St. Mary's County Court Records Search
St. Mary's County court records cover civil, criminal, and family cases filed in Leonardtown with the 7th Judicial Circuit. If you need to find a case, get a certified copy, or understand how the clerk's office works, this page covers how to search St. Mary's County court records online and what steps to take when you need documents from the courthouse.
St. Mary's County Court Records Overview
St. Mary's County Circuit Court Clerk
Debra J. "Debbie" Burch serves as the Circuit Court Clerk for St. Mary's County. The courthouse address is 41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 676, Leonardtown, MD 20650. The main phone number is 301-475-7844. Toll-free calls can be placed at 1-800-988-5052. Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. The 7th Judicial Circuit covers Calvert, Charles, Prince George's, and St. Mary's counties.
Court Administrator Tracy Cantrell manages the office's internal operations and can be reached at extension 74163. For specific matters, departments can be reached separately: Civil at ext. 74562, Criminal at ext. 74564, Land Records at ext. 74579, 74586, or 74563, Marriage at ext. 74563 or 74580, and Jury at ext. 74560 or 74566. Three judges currently serve the circuit: the Honorable Joseph M. Stanalonis (Administrative Judge), the Honorable Amy D. Lorenzini, and the Honorable Kevin R. Hill.
The courthouse has a Family Law Self-Help Legal Clinic available to self-represented litigants. An Adult Substance Abuse Recovery Court and a Family Recovery Court also operate within the 7th Circuit in St. Mary's County. If weather causes delays or closures, you can call the inclement weather line at 301-475-4200, extension 74656. Cell phones have been restricted inside the courthouse since January 1, 2011, so plan accordingly.
The St. Mary's County Circuit Court Clerk page has current contact information, filing instructions, and department details.
Note: Cell phones are restricted inside the St. Mary's County courthouse as of January 1, 2011, so visitors should be prepared to leave devices at security.
Searching St. Mary's County Court Records Online
The free statewide tool for finding St. Mary's County court records is Maryland Judiciary Case Search. It covers all 24 Maryland jurisdictions, including St. Mary's County. You can search by name, case number, or citation number. Name searches use exact matching by default. To run a partial match, add a percent sign (%) at the end of the last name. The system returns case numbers, party names, filing dates, case types, statuses, docket entries, and disposition information.
Results can be filtered by case type, court level, county, and date range. The database refreshes each night, so very recent filings may not appear immediately. Since 2024, dismissed cases, nolle prosequi entries, and acquittals are no longer shown in public search results. Stet cases older than three years have also been removed from online access. To retrieve those records, contact the Leonardtown clerk's office directly. Jury information for St. Mary's County is available by calling 301-475-3550, 301-475-3507, or the toll-free jury line at 1-866-SMC-JURY. The jury information page is also available at the St. Mary's County jury info page.
What St. Mary's County Court Records Include
St. Mary's County court records cover all major case types handled in Circuit and District Court. Criminal records show charges, arraignment information, pleas, trial schedules, verdicts, and sentences for both felony and misdemeanor cases. Civil records document complaints, motions, judgments, and court orders in disputes involving money, contracts, property, and other non-criminal matters handled in the county. Family law files hold divorce decrees, custody orders, child support awards, and protective orders entered in St. Mary's County.
Land records at the St. Mary's County clerk cover deeds, mortgages, liens, releases, and other instruments tied to real property in the county. These can also be searched through Maryland Land Records online with a free account. Copies of records under 100 years old cost $0.20 per page as of May 2025. Records over 100 years old are free to copy. For plat documents, use the Maryland State Archives plat database. Probate and estate matters are handled separately through the Register of Wills, accessible via the Maryland Register of Wills portal.
Restricted records that are not publicly available include sealed cases, expunged records, adoption files, juvenile delinquency cases, and mental health evaluations. Failure-to-pay-rent cases without a possession judgment are automatically shielded within 60 days under the 2024 rule change.
How to Get Copies of St. Mary's County Records
Copies of St. Mary's County court records can be obtained in person at the Leonardtown courthouse, by mail, or through the Maryland MDEC electronic portal for cases filed electronically. Standard copy fees are $0.50 per page. Certified copies run $5.00 to $5.50 plus the per-page rate. Exemplified copies carry a $10.00 base fee plus per-page charges and are typically needed when submitting Maryland court records in another state. Mail requests include a $2.00 handling fee.
Audio recordings of proceedings cost $25.00 per proceeding on CD or USB drive. Written transcripts are $3.00 per page. Payment options include cash, checks or money orders payable to Clerk of Court, and Visa, MasterCard, or Discover cards. Court forms for civil, criminal, and family matters are available free at the Maryland Judiciary court forms page.
Note: Mail requests for St. Mary's County court records carry a $2.00 handling fee added to the per-page copy cost, and no self-addressed stamped envelope is needed.
Legal Resources in St. Mary's County
St. Mary's County residents who need legal help have several options at no cost. Maryland Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to those who qualify. The People's Law Library offers plain-language guides to Maryland court procedures and forms. The Maryland Courts Self-Help Center at 410-260-1392, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM, can answer procedural questions but does not provide legal advice.
The Family Law Self-Help Legal Clinic at the St. Mary's County courthouse serves self-represented litigants who have family court matters pending. The Thurgood Marshall State Law Library at 361 Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis (410-260-1430) is another resource open to the public for legal research. The Maryland Courts Directory lists addresses and contact numbers for all courts in the state.
St. Mary's County Clerk Office
Visit the St. Mary's County Circuit Court Clerk page on the Maryland Judiciary website for department contacts, filing instructions, jury information, and other resources specific to court records in Leonardtown.
The clerk's page provides the most current information about fees, contacts, and filing procedures for St. Mary's County court records.
Cities in St. Mary's County
St. Mary's County has no cities that meet the population threshold for a dedicated court records page. All court filings for the county are processed through the Circuit Court Clerk's office at 41605 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown.
Nearby Counties
St. Mary's County is part of Southern Maryland and shares the 7th Judicial Circuit with two neighboring counties.