Baltimore County Recorder

The Clerk of the Court is responsible for recording and maintaining real property records in Baltimore County.

* $20.00 for an instrument involving solely a principal residence, regardless of length (except as provided in next item)

* $10.00 for a release nine (9) pages or less in length (this does not apply to a termination of a financing statement)

* $20.00 for any other instrument nine (9) pages or less in length

* $75 any other instrument ten (10) pages or more in length

Recording Surcharge: $40.00 (collected on all instruments recorded in land records or financing statement records, other than a Power of Attorney, Request of Notice (Foreclosure sale), plats, and homeowners' association disclosures)

State recordation tax - $2.50 for every $500 or fraction thereof of consideration (exemptions in Tax Property Article, 12-108)

State transfer tax - one half of 1% of the consideration, one-fourth of 1% for deeds to a first-time Maryland homebuyer (exemptions in Tax Property Article, 13-207)

County transfer tax - 1% of consideration (if property is purchaser's principal residence, first $22,000 are exempt)

Checks should be made payable to: Baltimore County MD. All documents and payment should be mailed to: Office of Budget and Finance.

Before any deed or property-related document is finalized and recorded by the Land Records Office of the Circuit Court, it is reviewed by the Transfer and Recordation Section in Baltimore County, Maryland.

* All deeds and other documents pertaining to real property must be accompanied by a completed Maryland State Intake Sheet.

* Deeds pertaining to agricultural use, as well as partial transfer deeds must be initially approved by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation located at 300 E. Joppa Road, Rm 602, Towson, MD 21204.

* Documents to be recorded in the Lands Record Division generally must have the original execution by the grantor.

* All instruments presented for recording in the Lands Record Division should contain a description of the real property located within the jurisdiction.

* Deeds must be printed in black ink, with a font size no smaller than 8 point.

* A deed, mortgage, or deed of trust cannot be recorded unless it has the certification that the instrument was prepared by one of the parties named in the instrument, or has the certification that the instrument was prepared by an attorney or under an attorney's supervision.

* All documents must have a 4" blank margin at the bottom of the last page. If this margin is not provided, an additional blank page will be added and recording fees will be adjusted accordingly.

* All documents to be recorded in Baltimore County must have either the property address or a legal description of the property.