Montgomery County Recorder Information

Land records in Montgomery County are recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The office is held by Karen A. Bushell.

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

Computers are available in the Land Records Public Information Room (North Tower, Room 2120) to view and copy land records instruments. Equity Index Books from 1777 to 1981 are housed at the Maryland State Archives. Self-service copies require a Quick Key purchased from the Duplications Department, North Tower, Room 2300.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Land Records | Maryland Courts · Clerk of the Court - Circuit Court - Montgomery County, MD · Land Records - Circuit Court - Montgomery County, MD

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.

The $40 surcharge is not charged on Notice of Sales, Power of Attorney, Assumption Agreements, and Transfer of Development Rights. Notice of sale: $15. Power of attorney: $20.

Paying the office

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.

County transfer tax on improved residential property: one-quarter of one (0.25) percent where the full consideration is less than $40,000; one-half of one (0.50) percent from $40,000 to less than $70,000; one (1) percent at $70,000 or more. On unimproved property: one (1) percent (Montgomery County Code § 52-31). County recordation tax per $500: Base Rate $2.08 and School Increment Rate $2.37 on all amounts; Premium rates of $2.30 ($500,000 to $600,000), $5.75 ($600,000.01 to $750,000), $6.33 ($750,000.01 to $1,000,000), and $6.90 ($1,000,000.01 and over), effective October 1, 2023 (Bill 17-23). County transfer and recordation taxes are paid to the Montgomery County Department of Finance.

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 · Land Records - Circuit Court - Montgomery County, MD · Bill 17-23 Recordation Tax Changes effective October 1, 2023 - Department of Finance

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
• Copy of the deed for the Department of Assessments and Taxation Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation
  Any deed or document that affects a change of ownership
• Affidavit of residency and/or Maryland Form MW 506 NRS Comptroller of Maryland
  For non-resident sale of property

Submitting documents

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

The Montgomery County Department of Finance, 27 Courthouse Square, Suite 221, Rockville, transfers all deeds. Deeds with agricultural use and partial transfers must go through the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Deeds can be submitted to the Department of Finance electronically, but they will have to be provided to the Circuit Court in paper form.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Land Records | Maryland Courts · Real Property § 3-601 · Real Property § 3-104 · Land Records - Circuit Court - Montgomery County, MD · Electronic Transfer - Department of Finance