How Do I View & Copy Case Files & Exhibits?

All Montgomery County Circuit Court files, including exhibits, are open to the public except those that have been sealed by court order.

Montgomery County Circuit Court implemented the Maryland Electronic Courts Project (MDEC) in late October 2021. All public documents are now available to be viewed electronically by anyone at Smart Search portals in Central Files, the Criminal Department, and the Law Library when those departments are open. Attorneys and parties to a case may also register to have online portal access to that case from outside the courthouse – please visit https://mdcourts.gov/mdec/efiling for more information. Instructions for how to order copies and exhibits are listed below.

ORDERING COPIES OR EXHIBITS

The following are the procedures for ordering copies starting Monday, March 15, 2021:

Patrons have three options for requesting Circuit Court case documents and/or exhibits (with the exception of Juvenile cases, tax liens, and marriage licenses and transcripts of hearings):

  1. Visit the Department in person. If we do not have the file you need available, you will be asked to complete a form, and staff will call you when the file is located.
  2. Use the printable Copy Request Form (PDF) to create your request and mail it to the Department associated with your case (Civil, Criminal, or Family). Mailing addresses for each of the Departments are located here: https://montgomerycountymd.gov/cct/departments.html. Please do not insert any payment with your Copy Request Form.
  3. Use the printable Copy Request Form (PDF) and drop it in the Circuit Court drop box, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is located outside of 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD. Please add the name of the Department (Civil, Criminal, or Family) to the outside of the envelope. Please do not insert any payment with your Copy Request Form.

HOW TO FIND YOUR CASE NUMBER

You must present a Circuit Court case number when requesting a court file or exhibit. The case number is usually a 4–6-digit number followed by a D (District Court Appeal), C (Criminal), V (Civil), or FL (Family Law). Liens end in F (Federal Lien) or R (Notice of Recorded Lien). Access Maryland Judiciary's online Case Search to locate a case number. New cases initiated after late October 2021 will have a longer case number starting with C-15. If your case number does not fit either of these formats, please confirm it is a Montgomery County Circuit Court case before visiting the courthouse and/or making a request.

FEES FOR COPIES

The fee for copying papers is $.50 per page. Fees for certified copies are 50 cents per page copied plus a $5 certification fee. Triple seals cost $10 plus 50 cents per page copied. There is no fee for postage.

For options (2) and (3) above, patrons will be contacted when their copies are ready and quoted a cost. Once payment is received, copies will be mailed. Copies will be mailed via US Postal Service mail as soon as payment is received and processed. If you would like expedited mailing, please include a self-addressed, pre-paid FedEx or other priority envelope.

Depending on the age of the case, the Circuit Court may or may not have the file on site and may need to make a referral to Maryland State Archives.

    JUVENILE CASES
    Please contact the Juvenile Department directly at 240-777-9530 if you need copies from a juvenile case.

    TAX LIENS
    NOTE: Patrons requesting only State Tax Liens may visit Central Files (North Tower, Room 1100) in person or make their request via mail or drop box using the Copy Request Form described above. Patrons requesting only federal or recorded tax liens may visit Land Records (North Tower, Room 2120) in person or make their request via mail or drop box using the Copy Request Form described above. Please do not insert any payment with your Copy Request Form.

    MARRIAGE LICENSES & TRANSCRIPTS OF HEARINGS
    If you need a new marriage license, a copy of a marriage license, or a correction made to an existing marriage license, please visit the “How do I get a marriage license?” page to download the appropriate form. You will need to mail your request along with payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the License Department. You can also drop such requests and payment into the 24-hour drop box outside the Maryland Avenue entrance.
    If you need an audio or written transcript of a hearing, please visit the How to request a written transcript and How to Request Courtroom Audio sections of the Transcripts and Courtroom Audio page.

REVIEWING FILES

Patrons who are not sure which documents need to be copied and who would prefer to review files and then request/wait for copies, may visit Central Files in person in the Lobby Level from 8:30 am-4:00 pm, Monday-Friday. If a file is not available, Court staff will provide a request form and notify you when the file is located. Each patron is allowed one hour per visit (per day) to review files. Files cannot leave the Circuit Court.

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