Calvert County Recorder Information

Land records in Calvert County are recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The office is held by Kathy P. Smith.

StatewideViewing deeds on MDLandRec is free but requires an account with the Maryland State Archives.

Land plats may be searched at https://plats.msa.maryland.gov/pages/index.aspx. Land record instruments may be printed in the record room for $.50 per page.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Land Records | Maryland Courts · Kathy P. Smith, Clerk of the Circuit Court · Recording a Deed in Calvert County

These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.

Other charges

Fee schedule effective September 2, 2026.

StatewideA 'page' for recording fees is one side of a leaf not larger than 8 1/2 by 14 inches. A printed instrument that does not meet the type, ink, and paper requirements is charged three times the normal recording charge (RP § 3-104(e)). No fee is collected for a restrictive covenant modification under RP § 3-112. Fees may not be charged to exempt entities under RP § 3-603 unless they consent. The recording fees shown are the Real Property 3-601 fee ($20 for 1 to 9 pages, $75 for 10 or more, $10 for a release of 9 pages or fewer) with the $40 land records surcharge (Courts and Judicial Proceedings 13-604) added in, which is how the clerks publish them.

Other recording fees listed by the Calvert County clerk: $15.00 for a notice of sale; $20.00 for minor subdivision plats; $5.00 for subdivision plats; $50.00 for homeowner depository records - initial filing; $5.00 per page up to a maximum of $25.00 - homeowner depository amendments.

Paying the office

A separate check for the exact amount of the Non-Resident Withholding Tax, made payable to the Clerk of Circuit Court, is required. A minimum charge of $5 applies when using a credit card in the record room.

Transfer tax

State transfer tax. 0.5% of the consideration payable for the instrument of writing; 0.25% for a sale of improved residential real property to a first-time Maryland home buyer who will occupy the property as a principal residence. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, Md. Code, Tax-Prop. § 13-203)

StatewideRecordation tax: applied to each $500 or fraction of $500 of consideration payable or of the principal amount of the debt secured; Baltimore City or the governing body of a county may set the rate by law (Tax-Prop. § 12-103). County transfer taxes are set locally. Nonresident sellers: a deed for real property owned by a nonresident or nonresident entity may not be recorded unless a payment is made to the clerk equal to the rates set in Tax-Gen. § 10-912(c), unless an exception in § 10-912(d) applies.

Recordation tax as published by the Calvert County clerk: $5.00 per each $500.00 of consideration, rounded up to the nearest $500.00. There is no County Transfer Tax in Calvert County.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Real Property § 3-601 · Summary of Charges, Costs, and Fees of the Clerks of the Circuit Court · Real Property § 3-104 · Tax-Property § 13-203 · Tax-Property § 12-103 · Recording a Deed in Calvert County · General Information

Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.

Statewide1-inch margins on the left and right sides of each page; no statewide bottom margin stated.

StatewideDeeds other than mortgages, deeds of trust, and assignments or releases of them must bear an attorney's certification of preparation or a party's certification that the party prepared the instrument. An instrument that cannot readily be scanned may be received only on payment of three times the normal charge and with an attached affidavit. Riders that obscure any part of an instrument are not received where instruments are scanned.

Forms filed along with a transfer

• State of Maryland Land Instrument Intake Sheet Statewide Administrative Office of the Courts
  Each deed or other instrument affecting property presented for recordation, except assignments and releases of mortgages or deeds of trust, substitutions of trustees, powers of attorney, financing statements, and § 3-112 covenant modifications

Submitting documents

StatewideIn some counties, land records documents may be filed electronically.

Deeds or documents that change ownership must be reviewed and stamped by the Treasurer of Calvert County (Courthouse, 150 Main Street, Suite 131, Prince Frederick) before they are presented to the Clerk's Office for recording, and must be presented with a copy of the complete deed for submission to the Department of Assessments and Taxation. Deeds and other land documents are also accepted through a drop box at the front of the courthouse, along the sidewalk, labeled “Clerk of the Circuit Court”.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Land Records | Maryland Courts · Real Property § 3-601 · Real Property § 3-104 · Kathy P. Smith, Clerk of the Circuit Court · Recording a Deed in Calvert County