouse in Leonardtown.

Waterfront Properties and Riparian Rights

A large share of St. Mary's County parcels have waterfront access, either on the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, or one of the many tributaries and inlets that run through the county. Riparian rights are a key feature of these properties. These rights define what an owner can do at the water's edge, including whether they can build a pier, maintain a shoreline, or access the water directly. Riparian rights are typically described in the deed and run with the land when the property is sold.

If you are buying or researching a waterfront parcel in St. Mary's County, read the deed carefully for any language about water boundaries, riparian rights, and easements. The chain of title on older waterfront properties can be long and complex, with references to natural features that have shifted over time. In some cases, the deed may grant riparian rights but a separate easement or restriction may limit how those rights can be used. These details matter for things like pier permits, shoreline work, and access to the water.

The Chesapeake Bay Critical Area program adds another layer for many St. Mary's County parcels. State law restricts development and land disturbance within 1,000 feet of tidal waters and tidal wetlands. This affects what you can build, how much land you can clear, and where you can place structures on waterfront or near-waterfront lots. The Critical Area designation appears in some deed and plat records for St. Mary's County. If you are considering changes to a property near tidal water, check the Critical Area rules with the county planning office before you make any commitments.

Online Land Record Search

Maryland Land Records at landrec.msa.maryland.gov is the place to search St. Mary's County deeds and recorded instruments online. The system is run by the Maryland State Archives and covers all counties in the state. You can search by grantor or grantee name, document type, and date range. Scanned images of recorded documents are available for many records. Older records may be on microfilm or in paper form at the courthouse or the State Archives in Annapolis.

The system is free to use for basic searches. Some document images may require registration through the Maryland State Archives. Recent deeds recorded in St. Mary's County typically appear in the system within a short time after the Clerk's office processes them.

SDAT's Real Property portal at sdat.dat.maryland.gov lets you search any St. Mary's County parcel by address or account number. The SDAT code for St. Mary's County is 19. The database shows assessed value, owner of record, property class, and tax information. SDAT does not support owner-name searches through the public portal, so you need the property address or parcel number to look up a specific record. Use SDAT when you need current assessment data or want to confirm the owner of a parcel before making an inquiry.

SDAT data is a useful complement to deed records in the Land Records system. Together, these two tools give you a solid picture of a property's ownership history, current assessment, and recorded encumbrances in St. Mary's County.

Property Assessments in St. Mary's County

SDAT assesses all real property in St. Mary's County on a three-year cycle. Assessment notices go out on a rotating basis, and you have 45 days from the notice date to file an appeal if you think the value is wrong. The first step is an informal review with the local SDAT assessor. If you are still not satisfied after that, you can appeal to the Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board for St. Mary's County. The state SDAT office can be reached at (410) 767-1184 or by email at sdat.411@maryland.gov for general questions about the assessment process.

The Homestead Tax Credit is available for owner-occupied homes in St. Mary's County and limits how much the assessed value can increase year to year. Once you apply, the credit stays in place as long as you own the home and live there as your primary residence. The Homeowners Property Tax Credit can reduce the county and state tax you owe based on your income and the assessed value of your home. Both programs are administered by SDAT. Apply online or ask the local SDAT office for the forms.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Mary's County is one of the largest employers in southern Maryland. The base has a large footprint in the county, and properties near it may be subject to noise easements and other restrictions that appear in the deed records. If you are looking at property near Pax River, check the deed for any easements granted to the federal government before you buy.

Recording Deeds and Documents

St. Mary's County uses the standard two-step recording process. Before you bring a deed or taxable instrument to the Circuit Court Clerk at 41605 Court House Drive, you need to go to the county finance office first to get the proper stamps and pay recordation taxes. The finance stamp confirms that the correct amount has been calculated and paid based on the consideration stated in the deed. Once you have that stamp, bring the document to the Clerk to complete the recording.

Under Real Property Article § 8-703, documents must meet certain format requirements before they can be recorded. The document must be on white paper, at least 8.5 by 11 inches, with margins of at least one inch. The first page must show the preparer's name and address, the names of all grantors and grantees, and the return address for the document after recording. Documents that do not meet these standards will be rejected at the Clerk's office. The state recording fee is $20 for the first two pages and $5 for each additional page. A $75 surcharge applies to most instruments.

For historical land records going back to the colonial period in St. Mary's County, contact the Maryland State Archives at (410) 260-6400 or visit msa.maryland.gov. St. Mary's County was one of the first areas settled in Maryland, and its earliest land records are part of the Archives' collections. Researchers tracing old chains of title on St. Mary's County properties will often need to consult both the courthouse and the Archives to get the full picture.

Cities in St. Mary's County

St. Mary's County has no cities that meet the 100,000 population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. Leonardtown is the county seat and the largest community in the county. All property records for St. Mary's County, including those in Leonardtown, are maintained at the Circuit Court Clerk's office at 41605 Court House Drive.

Nearby Counties

These counties border St. Mary's County in southern Maryland. Property records for each are held at the respective county clerk's office.