Garrett County Court Records

Garrett County court records comprise all paper and electronic filings generated during civil or criminal proceedings. These records are accessible to the public at the courthouse, by mail, or via Maryland’s online case-search portal. Residents typically consult them to track litigation, obtain certified copies for legal or transactional purposes, and perform background checks on prospective employees or tenants. Investigators rely on the records for law-enforcement inquiries, while court staff depend on them for daily case management and long-term archival needs.

Are Court Records Public in Garrett County?

Yes. Garrett County court records are available for public viewing and copying under the Maryland Public Information Act (PIA). The Maryland Courts and Judicial Procedures Code (Md. Courts & Jud. Proc. Code § 2-201 (4)), which also regulates access to court records, instructs court clerks to provide court records for public inspection upon request.

However, these regulations prevent certain records from being disclosed. Restricted documents/ information typically do not serve the judiciary's fundamental commitment to openness and may cause personal or public harm if released. Examples include Garrett County criminal records tied to active police investigations, sealed/expunged documents, income tax returns, grand jury records, and child in need of assistance (CINA) records.

Nevertheless, protected court records may be accessible to case participants, law enforcement, court personnel, and parties with court orders.

Garrett County Court Records Search

The first step to accessing a court record in Garrett County is determining the type of court record and the court that generated it. This information can help researchers confirm a record’s availability, identify the custodian to approach, and find the best retrieval option.

Generally, individuals can contact a court clerk's office to retrieve Garrett court records. For instance, persons looking for circuit court records may query the Garrett County Circuit Court Clerk, similarly, those seeking district court records searches can contact the District Court Administrative Clerk's office.

At the same time, individuals can view court records online using the Maryland Case Search Portal. The website allows people to look up court cases by name or case number. Choosing the system's "Advanced Search" option provides a county selection menu, where one can select "Garrett County" to filter search results. The portal displays case types, case numbers, case statuses, filed case documents, case party names, and more.

Garrett County Courts

The following are the physical locations and contact details of the Garrett County courts:

Garrett County Circuit Court
203 South 4th Street
Room 109
P.O. Box 447
Oakland, Maryland 21550
Phone: (301) 334-1937, (800) 989-9760 (toll-free in Maryland)

Garrett County District Court
205 South Third Street
Oakland, MD 21550-1526
Phone: (301) 334-8020, (800) 947-1029 (toll-free in Maryland)

Garrett County Orphans’ Court
313 East Alder Street
Oakland, MD 21550
Phone: (301) 334-1999
Fax: (301) 334-1984

Garrett County Criminal and Civil Records

Garrett County criminal records generally originate with local arrests, charging documents, and subsequent prosecutions in the District and Circuit Courts. Persons seeking these reports may contact the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office or the relevant municipal police department. At the same time, case files themselves come from the court that handled the matter. The District Court keeps the records for most misdemeanors as well as felonies that never went to a jury; by statute it generally hears offenses carrying no more than three years of incarceration or fines up to $2,500, unless a defendant elects a jury trial. The Circuit Court, by contrast, maintains the files for felony prosecutions that involved juries and for all crimes whose potential penalties exceed the District Court’s limit.

Civil records document disputes between private parties—for example, contract claims, personal-injury suits, and landlord-tenant cases. The District Court is the forum for small claims: it has exclusive authority over actions worth $5,000 or less and shares jurisdiction with the Circuit Court for claims valued between $5,001 and $30,000, including most landlord-tenant and property-return matters. Any lawsuit seeking more than $30,000, requesting equitable relief, or requiring a jury is filed—or transferred after a jury demand—to the Circuit Court, which also hears appeals from the District Court.

These criminal and civil records are public unless a statute or judge seals a file. Researchers can review them at the appropriate Clerk’s Office, submit a written request by mail, or look up docket information through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal. Certified copies remain available for a fee, and the same records support everything from background checks and evidence gathering to routine case management and long-term archiving by the courts themselves.

Garrett County Marriage and Divorce Records

Garrett County marriage records serve as the official proof of a couple’s legal union and are frequently required when filing joint tax returns, applying for mortgages, making insurance claims, or securing retirement benefits. The Clerk of the Circuit Court is the primary custodian. Anyone may request a certified copy by visiting or writing to the Clerk’s Office, provided the request includes the spouses’ full names, the year the ceremony was performed, a $5.50 copy fee, and—if applying by mail—a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the return of the record.

For marriages celebrated on or after January 1, 2007, certified copies are also available from the Maryland Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records. State rules restrict this option to the spouses or their authorized legal representatives.

Divorce records originate in the Circuit Court when a couple petitions to dissolve a marriage. Certified copies of decrees or other pleadings are available directly from the Clerk of the Circuit Court and are routinely needed for name changes, property transfers, and remarriage applications. The Division of Vital Records can provide a divorce verification letter confirming that a divorce occurred, but this letter is informational only and carries no legal force. Access to verification letters is limited to the former spouses and their attorneys.

Garrett County Birth Records

Birth certificates, preserved by the Maryland Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records (DVR) and the Garrett County Health Department, provide conclusive proof of a person’s name, parentage, date, and place of birth. They are routinely required for school enrollment, youth-sports registration, passport and license applications, Social Security benefits, and probate matters. State law restricts access: only the registrant, the registrant’s parents, a court-appointed guardian, the registrant’s spouse, or a duly authorized legal representative may obtain a certified copy. Eligible requesters may secure certificates dated 1940 to the present through the county health department’s same-day lobby service, its mail-in program, or a secure online portal. The DVR offers identical services—online, by mail, or in person—and provides guidance by phone at (800) 832-3277 or (410) 764-3038.

Garrett County Death Records

Death certificates verify the fact and circumstances of a person’s passing and are indispensable for insurance claims, estate administration, and the transfer of property or benefits. Certified copies are available from both the DVR and the Garrett County Health Department. However, access is limited to surviving relatives, their attorneys, licensed funeral directors handling final arrangements, and any party presenting a court order authorizing release. Requests can be submitted online, by mail, or in person at either office and must be accompanied by acceptable identification and the statutory fee.

Garrett County Probate Court Records

Probate records are court filings and other documents/data related to the administration of deceased people’s estates. In Garrett, the Orphans’ Court oversees such cases, and the Register of Wills maintains the associated records. Members of the public can contact these offices to view or order copies of the county’s probate records.

Garrett County Property Records

Property records are legal documents used to verify ownership information, research real estate information(like dimensions and boundaries), review tax records, and check transaction histories. Multiple county and state agencies, such as the Register of Wills, the State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT), and court clerks, maintain these records.

Agencies that maintain property records in Garrett provide different online and offline resources for looking up property records. For example, individuals can view ownership, tax, and assessment information on the SDAT Real Property Data Search web portal. The state’s Office of the Register of Wills also provides an Estate Search system for checking real estate information related to deceased people.

Garrett County Court Records Online

Third-party research portals such as MarylandCourtRecords.us can be a convenient starting point for locating Garrett County public records, especially for users unsure which office holds the documents they need. Most sites allow searches by a person’s first and last name and often return not only court filings but also arrest reports and other materials compiled by law enforcement or regulatory agencies outside the county. Because these platforms operate independently of government custodians, anyone who retrieves information through them should confirm its accuracy by consulting the original record holder before relying on the data for official purposes.