| Clerk of the Circuit Court | Clerk of the Circuit Court for Carroll County |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Circuit Court Clerk: Circuit Courthouse Annex, 55 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21157-5155. Register of Wills: Courthouse Annex, Room 124, 55 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21157. District Court: 101 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21157-5156 |
| Phone | Circuit Court Clerk (410) 386-8710, toll-free in Maryland (888) 786-0039, case filings (410) 386-8720; Register of Wills (410) 848-2586; District Court (410) 871-3500 |
| Hours | Circuit Court Clerk, District Court, and Register of Wills all 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, except legal holidays |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $0.50 per page (circuit court clerks) |
| Certified copy fee | $5.00 per document plus $0.50 per page; exemplified (triple-seal) copy $10.00 |
Carroll County, northwest of Baltimore, is Maryland's ninth most populous county, and its courts are clustered along North Court Street in Westminster. The Circuit Court for Carroll County, part of the Fifth Judicial Circuit with Anne Arundel and Howard counties, and its elected Clerk of the Circuit Court, Heather S. DeWees, operate from the Circuit Courthouse Annex at 55 North Court Street. The Register of Wills, Paul G. Zimmermann, is in Room 124 of the same annex, and the District Court of Maryland, District 10, is across the street at 101 North Court Street.
The Carroll County clerk's office is unusually explicit about how to get records. It publishes a copy request form for plain and certified copies of circuit court case documents, keeps a drop box at the front of the annex for filings and payments, and provides public computer terminals on the second floor for civil, criminal, and family case lookups, limited to 30 minutes per customer. Checks for court fees are made payable to the clerk by name.
As in every Maryland county, the District Court is a separate statewide court with its own clerk staff, and Carroll shares District 10 with Howard County under one administrative judge. The clerk's page also makes a point that Carroll County does not handle wills; that is the Register of Wills, a separate elected office.
Search Carroll County court records online
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Clerk of the Circuit Court for Carroll County
- Cost
- Free to search Maryland Judiciary Case Search; 50 cents per page for copies, $5 plus copy charge for certification
- Coverage
- Circuit Court felony criminal, civil, family, and juvenile case records for Carroll County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
The clerk's page links a Copy Request Form for plain and certified copies of case documents, an expungement information sheet, and a court costs sheet. Case filings line is 410-386-8720; Land Records and Licensing is 410-386-8760.
Other courts
District Court of Maryland, District 10 (Carroll County, Westminster)
- Cost
- Free to search Maryland Judiciary Case Search; fees for copies
- Coverage
- Landlord-tenant, replevin, civil claims up to $30,000, traffic, and misdemeanor cases for Carroll County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
At 101 North Court Street, across from the Circuit Courthouse Annex. District 10 also covers Howard County.
Other courts
Register of Wills for Carroll County
- Cost
- Free to review; fees for copies
- Coverage
- Estate administration and probate filings for Carroll County; the Register serves as clerk to the Orphans' Court
- Records
- Probate
Room 124 of the Courthouse Annex at 55 North Court Street. Filings cannot be submitted by email.
What is available online
Circuit Court and District Court case information for Carroll County is searched through the statewide Maryland Judiciary Case Search & Record Portal, which the clerk's office links to but notes it does not control. Public terminals for the same search are on the second floor of the Circuit Courthouse Annex (civil, criminal, and family) and the ground floor (land records and licensing), limited to 30 minutes per customer. Estate files are indexed in the Register of Wills' statewide estate search, and the clerk publishes step-by-step directions for setting up a free mdlandrec.net account to search recorded deeds.
Which clerk has your record
In Maryland, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Maryland page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Appellate Court of Maryland | Civil and criminal appeals as of right from the circuit courts; Appeals from certain administrative agencies | Clerk of the Appellate Court of Maryland |
| Circuit Courts (one per county and Baltimore City, 8 judicial circuits) | Felony criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil cases above the District Court's monetary limit | Clerk of the Circuit Court for the county or Baltimore City |
| District Court of Maryland (statewide, 12 numbered districts) | Landlord-tenant and eviction cases; Civil claims up to $30,000; Misdemeanors and certain felonies | District Court Clerk's Office for that district location (Judiciary employees, not an elected county clerk) |
| Orphans' Court | Probate of wills; Estate administration disputes; Guardianship of property in some cases | Register of Wills, who serves as Clerk to the Orphans' Court |
Request records in person or by mail
Carroll County clerk offices
Circuit Court Clerk: Circuit Courthouse Annex, 55 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21157-5155. Register of Wills: Courthouse Annex, Room 124, 55 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21157. District Court: 101 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21157-5156
Phone: Circuit Court Clerk (410) 386-8710, toll-free in Maryland (888) 786-0039, case filings (410) 386-8720; Register of Wills (410) 848-2586; District Court (410) 871-3500
Hours: Circuit Court Clerk, District Court, and Register of Wills all 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, except legal holidays
Circuit Court records. Fill out the Carroll County Clerk's Office Copy Request Form, linked from the clerk's page, to request plain or certified copies of circuit court case documents. Submit it in person at 55 North Court Street, by mail, or through the drop box at the front of the Circuit Courthouse Annex. Make checks or money orders payable to Heather S. DeWees, Clerk. Statewide circuit court fees are 50 cents per page and $5 per document for certification. Call (410) 386-8720 with questions about a civil, criminal, family, or juvenile filing.
Estate and probate records. Contact the Register of Wills in Room 124 of the same annex, or by phone at (410) 848-2586. The clerk's office does not keep or protect wills; that is the Register's role.
District Court records. Contact the District Court clerk's office at 101 North Court Street, (410) 871-3500, for traffic, misdemeanor, landlord-tenant, and small civil files.
Expungement. The clerk's page links a Carroll County expungement information sheet; a granted expungement removes the case from Case Search and from the clerk's public files.
Parking. Visitor parking is in front of the annex on North Court Street, behind it on Greenwood Avenue, or in the lot at Ralph Street and Greenwood Avenue; the lot directly behind the annex is for employees and disability-placard visitors only.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Maryland |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.50 per page (circuit court clerks) |
| Certified copy | $5.00 per document plus $0.50 per page; exemplified (triple-seal) copy $10.00 |
From the Judiciary's Summary of Charges, Costs, and Fees of the Clerks of the Circuit Court effective October 1, 2025 (Schedule II I 1 and I 3; Courts Article §§ 2-201(b) and 7-202). No fee for mailing copies. Certain copies are free to former and active armed forces members and beneficiaries. This schedule applies to circuit court clerks only; District Court and Register of Wills copy fees are set separately, so confirm with those offices.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Maryland court records are open to the public by default under the Maryland Rules on access to court records (Rules 16-901 through 16-912, "Access to Court Records," Title 16, Chapter 900), but several categories are removed from public view:
The Maryland guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I request a copy of a Carroll County Circuit Court record?
Use the Copy Request Form linked on the clerk's mdcourts.gov page, then deliver it in person, by mail, or through the drop box at 55 North Court Street with payment made out to the clerk. Certified copies are requested on the same form.
Can I search Carroll County court records at the courthouse?
Yes. Public computers on the second floor of the Circuit Courthouse Annex are available for civil, criminal, and family case lookups, and on the ground floor for land records, with a 30-minute limit per customer.
Does the Carroll County clerk keep wills?
No. The clerk's office states that it does not manage wills or estates. Contact the Register of Wills for Carroll County in Room 124 of the Courthouse Annex at (410) 848-2586.
Where is the District Court in Carroll County?
At 101 North Court Street in Westminster, across from the Circuit Courthouse Annex. It handles traffic, misdemeanors, evictions, and civil claims up to $30,000 and has its own clerk's office.
Sources
- Maryland Courts — Carroll County Directory — https://www.mdcourts.gov/courtsdirectory/carroll
- Circuit Court for Carroll County — Clerk's Office — https://www.mdcourts.gov/clerks/carroll
- Maryland Courts — District Court, Carroll County — https://www.mdcourts.gov/district/directories/carroll
- Register of Wills for Carroll County — https://registers.maryland.gov/main/carroll.html
- Maryland Courts — Circuit Court Fee Schedule — https://www.mdcourts.gov/circuit/feeschedule
- Maryland Courts — Courts Directory — https://www.mdcourts.gov/courtsdirectory/appellate
- Maryland Courts — District Court of Maryland — https://www.mdcourts.gov/district
- Maryland Courts — Orphans' Court — https://www.mdcourts.gov/orphanscourt
- Maryland Judiciary Case Search & Record Portal — https://www.mdcourts.gov/casesearch
- Maryland Courts — Court Records — https://www.mdcourts.gov/courts/courtrecords
- DPSCS — Criminal History Background Checks — https://dpscs.maryland.gov/publicservs/bgchecks.shtml
- Maryland Register of Wills — Directory of Offices — https://registers.maryland.gov/main/directory.html
- Summary of Charges, Costs, and Fees of the Clerks of the Circuit Court (effective October 1, 2025) [PDF] — https://www.mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/import/circuit/feesummaryschedule.pdf
- Maryland Courts — Expungement (Adult) — https://www.mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/expungement
- Md. Code, Criminal Procedure § 10-105 — https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcp§ion=10-105&enactments=false
See also: all Maryland counties.