Anne Arundel County Court Docket Search
Anne Arundel County court docket records are maintained at the Circuit Court in Annapolis and across several District Court locations throughout the county. This page covers how to search docket entries online, where to get copies of case records, and what court handles which types of cases in Anne Arundel County.
Anne Arundel County Court Docket Overview
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court
The Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County is located at 8 Church Circle in Annapolis, which is also the state capital. The court handles felony criminal cases, civil matters above $30,000, family law cases, adoptions, guardianship, and appeals from the District Court. Circuit Court has general jurisdiction, meaning it can take up any matter not reserved to a specialty court. This is where jury trials happen in Anne Arundel County. The Circuit Court Clerk maintains the official docket and stores all case files.
The Anne Arundel Circuit Court has its own website at circuitcourt.org, which provides case information, filing instructions, and details about court services. This is one of the more developed county court sites in Maryland and includes docket lookup tools, court calendars, and information on electronic filing. If you're looking for an Anne Arundel County docket entry, the circuit court site is worth checking alongside the statewide Maryland Judiciary Case Search system.
The official Anne Arundel Circuit Court website shown below provides direct access to court services and public docket information for the county.
The Anne Arundel County Circuit Court website at circuitcourt.org provides online docket access, court calendars, and filing information for county residents.
The circuitcourt.org site is the main online resource for Anne Arundel County court docket information and services.
| Address | 8 Church Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401 |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court Website | circuitcourt.org |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Jurisdiction | General (felonies, civil over $30K, family law, jury trials) |
District Court in Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County is large enough to have multiple District Court locations. The main District Court sits in Annapolis, but there are additional locations to serve the more populated northern and western parts of the county. District Court handles misdemeanors, civil claims up to $30,000, small claims, traffic violations, landlord-tenant disputes, and peace order and protective order petitions. These courts are busy -- Anne Arundel has a large population and generates significant case volume.
Small claims in Anne Arundel County go to District Court when the amount is $5,000 or less. Cases between $5,001 and $30,000 can go to either District Court or Circuit Court depending on how they are filed. If you're not sure which court has your case, the Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us searches both levels at once and will show you which court the case is in.
The Maryland Courts directory page for Anne Arundel County lists all court locations in the county, including multiple District Court sites.
The Maryland Courts directory for Anne Arundel County shows all court locations, phone numbers, and hours for both Circuit and District Courts in the county.
Use the courts directory to find the specific District Court location nearest to you in Anne Arundel County.
Searching Anne Arundel County Docket Records
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search system is the primary free tool for searching Anne Arundel County court docket entries online. No account is needed. You will need to complete a CAPTCHA before each search session. Search options include party name, case number, attorney name, and citation number. The system covers both Circuit and District Court for Anne Arundel County and returns results from across all Maryland courts, so you can filter by county to narrow the results.
Name searches default to exact matches. Adding a percent sign (%) at the end of a name searches for all names starting with those letters -- useful if a name might be misspelled or hyphenated in the system. The 500-record limit per search applies here as it does statewide. For common surnames in Anne Arundel County, combining a first name or using date ranges helps cut down the results to what you need.
Case Search results show docket entries: what was filed, what orders were entered, hearing dates, and case status. They do not show document images. To get the actual pleadings or orders, you need to either visit the clerk's office, use the MDEC remote document access system, or use a public kiosk at the courthouse. The MDEC system requires a notarized MDJ-004 form to set up remote access to document images. More information is at mdcourts.gov/mdec/efilingpublic.
Records update overnight in the Case Search system. A case filed today won't appear until tomorrow at the earliest. For land records linked to Anne Arundel County court matters -- like deeds recorded after a court-ordered property transfer -- use MDLandRec.net. Registration is free and the database is extensive.
Copies of Anne Arundel Court Records
Plain copies of Anne Arundel County court records cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 plus $0.50 per page. Exemplified copies, which carry a triple seal and are sometimes needed for use in another state, cost $10.00 plus $0.50 per page. Payment at the clerk's office can be made by cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover).
Mail-in copy requests go to the Circuit Court Clerk at 8 Church Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401. Include the case number or party name, specify which documents you need, provide your return address, and include a check or money order for the copy fees. If the total is more than your payment, the clerk will follow up. Processing times for mail requests vary by volume, so allow extra time if you need records urgently.
In-person requests are often faster. Staff at the clerk's office can pull recent cases quickly. Older records, especially those from before electronic filing, may need to be retrieved from storage, so call ahead if you are looking for case files from many years ago. The clerk's office phone for Anne Arundel Circuit Court is listed on the circuitcourt.org website.
Case Types in the Anne Arundel Docket
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court handles felonies, civil cases over $30,000, all family law matters (divorce, custody, support, protective orders), adoptions, guardianship of minors and vulnerable adults, name changes, and appeals from District Court decisions. The family law docket in Anne Arundel is substantial given the county's population of over 590,000 people.
District Court cases cover misdemeanor criminal charges, motor vehicle violations, civil claims up to $30,000, peace order petitions, and small claims. Landlord-tenant disputes are a significant part of the District Court docket in Anne Arundel County, particularly in the more densely populated areas near Glen Burnie and Severn. These cases are searchable through the same Maryland Judiciary Case Search system as Circuit Court cases.
Probate and estate matters go through the Register of Wills for Anne Arundel County, not the Circuit Court. Those records are separate and maintained by a different office. Business license records may also be found through the Maryland Business License system at the clerk's level. If you're unsure which court or office holds the records you need, the Maryland Courts directory at mdcourts.gov/courtsdirectory/annearundel lists all offices and their functions.
Legal Resources in Anne Arundel County
Maryland Legal Aid has offices serving Anne Arundel County. They provide free civil legal help for low-income residents in areas like housing, family law, and consumer protection. Reach them through the statewide site at mdlab.org. The People's Law Library at peoples-law.org has free self-help guides for Maryland court procedures, including how to read a docket, how to file forms, and what to expect at different types of hearings.
All Maryland court forms, including those used in Anne Arundel County, are available free at mdcourts.gov/courtforms. Forms are organized by case type and court level. The Anne Arundel County Circuit Court site at circuitcourt.org also has local information about forms, self-represented litigant resources, and the court's self-help center, which provides guidance (not legal advice) to people who are handling their own cases.
Cities in Anne Arundel County
All court filings for Anne Arundel County communities go through the Circuit Court in Annapolis or the appropriate District Court location. Two cities in Anne Arundel County have individual pages on this site.
Other communities in Anne Arundel County include Annapolis, Arnold, Crofton, Edgewater, Ferndale, Gambrills, Hanover, Linthicum, Maryland City, Millersville, Odenton, Pasadena, Riva, and Severna Park. All file court cases at Anne Arundel County courts.
Nearby Counties
Anne Arundel County borders several Maryland counties. If a case was filed in a neighboring county, use the links below to find its court records.