Baltimore City Certificate of Trust Form (Maryland)

All Baltimore City specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Certificate of Trust Form

Baltimore City Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Baltimore City compliant document last validated/updated 9/18/2024

Certificate of Trust Guide

Baltimore City Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Baltimore City compliant document last validated/updated 8/9/2024

Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Baltimore City Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Baltimore City compliant document last validated/updated 11/27/2024

When using these Certificate of Trust forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Baltimore City. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

City of Baltimore Land Records

Courthouse - 110 North Calvert St, Rm 610, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday

Phone: 410-333-3760

Local jurisdictions located in Baltimore City include:

  • Baltimore
  • Brooklyn

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Baltimore City forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Baltimore City using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Baltimore City?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Baltimore City including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Certificate of Trust forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Baltimore City that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Baltimore City.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Maryland or Baltimore City. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Baltimore City Certificate of Trust forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How to Execute a Maryland Certification of Trust

The certification of trust is codified under 14.5--910 of the Estates and Trusts Article of the Maryland Code. The document is an abbreviation of a trust instrument, verifying the trust's existence and the trustee's authority to enter into the impending transaction.

A certification of trust contains only information essential to the transaction at hand; for example, it need not provide the dispositive terms of the trust, so the identities of trust beneficiaries remain private. The rights of certain persons to obtain the trust instrument are reserved for the instances stated under Md. Code Ann., Estates and Trusts 14.5-910(h).

The information required in a Maryland certification of trust includes a statement that the trust exists, the date of the trust instrument under which it was formed, and the identity of the trust's settlor. A settlor is defined under the Maryland Trust Act as "a person...that creates or contributes property to a trust" and can include more than one person (Md. Code Ann., Estates and Trusts 14.5-103(v)).

The certificate includes the name and address of each acting trustee at the time of the certificate's execution, as well as a description of the powers the trustee has related to the pending transaction. For example, if a certificate of trust is presented by a trustee wishing to execute a trustee's deed, a power of sale should be referenced. Recipients of the certificate can request, in addition, the excerpts from the trust instrument which designate the trustee and establish the relevant powers (Md. Code Ann., Estates and Trusts 14.5-910(e)).

The document also identifies the trust as either revocable or irrevocable and, if the former, the identity of anyone having a power to revoke the trust. For living trusts, the settlor generally retains this power. In the case of co-trustees, the certificate tells which can authenticate documents and whether all or fewer are required in exercising trustee powers. Any trustee may sign a certification of trust in the presence of a notary public.

The taxpayer identification number (TIN) of the trust is required, unless this number is the Social Security number (SSN) of the settlor. Irrevocable trusts are assigned their own taxpayer ID, separate from a SSN.

Finally, the certificate contains the name by which the trust is to hold title to assets, including real property. Where the certificate is used in transactions involving real property, a legal description of the property subject to the trust should be included. The certificate must contain a statement "that the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in a manner that would cause the representations in the certification of trust to be incorrect" (Md. Code Ann., Estates and Trusts 14.5-910(c)).

Recipients of a certificate may rely on the correctness of its content, and are protected under Md. Code Ann., Estates and Trusts 14.5-910(f).

Contact an attorney with any questions regarding Maryland trusts and certifications of trust, as trust law can quickly become complicated and each situation is unique.

(Maryland COT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Baltimore City recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Baltimore City Certificate of Trust form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4442 Reviews )

Shihei W.

December 12th, 2024

Loved every step of the process, from the detail explanation of the services/products provided, to the inclusive packet that comes with my purchase of the trust certification form.

Reply from Staff

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!

Jamie P.

December 9th, 2024

Got it next business day in the morning. Saved me phone call and perhaps a trip to courthouse. Very pleased.

Reply from Staff

Your satisfaction with our services is of utmost importance to us. Thank you for letting us know how we did!

Ben C.

December 8th, 2024

Easy and Quick,Thanks

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Nancy D.

July 30th, 2019

Program works well. Saves a lot of time trying to find out what you need to do.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

William B.

May 29th, 2021

The website works just as described. I couldn't ask for anything more helpful in drafting an easement and all at a very reasonable price. Thank you!

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Shawn S.

August 30th, 2019

Seems to be exactly whst j needed. Great job!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Larry H.

March 29th, 2019

Wow! So easy and such a cost savings. Thanks

Reply from Staff

Thanks Larry, we appreciate your feedback.

Kim M.

January 5th, 2019

Purchased the Warranty Deed package for $19.95 which included all the forms I needed including instructions and a sample form. Seamless transaction filing with our local county clerk's office - she even commented it was one of the best prepared packages she has seen. Thanks for saving me a ton of money!

Reply from Staff

Thank you Kim, we appreciate your feedback.

Tamara R.

May 2nd, 2021

Easy to use and clear instructions.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Terralynn J.

July 18th, 2019

I was very pleased to find ONLINE, Deed Revision Document(s) and their explanation. I ordered these document Forms, downloaded them and Printed them. Now, I will be able to fill them out in the privacy of my home. Instructions were also included, how to file this new Deed, after I complete it and have it Notarized. This has saved me time and emotional stress following the death of my husband.
THANK YOU.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Vicki J.

November 17th, 2020

Reasonably priced and Extremely easy to use.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Kimberly S.

April 21st, 2022

I wasted a lot of my time because I didn't do any research to know what I needed. Nobody fault but mine.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Marina M.

April 16th, 2022

Very easy to choose template and download. The price seems fair. Not sure the section on the deed for 6 witnesses is necessary....

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

John M.

September 16th, 2022

Easy to use site with a good selection of documents

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Iryna D.

March 31st, 2020

Exelent work!

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!