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State guides / Maryland

Maryland property data

Maryland is a little different. Maryland has 23 counties plus Baltimore City, which is independent of any county and is treated as a county for records and taxes. Here's what's public, what's hard to get, and what Deedplat puts on one map.

  • 24Counties
  • PublicSale prices
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What you can get in Maryland

Maryland makes most property records public, including what each property sold for. The catch is that every county keeps them differently.

Public everywhere

Every county has these, and Deedplat loads them all.

  • Owners and mailing addressesFrom the state Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), which values all property statewide
  • Sale pricesSale prices are public, since transfer and recordation taxes are figured on the price and the state assessment office posts each property's last sale price.
  • Deeds and mortgagesClerk of the Circuit Court (Land Records) in each county and Baltimore City
  • Assessed valuesSDAT reassesses one third of all property each year, so each property is revalued every three years.
  • Tax lien salesRun county by county
  • Foreclosure filings and salesFiled in court, so they're public early
  • Lot linesCounty parcel maps

Depends on the town

Baltimore City and incorporated towns keep code violations, vacant building notices, permits and rental licenses, and the Maryland Public Information Act covers them.

  • Code violations and condemnations
  • Building permits
  • Rental registration and inspections
  • Zoning maps and ordinances
  • Water and sewer liens

Not public

What no office will hand over, so you know where the line is.

  • Owner phone numbers and emails
  • Rents and leases
  • Active listingsThose live in the MLS
  • Mortgage balancesThe original loan amount is recorded; what's left is not

How property changes hands here

Distressed property reaches the market through a few channels, and they differ by county.

Tax lien certificates

Each county and Baltimore City runs its own annual tax sale and sells the tax lien, not the property. The buyer gets a certificate and can sue in circuit court to foreclose the owner's right to redeem, usually after six months (nine months for owner-occupied homes in some cases), and must file within two years or the certificate is void. The interest rate the owner pays to redeem is set by each county and varies.

Foreclosure goes through the courts

Every Maryland foreclosure is filed in circuit court, even when the mortgage has a power of sale. A trustee or auctioneer sells the property at public auction, and the court must ratify the sale before it is final.

Land banks

Maryland lets local governments create land banks, but Prince George's County is the only one that has formally created one so far, and Baltimore City has been working on its own.

Transfer tax

The state transfer tax is 0.5% of the price (0.25% for qualifying first-time buyers), and most counties add their own transfer tax plus a recordation tax, so totals can run well above 2% in places like Baltimore City.

Worth knowing

The Homestead Tax Credit caps yearly increases in a primary home's taxable assessment at 10% for state taxes, and many counties set a lower cap, so a new buyer's tax bill can be much higher than the seller's.

Worth knowing

Starting January 1, 2026, certain owner-occupied and heir-occupied homes must be withheld from tax sale, which shrinks the pool of homes available at Maryland tax sales.

Every county in Maryland

Choose any county to get started.

Questions

Are property sale prices public in Maryland?

Yes. Maryland is a disclosure state. Deeds are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court, transfer taxes are figured on the price, and the state's online real property search shows each property's recent sale price.

How do tax sales work in Maryland?

Each county and Baltimore City sells tax liens at an annual sale. The buyer gets a certificate, not the property. If the owner does not pay, the buyer can go to court to foreclose, usually after six months, and must file within two years. Interest rates are set county by county.

Where are deeds and mortgages recorded in Maryland?

With the Clerk of the Circuit Court's land records office in each of the 23 counties and Baltimore City. Records from across the state are also searchable online through the Maryland land records system.

How often are Maryland properties reassessed?

Every three years. The State Department of Assessments and Taxation revalues one third of the state each year, and increases for owner-occupied homes are phased in and capped by the Homestead Tax Credit.

Is foreclosure judicial in Maryland?

Yes, in practice. Every case is filed in circuit court, even under a power of sale. A trustee holds the auction and a judge must approve the sale before it is final.

Can I get records Deedplat doesn't have?

Yes. The Maryland Public Information Act lets anyone request records from counties, cities and state agencies, like code violations, vacant building notices and rental licenses. We file those requests for you, clean up the results and add them to your map.

Sources for this guide

Laws and fees change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.

Every parcel, on one map

Deedplat is in beta. Pick any Maryland county to get started.

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