How to Look Up Eviction Records in Maryland 2026
Court portal, certified copy fees, and expungement laws for Maryland
Where to Search Maryland Eviction Records
In Maryland, eviction cases (failure to pay rent, tenant holding over, and breach of lease) are filed and decided in the District Court of Maryland, which sits in every county and in Baltimore City. There is no separate housing court, the same District Court that hears small claims hears landlord-tenant matters. The useful part for anyone checking a record is that access is genuinely statewide: instead of driving to a county clerk, you query a single online system, Maryland Judiciary Case Search, which indexes District Court filings across all jurisdictions from one screen.
The expungement picture changed recently and matters for both sides. Maryland does allow certain eviction records to be sealed or expunged under HB 18 (2023), the Eviction Free to Thrive Act. Wrongful-eviction filings can be expunged, and a court may shield a failure-to-pay-rent case once the tenant has paid in full. Certified copies, when you need official proof, run $0.50 per page. The sections below walk through finding a record, reading it correctly, and the sealing rules.
How to look up a Maryland eviction record
Start with Maryland Judiciary Case Search, the state's free public portal. Because access is statewide, you can search by party name without first knowing which county handled the case, the index covers District Court filings everywhere in Maryland. Enter the tenant's name (and a date range or county to narrow common names), then open the matching landlord-tenant case to view the docket, the parties, the filing date, and the disposition.
If you need an official copy rather than a screen view, for a lease file, a dispute, or a court submission, request a certified copy from the District Court clerk for the county where the case was filed. Certified copies cost $0.50 per page. The online record is fine for screening and verification; the certified copy is what carries official weight.
Reading the result: a filing is not a judgment
The single most common mistake is treating any hit as proof the tenant lost. A filing is not a judgment. Maryland landlords file failure-to-pay-rent actions routinely, and many resolve when the tenant pays the balance, the parties settle, or the case is dismissed. Always read the disposition line before drawing a conclusion.
Check who actually prevailed and how the case ended: a dismissal, a payment that mooted the action, or a judgment for the tenant tells a very different story than a judgment for possession. Note the filing date too, an old, paid, or dismissed case says little about a current applicant. On Case Search, the docket entries show the sequence of events; read them in order rather than reacting to the case's mere existence.
Expungement and sealing: what it means for screening
Maryland is a sealing state. Under Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401.1 (Eviction Free to Thrive Act, 2023), certain wrongful-eviction records are eligible for expungement, and a court may seal a failure-to-pay-rent case where the tenant has paid the amount owed in full. That means a record visible today may be lawfully sealed tomorrow.
For landlords, two rules apply at once. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act governs how tenant-screening reports may report court records and for how long, and Maryland's sealing law removes shielded cases from public view. Do not screen on, or make a denial decision from, a record that has been sealed or expunged. If a screening vendor surfaces a case that the court has sealed, treat it as unusable and confirm against the current Case Search result before acting.
The tenant's side: getting a record sealed
If you are a tenant, the same law works in your favor. Under the Eviction Free to Thrive Act, you may ask the District Court to expunge a wrongful-eviction record, and a failure-to-pay-rent case can be shielded from public access once you have paid what was owed in full. The first step is to pull your own record on Maryland Judiciary Case Search and confirm the disposition, a dismissed or paid case is the kind most likely to qualify.
File the request in the District Court for the county that handled your case and bring proof of payment or the basis for the wrongful-eviction claim. Once a case is sealed, it should drop off the public index, which is what stops future landlords and screening companies from holding it against you. If a sealed case still appears on a screening report, that is a record the landlord may not lawfully use.
Step-by-Step: How to Search Maryland Eviction Records
- Go to Maryland Judiciary Case Search. Open https://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch in your browser.
- Search by party name. Enter the prospective tenant's full legal name (last name, first name) as a defendant/respondent. Try name variations including maiden names.
- Filter by case type. Select eviction, forcible detainer, unlawful detainer, or summary possession as the case type depending on the court's terminology.
- Review the disposition. Identify whether the case resulted in a judgment for the landlord (eviction), dismissal (tenant won or case settled), or is still pending. A filing alone does not mean the tenant was evicted.
- Check the filing date. Important: Maryland has eviction record protections, Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401.1 (Eviction Free to Thrive Act, 2023). Do not make adverse screening decisions on sealed, expunged, or protected records.
- Request certified copies if needed. For a certified copy of the court record, contact the District Court clerk's office directly. Fees are typically $0.50/page.
Eviction Record Expungement in Maryland
Landlords and screening companies may not use sealed or expunged eviction records as a basis for adverse tenant-screening decisions in Maryland. Tenants who believe their records have been improperly used may have a civil claim under the applicable statute. If a tenant discloses an expunged eviction, you may ask for context but cannot deny housing based solely on the expunged record.
This page was prepared by the Eviction Risk Map research team using public information from the District Court of Maryland and the Maryland Judiciary Case Search system, and the text of Maryland's Eviction Free to Thrive Act (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401.1, HB 18, 2023). Last reviewed June 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; for guidance on a specific case, consult a licensed Maryland attorney or the appropriate District Court clerk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up an eviction record in Maryland?
Use Maryland Judiciary Case Search, the state's free online portal. Because access is statewide, you can search by the tenant's name across all District Court jurisdictions from one screen, then open the landlord-tenant case to see the docket, parties, filing date, and disposition. For an official copy, request a certified copy from the District Court clerk in the county where the case was filed.
Are eviction records public in Maryland?
Yes. Eviction cases are heard in the District Court and are public records, searchable statewide through Maryland Judiciary Case Search. The exception is records that a court has sealed or expunged under the 2023 Eviction Free to Thrive Act, those are removed from public view and should not appear in a current search.
Can a tenant expunge an eviction record in Maryland?
Yes. Under Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401.1, the Eviction Free to Thrive Act (2023), certain wrongful-eviction records are eligible for expungement, and a court may seal a failure-to-pay-rent case once the tenant has paid the balance in full. File the request in the District Court for the county that handled the case, with proof of payment or the basis for the wrongful-eviction claim.
How much does a certified copy of a Maryland eviction record cost?
Certified copies from the District Court cost $0.50 per page. Viewing a record online through Maryland Judiciary Case Search is free; you only pay the per-page fee when you need a certified copy for a lease file, a dispute, or a court submission.
Related Maryland Landlord Guides
Court portal information sourced from the Maryland court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published Maryland statutes (see citations above). Last updated August 28, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.