Howard County Clerk of the Circuit Court

About the Howard County Clerk of the Circuit Court

Wayne A. Robey serves as the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Howard County. The Clerk is a locally elected state official in the judicial branch, not a county executive employee. Maryland law and the rules of the Supreme Court of Maryland set the Clerk's duties. The position is one of the oldest public offices in the state, and the official Clerk page notes that the office of Clerk of the Court dates statewide to 1658 and that revenue collected by clerks is distributed to city, county, and state governments.

The Clerk's office is divided into departments that each handle a distinct set of functions. The Civil department handles civil case filings and records. The Criminal/Juvenile department handles criminal and juvenile case records, including expungement petitions. The Land Records/Licensing department records deeds, mortgages, plats, and other land documents and issues marriage and business licenses. Each department has its own direct phone line, which reduces hold times when you call with a specific request.

All visitors to the courthouse must pass through security scanners. Free parking is available in the courthouse garage. The Circuit Court shares the building with the Register of Wills and the Orphans' Court; be sure you know which office handles your specific matter before you go in.

What the Howard County Circuit Court Clerk Handles

The Clerk's duties cover a wide range of court-related and licensing functions. Some tasks, such as filing a new civil complaint or recording a deed, are primarily about getting documents into the official record. Others, such as certifying copies or performing a marriage ceremony, serve people who need proof or a service from the office directly.

Civil actions filed in the Howard County Circuit Court go through the Clerk. That includes complaints, answers, motions, orders, and all related filings for cases involving larger damages, equity matters, injunctions, and appeals from the District Court or administrative agencies. Criminal and juvenile case documents also pass through the Clerk. The criminal and juvenile department processes charges, plea filings, sentencing documents, and expungement petitions for Circuit Court matters. The Land Records department is the county's official repository for recorded land instruments, including deeds, mortgages, conveyances, and plats. Anyone who buys or sells real estate in Howard County deals with this department at some point.

• Filing and maintaining civil case records, including judgments and appeals.
• Processing criminal and juvenile case filings, pleas, sentences, and expungements.
• Recording deeds, mortgages, conveyances, and plats in the official land records.
• Issuing marriage licenses and business licenses.
• Performing civil marriage ceremonies.
• Administering oaths to notaries public, county officials, judges, and state appointees.
• Handling certified copy and records requests from the public.

The Clerk's office cannot give legal advice. Staff can tell you what forms to use, what fees apply, and how to submit a request. They cannot tell you how the law applies to your case. For that, contact the Maryland Office of the Public Defender if you qualify for indigent defense, or consult a private attorney.

How to Request a Howard County Court Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the court's seal and the Clerk's attestation that it is a true copy of the official record. Banks, lenders, employers, and courts in other jurisdictions typically require a certified copy rather than a plain photocopy. Judges' orders, divorce decrees, adoption orders, and land record instruments are among the most common documents requested in certified form.

1. Identify the case number or document you need. Maryland case numbers vary by court, case type, and year, so check any notice, docket entry, or prior correspondence to get the exact number. You can also search by party name on Maryland Case Search to locate the case first.
2. Determine which department holds the record. Civil files go to the Civil department. Criminal, juvenile, and expungement records go to the Criminal/Juvenile department. Land documents and license records go to Land Records/Licensing. Use the department phone lines to confirm before you visit or mail a request.
3. Submit your request with payment. The Clerk accepts requests in person at the courthouse and by mail. The records-request page at mdcourts.gov/clerks/howard lists current submission options. Fee amounts for copies and certifications are set by the Maryland Judiciary fee schedule at mdcourts.gov/courts/feeschedules. Do not send cash by mail; check or money order are the standard payment methods for mail requests.
4. Wait for processing. In-person requests handled at the counter may be completed the same day if the file is immediately available. Mail requests take additional time for file retrieval, copying, certification, and return postage. The Clerk's office can give you an estimate when you call.
5. Verify the document when it arrives. A certified copy should include the court's seal and the Clerk's signature or stamp. If something looks wrong, call the department before using the copy in a legal proceeding.

Howard County Clerk Records Request Form Fields

When you submit a records request to the Howard County Clerk's office, you need to provide enough information for staff to locate the file and prepare the right document. The table below lists the fields that a standard Judiciary records request captures. The detailed request form is linked from the Clerk's office page. Providing a case number with your request will speed up processing significantly.

Howard County Clerk Court Fees and Fee Schedule

The Clerk collects fees set by Maryland law and the Maryland Judiciary. Filing fees, copy fees, and certification fees all appear on the official schedule. Because fees are updated by the Judiciary and not by individual county offices, always confirm the current amounts before you submit payment.

The central resource for fee information is the Maryland Judiciary fee schedule hub at mdcourts.gov/courts/feeschedules. That page links separate schedules for Circuit Court filing fees, copy fees, and related charges. For land recording fees, the Land Records department at 410-313-5850 can confirm current per-page recording charges. Marriage license fees are verified on the Clerk's marriage page.

Fee waivers are available for qualifying requests under Maryland law. Contact the Clerk's office if you believe a waiver may apply. The office can direct you to the proper form or procedure.

Howard County Land Records and the Circuit Court Clerk

The Land Records department of the Clerk's office is the official recording authority for real property instruments in Howard County. Every deed, mortgage, deed of trust, and conveyance that changes title to real estate in the county must be recorded here before it takes legal effect against third parties. Plats for subdivisions and condominiums go through the same department. The Land Records/Licensing phone line is 410-313-5850.

Online access to recorded land documents in Howard County runs through MdLandRec, a joint system of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives. MdLandRec provides images of recorded instruments. It is separate from Maryland Case Search and must be used for deed and mortgage lookups. For survey plats and subdivision plats, use Plats.net, which covers Howard County plat records recorded with the Clerk.

Property ownership and assessment data are maintained by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, not the Circuit Court Clerk. Use the SDAT Real Property database to check assessed values and ownership history alongside the land instruments found in MdLandRec.

Howard County Marriage Licenses and Business Licenses

The Clerk issues marriage licenses for Howard County through the Land Records/Licensing department. Maryland law ties a marriage license to the county of issue, so couples planning to marry in Howard County apply with this office. The Clerk also performs civil marriage ceremonies on request. The dedicated marriage page at mdcourts.gov/clerks/howard/marriage explains the current process, fee, and ID requirements. Call 410-313-5850 to confirm appointment availability and what to bring.

Business licenses are also issued by the Clerk's office. Certain types of businesses operating in Howard County must obtain a state-issued license through the Clerk before starting operations. The licensing function is handled through the same Land Records/Licensing department. Check the Clerk's official page for the list of license types and the current fees.

Oaths of office are another function of the Clerk. Notaries public commissioned by the Governor, county officials, judges, and other state appointees take their oaths at the Clerk's office. If you need a notary oath administered, contact the Clerk directly to schedule it.

Expungements and Criminal Record Requests in Howard County

The Criminal/Juvenile department of the Clerk's office handles expungement petitions for Circuit Court cases. An expungement is a court order that removes eligible criminal records from public access. In Maryland, eligibility depends on the disposition, any waiting period, and whether the person has subsequent convictions or pending charges that block relief. Common qualifying outcomes include acquittal, dismissal, nolle prosequi, certain stet dispositions, and probation before judgment after the waiting period has passed.

To start, the petitioner files in the court tied to the case. The State's Attorney and law-enforcement agencies may object. If the court grants the petition, records are removed from public inspection under the order. The Maryland Judiciary self-help expungement page at mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/expungement explains eligibility in plain language, and the statewide forms library at mdcourts.gov/forms has the petition forms. The Howard County State's Attorney site at howardcountysao.org covers prosecution-related questions about the process.

Maryland also has a shielding process under Criminal Procedure Title 10. Shielding hides certain eligible records from public view but may keep them accessible to justice agencies. The Clerk's Criminal/Juvenile department can confirm which court and what form applies to a specific case.

Public criminal case records, including charges, pleas, and dispositions visible before expungement or shielding, can be searched on Maryland Case Search. After an expungement order takes effect, those records are removed from that public view.

Electronic Filing and Online Access for Howard County Circuit Court

Maryland uses a statewide electronic courts system called MDEC. E-filing through MDEC is available for many case types in the Howard County Circuit Court. The MDEC e-filing page explains which case types are covered, how to register, and how the filing process works. Attorneys and self-represented parties may use MDEC; not all case types allow or require electronic filing, so confirm with the Clerk's office if you are unsure.

Public case records for the Circuit Court are viewable through Maryland Judiciary Case Search. Case Search is free and does not require an account for public record views. It covers both the Circuit Court and the District Court in Howard County, so one search can pull results from both court levels. Land records, probate estate records, and plat records are not in Case Search; use MdLandRec, the Register of Wills estate search, and Plats.net for those.

Probate Records Are With the Register of Wills, Not the Clerk

A common point of confusion: the Clerk of the Circuit Court does not handle probate or estate administration. Those records belong to the Register of Wills for Howard County, a separate elected official. The Register accepts estate filings, maintains estate records, and supports the administration of decedents' estates. The Orphans' Court resolves probate disputes and supervises estates where judicial action is required.

If you need to search an estate, look up a will, or file a probate document, go to the Register of Wills page or visit the Register's office at Suite 1100 in the same courthouse building. Estate records are searchable through the Register of Wills estate search at registers.maryland.gov/main/search.html. The Orphans' Court page covers the judicial side of probate at orphans-court.html.

Howard County Circuit Court Overview

The Clerk's office is housed in the same building as the Circuit Court itself. The Circuit Court for Howard County is the general-jurisdiction trial court. It handles jury trials, family law matters, serious criminal cases, complex civil actions, juvenile matters, and appeals from the District Court, the Orphans' Court, and administrative agencies. If you need information about the court itself, its judges, magistrates, hearing schedule, or courtroom procedures, the Circuit Court page covers those topics. The Clerk supports the court's operations but is a separate elected office with its own responsibilities.

For divorce records specifically, the Circuit Court family department and the Clerk both play a role. Divorce cases are filed in and heard by the Circuit Court, and the case files are maintained by the Clerk. Certified copies of divorce decrees come from the Clerk's office. More information is on the marriage and divorce records page.

Related Howard County Court Record Resources

For case records and the online search portal, see Howard County court records. For the trial court itself, see Circuit Court. For probate and estate records, see the Register of Wills. For marriage and divorce records, see marriage and divorce records. Self-help resources including the court's law library link and family services are listed on the Circuit Court page and on the Maryland Court Help Center at mdcourts.gov/helpcenter.