Maryland District Court Form DC-002 is the one-page motion template you use to ask a District Court judge for a specific order in a pending civil or criminal case. You download it from the Maryland Judiciary’s forms page at courts.state.md.us or pick up a paper copy at any District Court clerk’s office; the most recent revision is dated August 2024. To use it, you fill in the case caption at the top, write your request and its basis in the blank body, complete the certificate of service at the bottom showing you gave the other side a copy, sign it, and file it with the clerk.
Filling In the Case Caption
The top of the form asks for identifying information. You need the city or county where the case was filed (for example, “Baltimore City” or “Montgomery County”), the courthouse address, and the full legal names and addresses of both parties exactly as they appear on other filings. You also need the case number assigned when the case was opened. If you don’t have it, the clerk’s office can look it up.
A checkbox asks you to identify your role: attorney for a party, plaintiff, defendant, or other. If you’re representing yourself, check the party box that fits you, not the attorney box.
Writing the Body of the Motion
The main blank space on DC-002 is where the actual motion goes. The form does not include pre-printed prompts like “basis for the motion” or “relief requested.” It’s an open field, and you supply all the substance yourself. Two things have to be clear enough that a judge can rule without guessing.
State the factual and legal basis for the request. Explain what happened or what circumstances justify the court stepping in. Asking to postpone a trial date? Say why: a scheduling conflict, a medical issue, or the need for more time to gather evidence. Asking the other side to turn over documents? Identify the documents and explain why you’re entitled to them. Plain language and specific facts do better than vague appeals to “the interests of justice.”
Then state exactly what you want the judge to do. Don’t leave the court to infer the relief. Write it out: “I request that the court continue the trial currently scheduled for July 15, 2026 to a date no earlier than August 15, 2026,” or “I request that the court dismiss Count 2 of the complaint.” The judge has checkboxes for “GRANTED” and “DENIED” in the Order section, but needs to know precisely what granting means.
If your motion depends on facts that aren’t already in the court record, attach an affidavit — a sworn statement verifying those facts — along with any supporting documents. This is standard practice in Maryland courts and can decide whether the motion is granted or denied for lack of evidence.
The Hearing Request Checkbox
Near the top of the motion body, DC-002 has a checkbox labeled “Request hearing on Motion.” Check it if you want oral argument rather than a decision on paper alone. Not every motion needs a hearing; straightforward requests like postponements are often decided without one. If the motion turns on disputed facts or a complex legal question, a hearing gives you the chance to make your case in person. The judge is not obligated to grant the request.
The Restricted Information Checkbox
The very top of the form has a checkbox reading “Mark this box if this form contains Restricted Information.” Under Maryland Rule 20-201.1, if your motion or any attachment includes information that isn’t supposed to be publicly accessible (details from a sealed case, certain financial records, identifying information about a minor), you must check that box and take additional steps. You’ll need to file both an unredacted version labeled “unredacted—to be shielded” and a redacted version that removes the restricted content, along with a Notice Regarding Restricted Information form (MDJ-008) explaining why the information qualifies. If you’re not sure whether your filing contains restricted information, the clerk’s office can point you to the Judiciary’s policies.
Completing the Certificate of Service
The lower portion of DC-002 contains a built-in Certificate of Service. Under Maryland Rule 1-323, the clerk will not accept your motion unless it comes with a signed certificate showing when and how you served the other side. Skip this section and the motion goes nowhere.
The certificate has two checkboxes for delivery method. First-class mail, postage prepaid, means you dropped a copy in the mail with proper postage; service by mail is complete on the date of mailing. Hand delivery means you personally gave a copy to the other party or their attorney, left it with someone in charge at their office, or left it at their home with a person of suitable age and discretion who lives there.
Fill in the date you served the copy, then list the name and address of every party or attorney you served. If there are multiple parties on the other side, each one (or each one’s attorney) needs a copy and needs to be listed. Sign and date the certificate on the dedicated signature line for the person who performed the service, separately from the signature on the motion itself.
Accuracy here matters. An incomplete or inaccurate certificate can delay the motion for weeks.
Signing the Motion and Leaving the Order Section Alone
Maryland Rule 1-311 requires every motion to be signed. If you have an attorney, the attorney signs. If you’re representing yourself, you sign. Below your signature, include your mailing address, telephone number, and email address if you have one. The rule phrases email as required “if any,” so it isn’t mandatory if you genuinely don’t have an email account, though providing one is practical if you’re e-filing because MDEC notifications go to email.
Leave the Order section at the bottom completely blank. That portion, with the grant/deny checkboxes and a line for the judge’s signature, belongs to the court. Writing in it can get your motion rejected.
Filing the Motion
Under Maryland Rule 20-106, e-filing through the Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) system is mandatory for attorneys in every Maryland court. If you’re a self-represented litigant, e-filing is optional, but there’s a catch: once you e-file a single document through MDEC, you’re required to e-file every future document in that case and in all future cases.
E-Filing Through MDEC
To e-file, you need an email address and a valid credit card for any applicable fees. Maryland uses third-party e-filing service providers rather than a single court-run portal. The list of certified vendors is on the Maryland Courts MDEC page, and registration instructions for self-represented litigants are posted at mdcourts.gov/mdec/efilingpublic. Review the statewide MDEC Policies and Procedures before you register, especially the rule that all future filings must go through the system once you start.
Filing on Paper
If you’re not an attorney and prefer to avoid the e-filing commitment, file on paper. Bring or mail the signed original to the clerk’s office at the courthouse where your case is pending. If mailing, send it to the clerk’s attention at the courthouse address and keep a copy for your records.
Filing Fees
The Maryland District Court cost schedule does not list a general filing fee for motions. Many routine motions, including requests to postpone, motions to dismiss, and discovery motions, can be filed at no cost. Certain specific filings that use DC-002 or a related form do carry fees. A Petition for Show Cause costs $10 per defendant. A Motion for Allowance of Expenses after Voluntary Surrender costs $25. A Petition for Expungement (guilty dispositions) costs $30. Check the District Court cost schedule (Form DCA-109, available on the Maryland Courts website) or call the clerk’s office if you’re unsure whether your motion triggers a fee.
Requesting a Fee Waiver
If your motion carries a filing fee and you can’t afford it, request a waiver using Form CC-DC-089 (Request for Waiver of Costs). The form asks for an affidavit of income listing your household size, total gross income, income sources, property, and debts, affirmed under penalty of perjury.
If the court grants the waiver, your filing proceeds without payment. If the court denies it, you have 10 days from the date of the denial order to pay the costs, or the court treats your filing as withdrawn. File the waiver request at the same time you file the motion so there’s no gap.
What Happens After You File
Once the clerk accepts the motion, it goes to a judge. The judge has three options in the Order section: schedule a hearing (with a date, time, and location), grant the relief, or deny it. The judge may add comments explaining the ruling.
If you filed through MDEC, the signed order arrives as an electronic notification to the email address on your account. If you filed on paper, the court mails you a copy. Either way, the other party gets notified too.
There’s no guaranteed timeline. Simple unopposed motions like an agreed postponement can be resolved in days. Contested motions where the other side responds and the judge schedules a hearing can take several weeks. If the motion is time-sensitive, note the urgency prominently in the motion body and consider calling the clerk’s office after filing to flag it.