Caroline County
Caroline County was formed in 1773 from parts of Queen Anne's County and Dorchester County. Its county seat and largest municipality is Denton. The county has at least 33,293 residents and covers a land area of 319 square miles.
Caroline County's court system includes the Circuit Court, District Court, and Orphans' Court. The Circuit Court is the county's highest jurisdiction court. The court is located in Denton and primarily handles felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile delinquency cases, and civil claims exceeding $30,000. It also oversees domestic violence cases, divorces, child custody matters, child protection cases, and termination of parental rights. The District Court hears civil claims where the amount of dispute ranges from $5,000 to $30,000. It also hears certain felony cases, misdemeanors, domestic violence issues, landlord-tenant disputes, and municipal ordinance violations. It also has a Small Claims Division for cases involving less than $5,000 in dispute. The Orphans' Court is the lowest-ranking court in the county. This court hears matters related to the appointment of guardians and conservators. It also hears cases related to the interpretation of wills and property administration.
Public court records in Caroline County are official documents that provide details of court proceedings. These records may include case filings, orders, judgments, dockets, transcripts, and exhibits. The Caroline County Clerk of Courts is tasked with the safekeeping of these court records. Besides this, the clerk also processes, updates, and provides public access to these records, including:
- Civil records
- Adult criminal records
- Probate and estate records
- Family records
To obtain physical copies of court records, interested persons may send mail requests to the Clerk's Office. Alternatively, such persons may visit in person at:
109 Market Street
Denton, MD 21629
Phone: (410) 479-0660
The Maryland Judiciary maintains an online case search portal that provides another avenue for public access to court records of cases heard in the county. This portal allows cases to be searched based on the case number or party name. It also has an “advanced search" feature that enables requesters to narrow down results using more specific identifying details like the case type, filing date, and type of court that heard the case (Circuit, District, Appellate). Note, however, that although viewing the records on the portal is free of charge, requesters may be required to make payments if they seek to download the records.
Obtaining public court records in Caroline County costs $0.50 per page. However, if a certified copy is requested, an additional $5.00 fee applies.
