Dorchester County Clerk of Circuit Court
The relevant Dorchester office is the Clerk of the Circuit Court, not a county clerk and district clerk split. The Maryland Judiciary identifies Amy J. Craig as Clerk of Court for Dorchester County. The general information page lists David Capobianco as Chief Deputy Clerk and identifies civil, criminal, land records, and license departments. The office sits inside the Dorchester County Circuit Court at 206 High Street, Cambridge, MD 21613. The main phone is 410-228-0481, and the Land Records and License Department number is 410-228-0480.
The Clerk's welcome text says the Office of Clerk of the Circuit Court is one of Maryland's oldest public institutions. The Clerk is a locally elected state official in the judicial branch. Duties are set by Maryland law and the Rules of the Supreme Court of Maryland. The office has served Maryland citizens since 1658, and revenue collected by clerks is distributed to city, county, and state governments. The Dorchester office also notes that assistance in Spanish is available.
Dorchester County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Clerk: Amy J. Craig
206 High Street
Cambridge, MD 21613
410-228-0481
Judicial records representative email: amy.craig@mdcourts.gov
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Dorchester County Clerk Record Duties
The Clerk files, processes, and maintains Dorchester County Circuit Court civil, criminal, and juvenile actions. The office records and electronically maintains land deeds, mortgages, plats, conveyances, and other land documents. It issues business licenses and marriage licenses, performs civil marriage ceremonies, and administers oaths to notaries public, county officials, judges, and gubernatorial appointees. The same courthouse also has judge's chambers, jury operations, family support contacts, and related local court offices.
- Circuit Court case filings, including civil, criminal, juvenile, and family matters.
- Land records, deeds, mortgages, plats, conveyances, and other recorded instruments.
- Marriage licenses, civil marriage ceremonies, and business license functions.
- Oaths for notaries public, county officials, judges, and gubernatorial appointees.
- Jury department contacts, family support services, and referrals to related court offices.
Note: Estate filings are handled by the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court, not by the Clerk as ordinary Circuit Court case files.
Dorchester County Clerk Request Channels
Dorchester judicial records requests use a court-records process rather than a generic county public-information intake. The Dorchester judicial records request page states that Maryland's Public Information Act provides broad access while protecting legitimate governmental interests and privacy rights. It also says a custodian may deny inspection if access would conflict with Supreme Court of Maryland rules in Title 16, Chapter 900. Most court records are in the custody of the local clerk where the case was filed or heard.
| Channel | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Online | Use Maryland Judiciary Case Search or the Case Search and Record Portal for public summaries. | Case numbers, docket events, case status, and public case data. |
| In person | Visit 206 High Street during public hours and use the Court Lane accessible entrance. | Copy requests, local file questions, and documents not found online. |
| Phone | Call 410-228-0481 for the main Clerk or 410-228-0480 for land records and license matters. | Office routing, fee confirmation, and department-specific questions. |
| Use amy.craig@mdcourts.gov for the local judicial records representative contact. | Public records coordination when direct counter access is not enough. | |
| Use the courthouse address unless a department gives a different instruction. | Written copy requests and payments when accepted by the office. | |
| Fallback request | Ask the local Clerk when a document is not online or is archived, active, technical, or bulk. | Older files, active-use files, bulk requests, and certified copies. |
Dorchester County Certified Copy Steps
A certified copy is a copy authenticated by the record custodian. It is different from a plain copy or a public search screenshot. Certified copies are often needed for court use, name changes, licensing, benefits, title work, or official proof of a judgment, order, decree, or recorded document. Dorchester copy fees in the research include a per-page copy charge and a certification fee. If a document requires exemplification, that is a separate fee in addition to copy costs.
- Identify the record type, such as civil judgment, criminal order, divorce decree, land instrument, business license, or marriage record.
- Gather the case number, instrument number, party names, filing date, recording date, or other identifiers known from the search result.
- Contact the Clerk by counter, phone, mail, or the judicial records representative email to confirm availability and cost.
- Request certification at the start if the copy must be official, and ask whether exemplification is needed for the intended use.
- Pay the copy and certification charges through the method accepted by the Clerk and wait for processing if the file is archived, active, or bulky.
Dorchester County Records Request Inventory
The research did not find a standalone Dorchester judicial-records web form with exposed fields. The documented method is to contact the Clerk's judicial records representative or the office that has custody of the file. The field inventory below reflects what a useful request should include based on the documented access process and the case-record inventory in the research. It is not presented as an official online form transcript.
| Request Detail | Required Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number or recording number | Use when known | Most precise way to locate a court file or recorded instrument. |
| Party names | Important | Use plaintiff/defendant, petitioner/respondent, grantor/grantee, or spouse names as applicable. |
| Record type | Important | State whether the request is for a judgment, order, decree, filing, land record, license, or oath. |
| Copy type | Important | Specify plain, certified, or exemplified copy. |
| Date range or filing date | Helpful | Supports searches when the case number is unknown. |
| Requester contact and delivery method | Needed for follow-up | Archived, active-use, technical, or bulk requests may require processing. |
Dorchester County Clerk Fees
The researched Dorchester civil department fee table gives several verified amounts. These amounts should be used only for the item named in the source. The research did not verify a local Clerk search fee, marriage license fee, or every possible filing charge. A request involving service of process, foreign judgment, exemplification, or many pages can cost more than a simple copy request.
| Item | Amount or Note |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court copy fee | $0.50 per page |
| Certification fee | $5.00 plus copy fees |
| Exemplification fee | $10.00 plus copy fees |
| Civil action filing with attorney | $175.00 |
| Civil action filing without attorney | $165.00; includes District Court appeals |
| Foreign judgment | $110.00; includes $25 filing fee, $55 MLSC surcharge, and $30 RPRIF |
| Sheriff's service fee | $40.00 for each defendant; $60.00 for each defendant for service from a foreign court |
Dorchester County Clerk Forms
Local form needs depend on the record or filing. The Clerk page links to department areas for civil, criminal, land, license, expungement, jury service, and records requests. Remote hearing requests have a specific local timing rule: the request must be filed as soon as possible and no later than five business days before the hearing using the Motion for Remote Proceeding or to Appear Remotely form. Filing the request implies consent to the remote-hearing guidelines.
- Civil department for civil filings, fees, copies, certification, and exemplification information.
- Expungement information for Maryland Judiciary expungement guidance and court forms.
- Jury service information for local reporting, parking, and jury department details.
- General Clerk information for department contacts and related offices.
Dorchester County Clerk Courthouse Access
The Clerk's Office is inside the Circuit Court building. The official directions route public entry to the side entrance on Court Lane, which is also the accessible entrance for people with disabilities. Parking is listed on adjacent side streets and in the county parking lot accessible from Court Lane or High Street. Visitors should expect security screening. Firearms and other weapons are not permitted except for law-enforcement officers performing official duties, and discovered weapons can be impounded and treated as evidence.
Electronic devices, cell phones, computers, and cameras are prohibited on the second floor under the local courthouse notice. That restriction can affect someone who expects to use a phone photo, stored image, or laptop while handling a records request upstairs. The local court page also lists Maryland Relay 711, toll-free Maryland access at 1-800-340-9186, the District Court contact for traffic, landlord, and tenant issues at 410-901-1420, and the Maryland Court Help Center civil/family help line at 410-260-1392.