Deed Records in St. Mary's County

St. Mary's County deed records are kept at the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in Leonardtown, Maryland. The county is the site of Maryland's first colonial settlement, established in 1634, and its land records reflect that deep history. You can search St. Mary's County deed records online through MDLandRec.net or visit the Clerk's Office in person during regular hours. This page covers how to search, the recording process, fees, and what makes St. Mary's County deed records distinct compared to other Maryland counties.

St. Mary's County Circuit Court Clerk

Debra J. Burch, known as Debbie, serves as the Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County. The office is in Leonardtown and handles all deed recordings, land record searches, and copy requests for the county. St. Mary's County is part of the Seventh Judicial Circuit. The Clerk's Office is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Public access terminals are available in the office for in-person research.

St. Mary's County holds a unique place in Maryland's record history. The county is the site of the state's first colonial settlement, founded in 1634. Many properties in the county trace their ownership back to colonial-era land grants and early European settlement. This makes deed records in St. Mary's County especially valuable for genealogical research, title work on older properties, and historical land use studies. The Maryland State Archives in Annapolis holds original documents from the earliest periods that predate or supplement the Clerk's Office records.

St. Mary's County Deed Records Online

The primary online system for St. Mary's County deed records is MDLandRec.net, operated by the Maryland State Archives. Registration is free and gives you access to deed books covering a wide range of years. Search by grantor or grantee name, book and page, or instrument type. Scanned images are available for most documents in the system, which makes it easy to view the full deed text from home or office.

For plat records, use Plats.net with username plato and password plato#. Plats cover subdivision records, lot layouts, and recorded maps for St. Mary's County properties. For historical records and colonial-era deed research, the Maryland State Archives at msa.maryland.gov holds original documents that go back to the 1600s. Archivists can assist with requests for early St. Mary's County land grants and colonial property transfers.

The St. Mary's County property records portal at stmarysrecords.us/property-records offers additional access to county property information and can be a useful supplement to MDLandRec when researching deed records in this county.

The St. Mary's County Circuit Court page provides office hours, contact details, and links relevant to deed record searches.

Register at MDLandRec for free to search and view St. Mary's County deed book images from any internet connection.

How to Search St. Mary's County Deed Records

Online searches through MDLandRec are the fastest option for most needs. Log in, select St. Mary's County, and enter the name of the grantor or grantee you are searching for. If you have a liber and folio reference from a previous title search, enter that directly to pull the specific deed. For very old records that may not be digitized yet, contact the Maryland State Archives or visit the Clerk's Office in Leonardtown.

For in-person searches, go to the Clerk's Office in Leonardtown during regular hours. Public access terminals are available. Staff can assist with searches by name or by book reference. Bring your ID and a form of payment if you plan to get copies. Copy fees are $0.50 per page for standard copies and $5.00 extra for certified copies. Plat copies for documents 11 by 17 inches or smaller also cost $0.50. Larger plat copies cost $1.00 per page.

The Maryland Courts land records FAQ is a good reference for understanding how deed indexes work and how to trace a chain of title in St. Mary's County. For zoning and land use records in the county, contact the St. Mary's County Department of Land Use and Growth Management.

Note: Some properties near Naval Air Station Patuxent River may have noise zone restrictions or other encumbrances recorded against them. Check the deed and any associated covenants when researching properties in that area of St. Mary's County.

St. Mary's County Deed Copy and Recording Fees

Standard copy fees are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost an additional $5.00. Plat copies that are 11 by 17 inches or smaller are also $0.50 per page. Larger plat copies cost $1.00 per page. Recording fees follow the statewide Maryland schedule. Releases under 9 pages cost $10. Other instruments under 9 pages cost $20. Principal residence deeds cost $20 regardless of page count. Instruments with 10 or more pages cost $75. The standard $40 surcharge applies to most recorded instruments in St. Mary's County.

State and county taxes apply in addition to recording fees. The state transfer tax is 0.5% of the consideration. County recordation and transfer taxes also apply. Call the Clerk's Office at (301) 475-4567 to confirm the current full amount due before you arrive to record. Under Maryland Real Property Article Section 3-104, a deed must comply with recording requirements to be accepted. Have all required documents ready before your visit to Leonardtown.

St. Mary's County Land Records and Colonial History

St. Mary's County holds a distinctive place in Maryland land records. Maryland's first colonial settlement was established here in 1634. Land grants, patents, and early deed conveyances from that era are part of the historical record in this county. Many farms and waterfront parcels in St. Mary's County have ownership histories that stretch back several hundred years, making deed research here both practical and historically rich.

Properties near Naval Air Station Patuxent River represent a specific research consideration in St. Mary's County. The base is a large federal installation. Properties in and around the noise zones associated with the base may have recorded restrictions, easements, or covenants that affect use and value. When researching deed records on a St. Mary's County property near Patuxent River, check for any recorded instruments beyond the basic ownership deed. The county Department of Land Use and Growth Management can also help clarify zoning overlays and noise contour maps for properties in that part of the county.

For chain-of-title research that goes back to colonial times, the Maryland State Archives at msa.maryland.gov is the best resource. Archivists there hold original documents not available through MDLandRec and can guide researchers through early St. Mary's County land grant records. The county's long settlement history means that some properties carry deed restrictions or covenants that date back many generations. Always search the full title history, not just recent transfers, when working with St. Mary's County deed records.

Nearby Counties

St. Mary's County is at the southern tip of Maryland and borders two counties. If a property straddles a county line, verify with the correct clerk's office which jurisdiction holds the deed record.