Divorce records are public in Maryland. Circuit Court case files are presumed open under Maryland Rule 16-902, meaning anyone can inspect the complaint, motions, hearing dates, orders, and the final decree.1Maryland Courts. Maryland Rules of Procedure Title 16 – Court Administration A few specific pieces of information are shielded automatically, a judge can seal more on request, and the full documents live at the Circuit Court that issued the decree rather than in any statewide online database.
What’s Open and What’s Shielded
The default is access. For a typical divorce case, you can see the parties’ full legal names, the case number, the filing date, the grounds pled, the current status, and a running docket of every motion and order in the file.
The restrictions are narrow and specific. Rule 16-907 directs clerks to deny inspection of any part of a record that would reveal a Social Security number or federal tax identification number, and it shields the addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of crime victims and certain government employees who ask for confidentiality.1Maryland Courts. Maryland Rules of Procedure Title 16 – Court Administration
Financial statements get their own protection. Rule 16-906(n) makes the income-and-expense disclosures that spouses file under Rule 9-202 confidential and not subject to public inspection.1Maryland Courts. Maryland Rules of Procedure Title 16 – Court Administration Bank balances, debts, and tax returns stay out of the public file even though the case itself is open.
A judge can also seal individual documents or an entire file on motion under Rule 16-910, but that requires a hearing and a specific showing of harm. Contentious or embarrassing facts, on their own, are not enough.
Looking Up a Maryland Divorce Case Online
The starting point is the Maryland Judiciary’s CaseSearch at casesearch.courts.state.md.us, which covers both Circuit and District Courts statewide.2Maryland Courts. Court Records To find a divorce, you’ll want:
- At least one spouse’s last name. The system defaults to exact matching, so spell it precisely. For a partial search, enter the first few letters followed by a percent sign.
- The county or city where the case was filed, since each Circuit Court keeps its own records.
- An approximate year, which helps when a common name returns too many hits.
CaseSearch will return the case number, filing date, party names, and docket entries. Shielded and confidential cases do not appear in the results at all.3Maryland Judiciary. Maryland Judiciary Case Search The tool confirms a case exists and points you to the right courthouse, but it does not let you download the underlying documents. For those, you contact the clerk.
Getting a Copy of the Divorce Decree
Once you have a case number and know which Circuit Court handled the divorce, you can request copies in person or by mail. Fees are uniform across the state:
- Standard copies cost $0.50 per page, whether a clerk makes the copy or you use a self-service machine.
- Certified copies cost $0.50 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee per document.4Maryland Courts. Circuit Court Fee Schedule
Certified copies carry the court’s seal and are what agencies typically require as legal proof of divorce for a name change, remarriage, or benefits claim. If you’re using the decree for anything official, ask for the certified version.
Many courthouses have public terminals where you can pull up non-shielded documents and then request printouts at the clerk’s window. If you can’t visit in person, mail a written request to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county that handled the case, including the case number, the specific documents you want, and payment by check or money order. Call the clerk’s office first to confirm turnaround times and accepted payment methods.
Divorce Verification Through Vital Records
Maryland offers a second, more limited path. The Division of Vital Records within the Maryland Department of Health issues a Divorce Verification form confirming the names of both spouses, the county where the divorce was granted, the date of the decree, and the type of action.5Maryland Department of Health. Divorce Verification
Access is restricted. Only the spouses named on the record, their attorneys, or authorized representatives with notarized permission can request a verification. Applications go in by appointment in person, by mail to the Division of Vital Records in Baltimore, or online through VitalChek.5Maryland Department of Health. Divorce Verification
The verification is not a copy of the decree. It confirms the divorce happened and gives the basic facts, which is enough for some agencies. If you need the actual terms of the decree, including custody, support, or property provisions, you still have to go to the Circuit Court.
When a Record Won’t Turn Up
A few situations complicate what should be a simple search.
Older cases predating digitization may not appear in CaseSearch, and you may need to search physical records at the courthouse. Divorces filed decades ago may have moved to the Maryland State Archives.
Cases sealed under Rule 16-910 will not appear in CaseSearch and will not be available at the clerk’s window. Any person can file a motion asking the court to allow inspection, but you’d need to show that the public interest in access outweighs the privacy interest that justified the seal.1Maryland Courts. Maryland Rules of Procedure Title 16 – Court Administration
Jurisdiction trips people up too. Maryland divorces are filed in the Circuit Court for the county where either spouse lived, and there is no central statewide repository of divorce files. If you don’t know which county handled the case, use CaseSearch’s statewide function to narrow it down, then contact that specific court for the documents.