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St. Mary's County, Maryland public records

In St. Mary's County, deeds are recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court - Land Records Department; property values come from the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, St. Mary's County office; court files are split between the Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County and the Register of Wills for St. Mary's County.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Birth certificates
  7. Death certificates
  8. Probate records and wills
  9. Business names (DBA)
  10. Voter records
  11. Historical records
  12. Good to know about St. Mary's County records
  13. Office addresses, phones and hours
  14. Records that are not online: public records requests
  15. Questions people ask
  16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  17. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsClerk of the Circuit Court - Land Records Department3Search deeds2Free search$0.50 per page2
Property values and ownersMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, St. Mary's County office4Property search4—
Property tax billsOffice of the County Treasurer4Tax bill search5—
Court casesClerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County3
Register of Wills for St. Mary's County4		Circuit Court for St. Mary's County6
District Court of Maryland, St. Mary's County6
Orphans' Court for St. Mary's County7		Fees: copies: Circuit Court clerk: certification $5 each + 50¢ per page8
Marriage recordsClerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County3——
Divorce recordsClerk of the Circuit Court - Civil Department3——
Birth certificatesSt. Mary's County Health Department4—$25 per certificate (in person at the Health Department)9
Death certificatesSt. Mary's County Health Department4—$18 for the first copy, $20 for each additional copy10
Probate and willsRegister of Wills for St. Mary's County4Search probate cases7—
Business names (DBA)Statewide: Trade names (DBAs) are filed statewide with SDAT, not with counties11——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in St. Mary's County are recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court - Land Records Department.3

Online search
landrec.msa.maryland.gov2Free search
Cost
Free (account required)2
Copy fee
$0.50 per page2
Certified copy fee
$5 each certification + 50¢ per page (Circuit Court clerks' statewide fee schedule)8
How to order
Ask a Land Records clerk (301-475-7844 ext. 4586) or use MDLANDREC; deeds must first be stamped by the County Treasurer before recording2
Recording prereq
Treasurer must stamp every deed (taxes paid) before the Clerk's Land Records department records it; a State intake sheet is required12

How deeds work in Maryland

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), St. Mary's County office sets property values4; the Office of the County Treasurer bills and collects the tax4.

Property search
sdat.dat.maryland.gov/… (SDAT Real Property Search)4
Tax bill search
stmaryscountymd.gov/treasurer/taxes (Tax Bill Lookup by account number, name or address); payments at payments.municipay.com/md_stmarys/search5
Parcel map (GIS)
experience.arcgis.com/… (Interactive County Map); parcel and zoning downloads at gis.stmaryscountymd.gov13
Tax sale
Treasurer holds the annual tax sale; MetCom water/sewer accounts are included5

How property tax works in Maryland

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Circuit Court for St. Mary's County (7th Judicial Circuit)Jury trials, serious criminal, major civil, divorce/family, juvenileClerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's Countycasesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch Maryland Judiciary Case Search, statewide6
District Court of Maryland, St. Mary's County (District 4)Traffic, misdemeanors, landlord-tenant, small civil claims—casesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch6
Orphans' Court for St. Mary's CountyEstates; Register of Wills is its clerkRegister of Wills for St. Mary's County (clerk to the Orphans' Court)registers.maryland.gov/main/search.html Estate Search7
Fees: copies
Circuit Court clerk: certification $5 each + 50¢ per page8

How Maryland courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County.3

Marriage license
Marriage licenses at the Circuit Court Clerk, (301) 475-7844 ext. 456314

Birth certificates

Kept by the St. Mary's County Health Department (Vital Records).4

In person
St. Mary's County Health Department issues certified copies in person for Maryland births after 1940; $25 per certificate9
Fee
$25 per certificate (in person at the Health Department)9
Mail online
Mail, online and phone orders go to the state Division of Vital Records, P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-00369

Ordering a Maryland birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the St. Mary's County Health Department (Vital Records).4

In person
Health Department issues certified copies in person for Maryland deaths 2015 to present, by appointment10
Fee
$18 for the first copy, $20 for each additional copy10
Older
Deaths before 2015: state Division of Vital Records10

Ordering a Maryland death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Register of Wills for St. Mary's County (clerk to the Orphans' Court).4

About this search
Register of Wills Estate Search7
Years online
1998 to present for all jurisdictions15

Finding a will or probate case in Maryland

Business names (DBA)

Where Maryland keeps it: Trade names (DBAs) are filed statewide with SDAT, not with counties.11

Licenses
Business Licenses/Notary/Oaths: Clerk ext. 4586 or 456314

Voter records

Kept by the St. Mary's County Board of Elections.4

Historical records

Archives
Maryland State Archives holds St. Mary's County government records in electronic, microfilm and original formats17
Genealogy birth death
Genealogical birth/death records: Maryland State Archives9

Good to know about St. Mary's County records

  • St. Mary's was the first Maryland county, established in 1637.18
  • The second courthouse at Leonardtown was destroyed by fire on March 8, 1831 (Maryland State Archives chronology; the chronology does not say which records were lost).19
  • The County Treasurer must stamp every deed (current taxes paid) before the Clerk's Land Records department will record it.12
  • Health Department sells death certificates only for deaths from 2015 on; older deaths go to the state Division of Vital Records.10

Office addresses, phones and hours

Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County

Address
41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, Maryland 2065014
Mail
P.O. Box 859, Leonardtown, MD 2065014
Phone
(301) 475-7844 (main; Civil Dept ext. 4562 or 4568; Criminal Dept ext. 4564 or 4574); fax (301) 475-447014
Hours
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays14

Clerk of the Circuit Court - Land Records Department

Address
41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, Maryland 2065014
Mail
P.O. Box 859, Leonardtown, MD 2065014
Phone
(301) 475-7844 ext. 458614
Hours
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays14

Clerk of the Circuit Court - Civil Department

Address
41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, Maryland 2065014
Mail
P.O. Box 859, Leonardtown, MD 2065014
Phone
(301) 475-7844 ext. 4562 or 456814
Hours
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays14

Circuit Court - Juvenile Department

Address
41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, Maryland 2065014
Mail
P.O. Box 859, Leonardtown, MD 2065014
Phone
Clerk (301) 475-7844 ext. 4587 (Juvenile), ext. 4568 (Paternity/Child Support); Family Law Self-Help Legal Clinic (301) 475-4200 ext. 411014
Hours
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays14

Register of Wills for St. Mary's County (clerk to the Orphans' Court)

Address
Courthouse, 41605 Courthouse Drive, Room #G008, Leonardtown, Maryland 206507
Mail
Register of Wills, St. Mary's County, PO Box 602, Leonardtown, MD 20650 (USPS mail to the street address is returned)7
Phone
301-475-5566; toll free 888-475-4821; fax 301-475-49687
Hours
8:30am - 4:30pm Monday to Friday; closed weekends and State holidays7

Office of the County Treasurer

Address
Patuxent Building, 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD 2065020
Mail
P.O. Box 642, Leonardtown, MD 2065020
Phone
(301) 475-4200 ext 330020
Hours
Counter hours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed on County holidays20

Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), St. Mary's County office

Address
Joseph D. Carter State Office Building, 23110 Leonard Hall Drive, Room 2059, Leonardtown, Maryland12

St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office

Address
Patuxent Building, 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD 206503

St. Mary's County Health Department (Vital Records)

Address
21580 Peabody St., Leonardtown, MD 206509
Phone
(301) 475-4330; during a phone-system problem the department asks callers to use 301-475-43509
Hours
Birth certificates in person Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; death certificates by appointment, same hours9
Website
smchd.org4

St. Mary's County Board of Elections

Address
23250 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650-019716
Mail
P.O. Box 197, Leonardtown, MD 20650-019716
Phone
(301) 475-4200 Ext. 1625; fax 301-475-407716
Hours
Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM16

St. Mary's County GIS - Mapping (Information Technology)

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
mailto:[email protected] (PIA Requests, linked from the Public Information Office page)21
Where to send it
County Attorney's PIA e-mail [email protected]21

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in St. Mary's County?

The Clerk of the Circuit Court - Land Records Department keeps deed records. To order copies: Ask a Land Records clerk (301-475-7844 ext. 4586) or use MDLANDREC; deeds must first be stamped by the County Treasurer before recording. Plain copies: $0.50 per page. Certified copies: $5 each certification + 50¢ per page (Circuit Court clerks' statewide fee schedule).328

Can I search St. Mary's County land records online for free?

Yes. Free (account required). The official search: landrec.msa.maryland.gov2

How much is a birth certificate in St. Mary's County?

$25 per certificate (in person at the Health Department).9

How do I look up who owns a property in St. Mary's County?

Use the property search of the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), St. Mary's County office: sdat.dat.maryland.gov/…4

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any St. Mary's County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties and independent cities in Maryland with a full guide: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Calvert County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Charles County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Washington County, Wicomico County. Every county and independent city in the state: Maryland county and independent city list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 22 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. Land Records (Court Help)Maryland Judiciary
  3. St. Mary's County Judicial Branch (Maryland Manual On-Line)Maryland State Archives
  4. St. Mary's County Government home pageSt. Mary's County, Maryland
  5. Tax Bill LookupSt. Mary's County, Maryland
  6. Court Records (Case Search)Maryland Judiciary
  7. Register of Wills for St. Mary's CountyMaryland Registers of Wills
  8. Summary of Charges, Costs, and Fees of the Clerks of the Circuit CourtMaryland Judiciary
  9. Birth CertificatesSt. Mary's County Health Department
  10. Death CertificatesSt. Mary's County Health Department
  11. Md. Code, Corporations and Associations § 1-406 (trade names)Maryland General Assembly (Department of Legislative Services)
  12. Deed Recordation, Validation (PDF)St. Mary's County Treasurer
  13. GIS - MappingSt. Mary's County, Maryland
  14. Circuit Court of St. Mary's CountySt. Mary's County, Maryland
  15. Estate Search FAQMaryland Registers of Wills
  16. Board of ElectionsSt. Mary's County, Maryland
  17. St. Mary's County Records (Maryland Manual On-Line)Maryland State Archives
  18. St. Mary's County (Maryland Manual On-Line)Maryland State Archives
  19. St. Mary's County Historical Chronology (Maryland Manual On-Line)Maryland State Archives
  20. Office of the County TreasurerSt. Mary's County, Maryland
  21. Public Information OfficeSt. Mary's County, Maryland
  22. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau