Somerset County Clerk Office
The primary court-record clerk in Somerset County is the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The current Somerset Clerk's Office page identifies Charles T. Horner as Clerk of Court. Maryland describes the Clerk as a locally elected state official in the judicial branch, with duties set by Maryland law and rules of the Supreme Court of Maryland. The Clerk's Office also describes the office as one of Maryland's oldest public institutions, with Maryland Clerks of Court serving residents since 1658.
The Somerset County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the local custodian for Circuit Court records and many permanent recorded records. The office is in the same Princess Anne courthouse as the Circuit Court, Orphans' Court contact point, Register of Wills, land records, civil and criminal counters, marriage licensing, and notary services. Public review is available for many records, but some case types and personal data are restricted by law, rule, or court order.
Somerset County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Clerk: Charles T. Horner
30512 Prince William Street
Princess Anne, MD 21853
410-845-4840
In-state toll-free: 800-341-2206
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Somerset County Clerk Duties
The Clerk handles court files and permanent records for the Circuit Court. The official records page lists civil, criminal, juvenile, liens, land, plats, marriage, business, and notary records. Civil Circuit Court records include administrative-agency judicial review, District Court appeals, divorces, child support, custody, foreclosures, mechanics liens, injunctions, paternity, guardianships, name changes, motor torts, and other torts. Criminal records include felony and certain misdemeanor charges filed by the grand jury or State's Attorney, District Court appeals, and jury-trial requests.
- Maintain public Circuit Court case records and provide access when records are not restricted.
- Operate civil and criminal record channels for courthouse review, copy requests, and case-file access.
- Keep land records, plats, financing statements before July 1, 1995, military discharges, and federal liens.
- Issue marriage licenses, perform civil marriages by appointment, and provide certified marriage copies.
- Handle notary public commissions, notary authentication, business licenses, and public official commissions.
Somerset County Clerk Record Channels
The Somerset County Clerk of the Circuit Court has several access channels. Online case summaries are searched through Maryland Judiciary Case Search / Case Search & Record Portal. Complete Circuit Court files are reviewed through the Clerk's Office at the courthouse, and the civil counter is listed at 410-845-4855. Criminal records can be checked through Case Search and the Clerk Criminal Department, but juvenile and adoption records may be restricted.
Land records are different. The Somerset Land Records Department is the custodian for local real-estate records, and its public research room is open for self-research. Records date back to 1665, with many available online through MDLandRec. Marriage-copy requests may be made by mail. Notary authentication can be requested in person or by mail. For probate estates, the proper path is the Orphans' Court / Register of Wills, not the Clerk's ordinary civil or criminal counter.
| Record Channel | Use | Local Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Case Search | Public case summaries | Circuit Court, District Court, and appellate summaries when public. |
| Clerk counter | Complete Circuit Court file review | 30512 Prince William Street, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. |
| Civil Department | Civil, family, foreclosure, liens, injunctions, guardianship, name change records | Civil phone 410-845-4855. |
| Criminal Department | Felony, certain misdemeanor, appeals, jury-trial request records | Juvenile and adoption records may be restricted. |
| Land Records | Deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, and real-estate documents | Public self-research room; records back to 1665. |
Request Somerset Certified Copies
Certified copies are used when a plain copy is not enough for a court, agency, title matter, marriage record, or other official filing. For case files, start by identifying the case number in Case Search if possible. If no case number is known, the legal-help research says the clerk may be able to locate a file using the names of persons involved. Certified marriage copies follow a more specific mail process and require names, date of marriage, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment.
- Identify the record type: Circuit Court case, land record, marriage record, notary authentication, or another Clerk-held record.
- Find the case number, book/page, instrument number, marriage date, or names needed for the request.
- Contact the Clerk's Office or the specific department to confirm whether the record is public and what fee applies.
- Submit the request in person or by mail with the required details and payment method stated by the office.
- Ask whether the copy will be plain, certified, exemplified, or another format before relying on it for legal use.
Somerset Clerk Request Fields
The research did not identify a single universal Somerset Clerk court-file request form for all records. The practical request fields come from the official process notes for Case Search file lookup, marriage-copy requests, notary authentication, and transcript or audio requests. A request should be specific enough for staff to identify the record and calculate copy or certification fees.
| Field or Item | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number or record identifier | Preferred | Use case number, land record citation, marriage date, or other identifier when known. |
| Party names | Yes | Names help the Clerk locate a case if the case number is unknown. |
| Record type | Yes | State whether the request is civil, criminal, land, marriage, notary, transcript, or audio. |
| Copy type | Yes | Plain, certified, exemplified, audio CD, or other format affects cost and processing. |
| Number of copies | Yes | Needed to calculate page copy fees and certification charges. |
| Mailing details | For mail requests | Marriage-copy requests require a self-addressed stamped envelope. |
| Payment | Yes | Payment method depends on record type; some marriage services are cash only. |
Somerset County Clerk Fees
The Somerset Clerk fee schedule is record-specific. The Civil Department lists court filing fees, copy charges, and certification charges. Marriage and civil ceremony services use separate cash-only local fees. Notary authentication and audio recording requests also have separate amounts. Use the department tied to the record, because a civil filing fee does not tell a requester what a marriage copy or transcript-related audio CD costs.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Civil action filing with attorney | $175 |
| Civil action filing without attorney | $165 |
| Residential foreclosure filing | $300 |
| Foreclosure mediation request | $50 |
| Attorney appearance | $10 |
| Docketing motion fee | $31 |
| Copy fee | $0.50 per page |
| Certification fee | $5 plus copy fees |
| Marriage license | $25 cash only |
| Civil ceremony | $25 cash only |
| Certified marriage copy | $5.50 each |
| Notary authentication | $5 |
| Circuit audio recording CD | $25 per CD |
Somerset Clerk Service Limits
The Clerk can provide access to public records, accept filings, issue copies, certify eligible records, and direct requesters to the right counter. The Clerk cannot act as a lawyer. The research specifically states that the Clerk is prohibited by law from giving legal advice or performing title searches. Land Records information is obtained by self-research in the public research room, and online MDLandRec can help with many documents, but the requester is responsible for interpreting the chain of title or hiring qualified help.
The Clerk also is not the custodian for every public record in Somerset County. District Court files are handled by the District Court location for District Court matters. Probate estates are handled by the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court. Sheriff, jail, and county executive records follow Maryland Public Information Act channels through the agency custodian. Juvenile, adoption, sealed, shielded, expunged, and protected personal information may be denied or redacted even when the Clerk has a file.
Older and specialized record requests can require a different route inside the same courthouse system. Land Records is a self-research office, so staff do not perform a title search for the requester. Marriage-copy requests by mail need the names, date of marriage, self-addressed stamped envelope, and check or money order payable to the Clerk, Circuit Court for Somerset County. Notary authentication requires the notary to be from Somerset County and can be requested in person or by mail with the listed $5 fee. Transcript and audio requests use the court's transcript contact rather than the ordinary civil copy counter.
That division matters because one Somerset County visit can involve several counters. A divorce decree, felony case file, deed, marriage certificate, notary authentication, and audio CD are all courthouse-related, but they do not use the same request facts or fee rule. The best practice is to name the exact record type before calling the Clerk's Office.
TTY users are directed to Maryland Relay 711, and interpreter requests for Circuit Court should be filed with the Clerk with enough lead time. Those access details are part of the courthouse record process because a records visit can overlap with a hearing, filing deadline, or language-access need.