About the Anne Arundel County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Maryland does not split court records between a county clerk and a district clerk the way Texas does. In Anne Arundel County, the main court-record keeper is the Clerk of the Circuit Court. That single office is the front door for Circuit Court pleadings, orders, judgments, family case files, land records, marriage licenses, and more. Estate and will files are the one big exception. Those go to the Register of Wills and the Orphans' Court, which work apart from the Clerk's office.
The Clerk's office runs out of the Circuit Court courthouse in downtown Annapolis. Public counters there let you file papers, look up a file, and order copies. Counter hours and the direct line for each department can change, so the office page is the place to check before you go. The contact card below lists the main address and phone.
Clerk of the Circuit Court
8 Church Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-222-1397
Mon-Fri, business hours (verify current counter hours)
The official Clerk of the Circuit Court page is the best starting point. It lists each department and links the public to forms, copy requests, and contact details.
The screenshot below shows that page.
The lead-in link points to the source. The Clerk of the Circuit Court official page opens the full menu of departments and services.
From that menu you can drill into the unit that holds the record you want. Civil and family files sit in one department; criminal files sit in another.
What the Anne Arundel County Clerk of the Circuit Court Does
The Clerk's job is broad. The office takes in new filings, builds and guards the case file, issues court process, collects fees, and hands out copies. It also records land instruments, judgments, and liens, and it issues marriage and business licenses. Each function lives in its own department, and most have a dedicated web page. Knowing which department holds your record points you to the right counter and the right phone.
These are the main units of the Anne Arundel County Clerk of the Circuit Court that matter for a records search.
- Civil Department and Family Division for civil suits, divorce, custody, and support files.
- Criminal Department for Circuit Court charging papers, pleas, and dispositions.
- Juvenile Department, access-limited because juvenile files are not open to the public.
- Land Records Department for deeds and recorded instruments, indexed through MDLandRec.
- Marriage Licenses, plus Judgments and Liens, Business Licenses, and Notary Public services.
The office also handles adoptions and guardianship files and records military discharges. Adoption and guardianship records carry tight access rules.
The Adoptions and Guardianship page spells out those limits, as the screenshot shows.
Plan on proof of party status or a court order for those files. The general public cannot pull them on request.
Note: Juvenile, adoption, and certain guardianship files held by the Clerk are confidential by law and are not part of the open public record.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is a court-stamped copy that proves the document is a true copy of what the Clerk holds. Courts, agencies, banks, and other states want certified copies, not plain printouts. A plain copy is fine for your own files. Maryland practice also allows an exemplified, or triple-seal, copy when a copy must travel out of state or carry extra proof. The Clerk's office issues all three from a Circuit Court file.
The request flow is short. Follow these steps to get a certified copy from the Anne Arundel County Clerk of the Circuit Court.
- Find the case first. Use Maryland Judiciary Case Search to pull the case number by party name when you do not already have it.
- Open the Clerk's Obtain File Copies page and follow its instructions for the request.
- Give the case number, the party names, the exact document you want, and the copy type you need (plain, certified, or exemplified).
- Submit the request with payment, then pick the copy up at the counter or wait for it by mail.
The "Obtain File Copies" page is the key resource for this whole process.
The screenshot below comes straight from the source. The Obtain File Copies request page lays out what the Clerk needs from you.
If you also need a typed transcript or audio of a hearing, that is a separate request. Use the Clerk's order a transcript page for that. Interpreter and ADA requests have their own pages too.
Anne Arundel County Clerk Records Request Form Fields
A copy request needs enough detail for the Clerk to pull the right file fast. The more you give, the quicker the office can match it. A case number is the single best thing to include. When you do not have one, full party names and the case type help staff find the file. The table maps the common fields on a Circuit Court copy request and what each one needs.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requester name | Yes | Needed for the copy request or counter service |
| Mailing address, email, phone | Yes | Used for the response and any payment follow-up |
| Case number | Strongly recommended | Maryland case number from Case Search or a court notice |
| Party names | Yes if case number unknown | Plaintiff and defendant, or petitioner and respondent |
| Case type | Recommended | Civil, criminal, family, juvenile, adoption, or guardianship |
| Document requested | Yes | Order, decree, docket, judgment, transcript, and so on |
| Copy type | Yes | Plain, certified, or exemplified where available |
| Delivery method | Yes | Mail, counter pickup, or email where allowed |
| Payment | Yes | Check, money order, card, or cash at the counter |
Form layouts can differ by department. Some fields show as a dropdown, others as a checkbox. Confirm the live form before you send it.
Anne Arundel County Clerk of the Circuit Court Fees
Looking at a public record online costs nothing. Getting a paper copy from the Clerk does. Maryland sets Circuit Court copy and filing fees through statewide schedules, not a local price list, so the amount is the same at the Annapolis counter as it is by mail. Plain copies, certified copies, and exemplified copies each carry their own charge. Because rates change, the table below lists the fee items rather than dollar figures. Check the current amount with the Clerk or on the statewide schedule before you pay.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy, per page | Verify current amount with the Clerk |
| Certified copy | Verify current amount with the Clerk |
| Exemplified / triple-seal copy | Verify current amount with the Clerk |
| Record search fee | Verify current amount with the Clerk |
| Circuit Court filing fees | See the statewide Circuit Court fee schedule |
Filing fees follow the statewide schedule, so they read the same across every Maryland county. Land records, judgments, and liens have their own charges and are handled by those units of the Clerk's office, not the civil copy counter.
Note: Confirm every fee with the Clerk of the Circuit Court before you send a request, since court copy and filing charges are set by statewide rule and can change.
Records the Anne Arundel County Clerk Cannot Release on Request
Open access is the default for Circuit Court files, but not every file is open. The Clerk must turn down a request that would break a law or a court order. Several record types stay closed to the public no matter who asks at the counter.
- Juvenile case files, which are confidential by statute.
- Adoption files, which are sealed and need party status or a court order.
- Certain guardianship records with restricted access.
- Expunged or shielded records, which leave public view by court order.
- Older files held off-site or on microfilm, which may need in-person review and added time.
Land records are a separate track. They are indexed and viewed through MDLandRec and the Clerk's land-record unit, not the case-file counter. Image access on that system often needs a free account.
For a sealed file you usually must be a party, an attorney of record, or a person the court allows by written order. Bring the case number and a reason. To trace a case before you visit, the Anne Arundel County court records page covers how the search portal works.
Marriage Licenses and Other Clerk Services
The Clerk of the Circuit Court does more than handle case copies. The same office issues marriage licenses for the county, records business licenses, swears in notaries, and records military discharges. Marriage records are county-issued at the Circuit Court clerk level, so a couple applies here and later requests certified copies here after the license is recorded.
To apply for a license or to get a certified marriage copy, start at the Clerk's Marriage Licenses page. It lists the current fee, the ID rules, and the hours. For a full walk-through of marriage and divorce records, including how a divorce decree ties back to a Circuit Court file, see the Anne Arundel County marriage and divorce records page.
Estate and will files are the clear exception to the Clerk's reach. Those are kept by the Register of Wills and the Orphans' Court. Use the Anne Arundel County probate records page for estates, not the Clerk's copy counter.
Note: The Clerk issues marriage licenses and certified marriage copies, but estate and will records belong to the separate Register of Wills office.