Maryland complaint form DC-CV-001 is the document you use to start a civil case in the District Court of Maryland when someone owes you money, damaged your property, or is wrongfully holding something that belongs to you. You fill in the parties, check a box for the type of claim, write a short statement of what happened, choose how the defendant will be served, and file it with the clerk along with the fee. Filing fees are $44 for claims of $5,000 or less and $56 for claims above that, up to the court’s $30,000 limit, plus a service fee for each defendant.
When to Use This Form
DC-CV-001 is a single multi-purpose complaint. You check a box telling the court which kind of case you are bringing:
- Contract — a broken written or oral agreement, like an unpaid loan, a broken lease, or a contractor who didn’t finish the work.
- Tort — someone’s negligent or intentional act caused you injury or property damage. Car accidents are the common example.
- Replevin — you want the court to order the return of specific property someone is wrongfully keeping, plus damages for the delay.
- Detinue — similar to replevin, but you want the value of the property rather than the item itself.
- Bad faith insurance claim — your insurer unreasonably denied, delayed, or underpaid a valid claim.
- Consumer debt where you are the original creditor collecting from the borrower.
- Medical debt owed to a healthcare provider or facility.
If you are suing for $5,000 or less, the case runs as a small claim with simplified procedures and no formal discovery. Above $5,000 it is a regular District Court civil action with standard evidentiary rules.
Check These Things Before You Start
The Deadline
Maryland gives you three years for most civil claims under Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101, running from the date the claim accrued — usually the date of the injury, breach, or damage. Personal injury claims carry the same three-year limit under § 5-108. File after the deadline and the court will dismiss the case no matter how strong it is.
Contracts executed under seal get 12 years under § 5-102. If your contract has the word “seal” or the letters “L.S.” near the signatures, you have longer. For ordinary disputes — unpaid invoices, fender benders, broken promises — plan around the three-year clock.
The Right Court
The District Court has exclusive original jurisdiction over contract and tort claims up to $30,000. If your claim is above $5,000 you may also file in Circuit Court instead, because the two share concurrent jurisdiction above that threshold. File in the county where the defendant lives or has a place of business, or where the events happened. Filing in the wrong location gives the defendant grounds to challenge venue and delays the case.
Filling Out the Form
Download DC-CV-001 from the Maryland Courts website or pick up a paper copy at any District Court clerk’s office. The form doubles as both a complaint and an affidavit, so read it through before you start writing.
The Parties
At the top, write the full legal name and current mailing address of every plaintiff and defendant. If you are suing a business, use its registered legal name, not a trade name or an abbreviation. A wrong name can make the judgment unenforceable even if you win. The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation keeps a searchable database of registered business names.
Claim Amount and Type
Enter the dollar amount you are seeking. That number decides whether the case runs on the small-claim track ($5,000 or less) or the large-claim track, and it sets your filing fee. Check the box for the type of action. If you cannot tell whether your dispute is a contract or a tort, think about the source of the harm: contract cases involve broken agreements, tort cases involve harm from careless or wrongful conduct.
Statement of Claim
The form gives you limited space to describe what happened. Write a short, factual summary: what the defendant did or failed to do, when, and why they owe you money or property. A judge should be able to read it and understand the dispute in under a minute. If the box isn’t big enough, write “See attached” and add a separate sheet.
Pull your receipts, contracts, photos, invoices, and other records together before you write, so your summary is accurate. You don’t attach them to the complaint, but you will bring them to trial.
Service Method
Next to each defendant’s name, check how you want them served: sheriff or constable, certified mail through the clerk, or a private process server. Costs differ, which is covered below.
Military Service Affidavit
The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act requires you to state whether each defendant is on active military duty, and the form has a section for it. You can verify status through the Department of Defense Manpower Data Center at scra.dmdc.osd.mil. Skip this section and the court may refuse to enter a default judgment later, even if the defendant never responds.
Filing Fees
The District Court charges a flat filing fee based on claim size, plus a separate fee for serving each defendant. The fees come from the District Court Cost Schedule (form DCA-109).
- New small-claim suit ($5,000 or less): $44, which includes a $6 surcharge for the Circuit Court Real Property Records Improvement Fund.
- New large-claim suit ($5,001 to $30,000): $56, which includes an $8 surcharge for the same fund.
- Counterclaims and cross-claims: $18 small, $28 large.
- New replevin or detinue suit: $56.
Service costs add up on top of that. Sheriff or constable delivery runs $60 per defendant. Certified mail through the clerk is $20 per defendant. Private process servers set their own rates and commonly charge $50 to $150 depending on the job.
The clerk will not accept your complaint without full payment. If you file in person, bring exact payment or confirm your courthouse takes credit cards, because policies vary.
If You Can’t Afford the Fees
Request a waiver by filing form CC-DC-089 (Request for Waiver of Costs) with your complaint, along with form MDJ-008 (Notice Regarding Restricted Information). The court applies the Maryland Legal Services Corporation income eligibility guidelines, with discretion to look at your overall finances. If the court denies the waiver, you have 10 days to pay. Miss that window and the court treats your case as withdrawn.
Filing and Serving
You can file DC-CV-001 electronically through the Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) system or in person at the District Court clerk’s window. Self-represented filers often prefer walking it in, because the clerk can flag obvious problems while you’re still there. If you file on paper, bring the original plus one copy for each defendant. The clerk stamps your copies, assigns a case number, and keeps the original.
The case does not move forward until the defendant is properly served. Maryland Rule 3-121 allows three methods:
- Sheriff or constable hand-delivery — the most reliable, $60 per defendant.
- Certified mail with restricted delivery and return receipt, handled by the clerk — $20 per defendant.
- Private process server, who must not be a party to the case — commonly $50 to $150.
You cannot serve the defendant yourself. If the defendant dodges service or the certified mail comes back unclaimed, you’ll need to try another method or ask the court for alternatives. A case where no one is ever served will sit indefinitely.
After You File
Once served, the defendant has 15 days to file a Notice of Intention to Defend, or 60 days if served outside Maryland. A defendant who wants to file a counterclaim or cross-claim generally has 10 days after that deadline. If the defendant files nothing and does not appear, you can ask the court for a default judgment, and the court will assess damages on whatever proof you provide. Courts can set aside a default for good cause, so a defendant with a legitimate excuse may get a second chance.
District Court cases are decided by a judge. Either side can demand a jury trial in writing — the plaintiff with the complaint, the defendant within 10 days after the response deadline — but a jury demand transfers the case to Circuit Court. No jury trial is available when the amount in controversy is $25,000 or less.
The court schedules a trial date after the defendant responds or after the response deadline passes. Bring every document and witness that supports your claim: contracts, receipts, photos, repair estimates, text messages. Small claims often get a trial date within a few weeks. Larger claims take longer and may be pushed back by motions or postponements. If you win and the defendant doesn’t pay voluntarily, collecting the judgment — through wage garnishment, bank levies, or property liens — is a separate process.