Maryland District Court jurisdiction covers civil claims up to $30,000, all adult misdemeanors, a specific list of felonies (including most theft and fraud offenses), traffic violations, landlord-tenant cases, replevin actions, and peace orders. The court does not hold jury trials, does not handle family law, and generally cannot grant injunctions or decide who owns real property. If any party is entitled to and demands a jury, the case moves to the Circuit Court.1Maryland Courts. About District Court
Civil Claims and the Dollar Thresholds
The District Court’s civil authority runs on dollar amounts set by Section 4-401 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article. The court has exclusive original jurisdiction over contract and tort claims where the amount in controversy is $30,000 or less, not counting interest, court costs, or attorney’s fees.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4-401 – Exclusive Original Jurisdiction Section 4-402 then gives plaintiffs a choice once the claim crosses $5,000: file in District Court or file in Circuit Court.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4-402
That produces three practical tiers:
- $5,000 or less: District Court only. The Circuit Court will not take the case.
- $5,001 to $30,000: Either court. Many plaintiffs pick District Court because it moves faster and costs less; Circuit Court is the choice when someone wants a jury or expects complexity.
- Over $30,000: Circuit Court only. The District Court cannot hear it.
The court also lacks general equity jurisdiction. It cannot order someone to do or stop doing something outside narrow exceptions like protective orders, cannot decide who owns real property, and cannot issue declaratory judgments.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4-402
Small Claims
Small claims is a simplified track inside the District Court for money disputes of $5,000 or less. To qualify, the claim must seek money only, not the return of property or an order requiring someone to act. Plaintiffs also cannot use formal discovery tools like interrogatories.4Maryland Courts. Small Claims Rules of evidence are relaxed, hearings are shorter, and most people handle these cases without a lawyer.
Landlord-Tenant Cases
Nearly all landlord-tenant litigation in Maryland starts and ends in the District Court. The court hears failure-to-pay-rent cases, breach-of-lease complaints, holdover actions when a tenant refuses to leave after the lease expires, and wrongful-detainer cases when someone occupies a property without any legal right to be there.5Maryland Courts. Housing Cases Tenants can file rent escrow actions when a landlord fails to fix serious housing-code violations. An actual eviction requires the landlord to win a judgment first and then file a separate petition for a warrant of restitution.
Appeal windows in these cases are short. A failure-to-pay-rent judgment can be appealed within only four business days. Holdover and breach-of-lease judgments must be appealed within ten days.6Maryland Courts. Appeals and Motions After Trial in the District Court Miss the window and the judgment stands.
Replevin
Replevin is a lawsuit to recover specific personal property someone else is wrongfully holding, such as furniture a former roommate refuses to return or equipment a business is keeping. Even if a party in a replevin case demands a jury trial, the District Court can still hold a hearing on the show-cause order and issue the writ before transferring the case to Circuit Court.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4-402
Criminal Cases
The District Court is the primary criminal court for offenses that don’t require a jury. It has exclusive original jurisdiction over every misdemeanor committed by an adult 18 or older, regardless of the dollar amount or property value involved. It also has exclusive jurisdiction over a specific list of felonies, including theft, fraud, forgery, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and certain insurance crimes.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4-401 – Exclusive Original Jurisdiction So the court regularly handles felony theft cases. Stealing property worth between $1,500 and $25,000 is a felony under Maryland law but still falls within the District Court’s reach.7Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 7-104
For felonies outside that list, including violent crimes and drug trafficking, the District Court still plays a gatekeeping role. A defendant charged with one of those felonies has the right to request a preliminary hearing within ten days of the initial court appearance. Miss that window and the right is waived.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Procedure 4-103 – Preliminary Hearing At the hearing, a District Court judge decides whether probable cause exists to believe the defendant committed the offense. If so, the State’s Attorney has 30 days to file charges in Circuit Court.
Traffic Violations
The District Court has exclusive criminal jurisdiction over Maryland vehicle-law violations for anyone at least 16 years old. Most traffic offenses are misdemeanors under the Transportation Article, with a default maximum fine of $500 unless a specific statute sets a higher penalty.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 27-101 – Misdemeanor Penalties and Exceptions Serious traffic crimes carry more. A first DUI conviction can bring up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.10Maryland MVA. Maryland Impaired Driving Laws
Peace Orders and Protective Orders
Both types of orders are available through the District Court, but only one is exclusive to it. Which one applies depends on your relationship with the other person.
A protective order is available when the person you need protection from is a current or former spouse, a cohabitant, a blood relative, someone you share a child with, or someone you’ve had a sexual relationship with in the past year. Protective order petitions can be filed in either the District Court or the Circuit Court, and there is no filing fee.
A peace order covers everyone else: a neighbor, a coworker, a stranger. Peace orders can only be filed in the District Court and must be filed within 30 days of the abusive act. They require a filing fee and a service fee, though the court can waive the filing fee for someone who cannot afford it. Temporary peace orders last up to seven days. Final peace orders last up to six months and can be extended once for another six months.
What the District Court Cannot Do
Some case types are entirely outside the District Court’s authority. Filing in the wrong court wastes time and money.
- Jury trials. The District Court does not conduct jury trials in any case. When a party is entitled to a jury and files a timely demand, the case transfers to Circuit Court. One caveat on the civil side: when the amount in controversy is $25,000 or less, no party may demand a jury trial at all.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4-402
- Civil claims over $30,000. Any contract or tort claim exceeding that figure (excluding interest, costs, and recoverable attorney’s fees) belongs in Circuit Court.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4-401 – Exclusive Original Jurisdiction
- Family law. Divorce, child custody, child support, and adoption cases belong in Circuit Court. The District Court has no jurisdiction over them.
- Equity and declaratory judgments. The District Court generally cannot grant injunctions, order specific performance, or issue declaratory judgments.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4-402
- Real property ownership disputes. Questions about who owns land or holds an interest in real property must be resolved in Circuit Court.
Appeals to Circuit Court
If you lose a case in the District Court, you can appeal to the Circuit Court. The general deadline is 30 days after the judgment date. Landlord-tenant cases run on much shorter clocks: ten days for breach-of-lease, holdover, and wrongful-detainer cases, and four business days for failure-to-pay-rent cases.6Maryland Courts. Appeals and Motions After Trial in the District Court These deadlines are firm.
What happens next depends on the case. In small claims (civil cases involving $5,000 or less) and in criminal cases, the Circuit Court holds an entirely new trial, called a de novo trial, where both sides present their evidence from scratch. For civil cases where the amount in controversy is over $5,000, the appeal is decided on the record from the District Court. The Circuit Court judge reviews the transcript and evidence without hearing new testimony. That distinction matters: on an on-the-record appeal, what you failed to say or present at the District Court level cannot be fixed later.
Filing an appeal does not automatically stop the other side from enforcing the judgment. If you lost a money judgment and want to prevent collection while the appeal is pending, you need a supersedeas bond or other security. Without it, the judgment creditor can garnish wages, levy bank accounts, or place liens on property while your appeal is still working through the system.