Maryland · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Howard County, MD
Howard County (population 332,317) records real-property documents through the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Howard County - Land Records Department. Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Howard County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Clerk of the Circuit Court for Howard County - Land Records Department
- Mailing address
- Circuit Court for Howard County, Land Records Dept, 8360 Court Avenue, Ellicott City, MD 21043
- Phone
- 410-313-5850 (Clerk's Office 410-313-2311)
- Checks payable to
- Clerk of the Circuit Court (recording fees); Finance Department, Howard County, MD (transfer/recordation tax)
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Howard County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $60 flat if principal residence (any length); otherwise $115 for non-exempt instruments 9+ pages
- Additional pages
- Included in flat tiered fee; $50 for release of deed of trust
- Other fees
- Recordation tax $2.50 per $500 of consideration (payable to Director of Finance, Howard County, MD); County transfer tax 1.25%; State transfer tax 0.5% (0.25% FTHB primary residence); Lien sheet required, $50
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Howard County - Land Records Department before you mail a check.
What Howard County requires
- Page formatting
- White paper, legible, original signatures/notarization; 3-inch top margin first page for recording stamp
- Cover sheet
- Yes (Lien Sheet required, $50 fee) plus statewide Maryland Land Instrument Intake Sheet required (4 copies, 8.5x14 paper); 3-inch top margin on first page for clerk stamp
- Submission & return
- Self-addressed stamped envelope for mail-in recording, or automatic return via e-recording vendor
- Hours & turnaround
- Typically a few business days
Can you e-record in Howard County?
Yes. Howard County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Howard County, Maryland
- Prepare the document so it meets Howard County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, or by mail to Clerk of the Circuit Court for Howard County - Land Records Department.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Clerk of the Circuit Court (recording fees); Finance Department, Howard County, MD (transfer/recordation tax).
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Howard County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Howard County property are searchable at Maryland Dept. of Assessments & Taxation (SDAT) Real Property Data Search - Howard County. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
Filing with Jurably in Maryland
Maryland isn't available quite yet — it's coming soon. See the states we file in.