Maryland Free Public Records Directory

Maryland packs a lot of history and geography into its small size. At 12,407 square miles, it is the 42nd largest (and 9th smallest) state. One of the original Thirteen Colonies, Maryland was the seventh state to be admitted to the Union. Its original colonists were Catholics fleeing from persecution in England. They arrived in 1634 and quickly became prosperous, in large part due to the success of tobacco agriculture. As more colonists arrived from England, and Puritans moved into Maryland from neighboring Virginia, the Catholics became a minority again. Religious strife, including armed battles, ensued. In 1649, The Toleration Act was passed as the first law guaranteeing religious freedom in the colonies.

The state’s boundaries were also subject to disagreement between the Penn family that controlled Pennsylvania and the Calvert family that controlled Baltimore. War between those colonies broke out in the mid-1730s and only ended when King George II ordered the negotiation of a cease fire. A final border agreement was not signed until 1760, establishing what later became known as the Mason-Dixon line that informally separated the North and South during the Civil War. Maryland joined the Union side during the Civil War, although many of its residents fought for the Confederacy.

In addition to its famous northern border with Pennsylvania, Maryland is bordered on the east by Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by West Virginia, and on the south by West Virginia and Virginia. The middle of the Maryland-Virginia border is occupied by the national capital, Washington, D.C., on land ceded to the federal government by Maryland. The middle of Maryland itself is occupied by Chesapeake Bay, which almost completely separates the low-lying counties of the Eastern Shore from the uplands of the Western Shore. Farther west, a narrow portion of the state traverses a series of ridges and valleys and ends in the Appalachian Mountains. Most of Maryland has a humid subtropical climate, while the mountainous western region is humid continental. Rainfall is plentiful, and average monthly temperatures range from lows in the teens to highs in the high 80s.

Maryland has 23 counties and one independent city: Baltimore, its largest city at 620,000 residents. Its capital, Annapolis, is also home to the United States Naval Academy. With over 6 million residents, Maryland is the 5th most densely populated state. It has the nation’s highest median family income, thanks to its diversified economy and its proximity to Washington D.C., which supplies many technical, administrative, and defense-oriented jobs. Maryland also has many educational and medical research institutions, and a diverse manufacturing sector.

Maryland’s long history, diverse geography, and demographics lend it two of its several nicknames: Little America and America in Miniature. To help you find public records in this interesting and colorful state, visit our directory below of all types, including court records, vital statistics, recorded documents, and county courthouse locations.

Abbreviation	MD
Capital	Baltimore
Population	6,052,177 (2017 est.)
Area size	12,407 sq. mi
Demonym	Marylander
Primary languages spoken	English
Governor	Larry Hogan
Lieutenant Governor	Boyd Rutherford
U.S. Senators	Ben Cardin, Chris Van Hollen
U.S. House Delegation	7 Democrats, 1 Republican
Time Zone	Eastern: UTC -5/-4

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records: 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them.

Maryland’s first public records law was passed in 1970, and it gives the public broad access to records. Some records are confidential, although a person who is the subject of a confidential record may in some cases be granted access to it. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office publishes a detailed manual about the law.

When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town, or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.