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Baltimore County, MD Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Baltimore County details |
|---|---|
| Filing office | Register of Wills for Baltimore County, an elected office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41. This is the office you contact and file with. |
| Court | Orphans' Court for Baltimore County, Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101. It is in the County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Suite 501, Towson, MD 21204. Phone: 410-887-6516. Fax: 410-296-5480. The Maryland Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026 publishes a sitting window of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the court's own page lists office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Confirm any hearing time with the court. |
| Courthouse address | County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Room 500, Towson, MD 21204. |
| Mailing address | 401 Bosley Avenue, Room 500, Towson, MD 21204. |
| Phone | Main: (410) 887-6680. New Proceedings Division for letters of administration under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-302: (410) 887-2893. Records Division for copies: (410) 887-6688. Audit Division: (410) 887-6687. Court Liaison: (410) 887-6693. Data Processing: (410) 887-8724. Delinquencies, extensions, inventories and jointly held assets: (410) 887-6697. |
| Toll-free phone | (888) 642-5387. |
| Fax | (410) 583-2517 for the Register of Wills. The Orphans' Court uses 410-296-5480. |
| [email protected] for questions. The office publishes that it cannot accept filings through email. | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed weekends and state holidays. The office publishes that it takes no walk-in customers after 4:00 p.m. and asks new-estate filers to call (410) 887-6680 before coming in. |
| Drop box | Courthouse drop box available. Last pickup is 3:30 p.m.; items deposited after 3:30 p.m. are date stamped as received the next business day. Time-sensitive papers after 3:30 p.m. should be hand-delivered to Room 500 on the fifth floor. |
| Probate fee | Statewide sliding scale under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(2), for estates opened on or after October 1, 2022: $0 where the probate estate is under $50,000, rising to $10,000 plus .02% of the excess over $10,000,000. No probate fee is due on a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601. Baltimore County adds no surcharge. The fee is assessed and collected when the first administration account is filed, not at the counter, under ET § 2-206(b)(5)(i). The Register must waive fees in the circumstances set out in ET § 2-206(a)(4), using Form 1220. |
| Local forms | No Baltimore County petition or cover sheet to file. The Registers of Wills' numbered statewide forms and New Estate Packets are used. The office also publishes its own required-documents checklist, sample petition and sample inventory. |
| E-filing | Estate filings are paper filings with the Register. MDEC does not cover the Orphans' Court or the Register of Wills under Maryland Rule 20-101(w), Committee note, and this office says it cannot accept filings through email. |
| Case search | Use the Registers of Wills statewide Estate Search at registers.maryland.gov/RowNetWeb/Estates/frmEstateSearch2.aspx. Maryland Judiciary Case Search does not carry Register of Wills estates. |
| Remote appearance | Maryland Rules Title 21 do not extend to the Orphans' Court under Maryland Rule 1-101(u). The Orphans' Court for Baltimore County publishes that hearings scheduled virtually are held by Webex video conference, with a phone-only option. Whether your matter is scheduled that way is the court's call; ask 410-887-6516. |
| Website | https://registers.maryland.gov/main/baltimore.html |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Towson, identify what the decedent owned in the decedent's sole name or as a tenant in common, and what was owed on those assets. The Register of Wills for Baltimore County asks for proof of date-of-death value, not just an estimate: bank balances, mortgage balances, insurance-policy value and stock details can all matter. Estate settlement moves faster when the first filing matches the proof the office asks for.
If you cannot find the will or do not know where the accounts are, Maryland gives you a limited order route before the estate is opened. A limited order using Form 1147 and Form 1148 lets you search for assets in the decedent's name alone or for a will in a safe deposit box; the current Registers fee page lists that order at $2 under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions to find accounts, policies and property that families do not know about.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Open the estate in Baltimore County if the decedent was domiciled in Baltimore County at the time of death. Maryland venue is based on the decedent's domicile, and only one Maryland jurisdiction may maintain the probate proceeding (Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-103(a), § 5-103(c)(1)). If the decedent lived outside Maryland but owned Maryland property, venue is the county the petitioner believes held the largest part in value of the Maryland property.
The Baltimore County filing office is the Register of Wills for Baltimore County at the County Courts Building in Towson. It serves communities across the county, including Towson, Catonsville, Dundalk, Essex, Owings Mills, Parkville, Perry Hall, Pikesville, Randallstown, Reisterstown, Rosedale, White Marsh and Woodlawn.
Baltimore County and Baltimore City are separate Maryland jurisdictions. Baltimore City has its own Register of Wills and its own Orphans' Court. A mailing address that says Baltimore, MD does not settle where to file; domicile at the date of death does under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-103.
The jurisdiction process
- File the original will and any codicils with the Register of Wills for Baltimore County if you have them. A custodian must deliver the will to the proper Register after death under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 4-203(b)(1), even if no estate will be opened. The original must arrive on paper; this office does not accept filings through email.
- Work out the estate route and gather proof of value. If the estate appears to be a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, use the small-estate petition route. If you need to search for assets or a safe-deposit-box will first, use the limited order process with Form 1147 and Form 1148.
- Call the Register first at (410) 887-6680. The Baltimore County office asks people opening a new estate to call before coming in so staff can walk through the required documents.
- Prepare the statewide Register of Wills forms. Baltimore County does not require a local petition or cover sheet. Common opening forms include Form 1112 for a regular estate, Form 1103 for a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, Form 1104 for interested persons, the notice form, bond or waiver forms, and Form 1106 if an out-of-state personal representative needs a Maryland resident agent.
- Deliver the papers to Room 500. You may mail them to 401 Bosley Avenue, Room 500, Towson, MD 21204, use the courthouse drop box before the 3:30 p.m. last pickup, or go to the fifth-floor counter before the 4:00 p.m. walk-in cutoff.
- The Register acts in administrative probate. In the ordinary case, the Register admits the will and appoints the personal representative under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-301 and § 5-302, then issues letters of administration under § 5-302. The New Proceedings Division number for letters is (410) 887-2893.
- Notice goes out and creditors have a deadline. A claim against the estate is forever barred unless presented within the earlier of six months after the date of death, or two months after the personal representative mails or delivers the statutory notice, under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103(a).
- Go to the Orphans' Court only if a matter needs the court. The Orphans' Court for Baltimore County is Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101. It sits in Suite 501 of the same building, hears contested matters, and may refer disputes to its estate mediation program.
- Administer, value and account. The personal representative files the inventory under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-201 and administration accounts under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-305. The probate fee under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206 is assessed and collected when the first administration account is filed, not at the counter, and inheritance tax is handled by the Register under Md. Code, Tax-Gen. § 7-204.
- Close the estate. The Orphans' Court for Baltimore County approves the final account and any personal representative commissions or attorney's fees, with commissions governed by Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-601.
Executor duties
Baltimore County's local contribution is documentation. The statewide personal representative duties still control, including the inventory under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-201 and administration accounts under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-305, but the Register's own required-documents checklist tells you what proof the counter expects.
| Asset or issue | What the Baltimore County office asks for |
|---|---|
| Bank and financial accounts | Statements or books showing date-of-death balances, especially for a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601. |
| Real property | Proof of value and mortgage balance. For a date of death after January 1, 1998, the checklist points to a New Market Value Assessment from the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and allows proof of an outstanding mortgage as a deduction from that assessment. |
| Motor vehicles | Title or registration card, plus valuation through a certified appraisal or Kelley Blue Book printout, and proof of any payoff amount. |
| Stocks | Name of stock, number of shares and date-of-death value. |
| Insurance | Value of any insurance policy that belongs in the estate. |
| Police-held property | A report from the Baltimore County Police Evidence Control Section if property is being held by police. |
| Out-of-state personal representative | A signed resident agent form. The statewide form is Form 1106. |
| Land records | The Register's page points estate filers to Baltimore County Land Records at 410-887-2650 for deed and land-record questions. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Baltimore County
There is no Baltimore County probate petition, cover sheet or intake form to file. The forms you file are the statewide numbered Register of Wills forms used throughout Maryland, downloaded from registers.maryland.gov and printed for filing.
| Need | Forms and local notes |
|---|---|
| Open a regular estate | Form 1112, Petition for Administration of Regular Estate, plus Schedule A, List of Interested Persons and the notice and bond forms as needed. |
| Open a small estate | Form 1103, Petition for Administration of a Small Estate, under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, plus Schedule B, Form 1104 and the small-estate notice. |
| Out-of-state personal representative | Form 1106, Appointment of Resident Agent. |
| Search for assets or a safe-deposit-box will | Form 1147, Petition for Limited Orders, with Form 1148, Schedule C. |
| Firearms in the estate | Form 1153, the Maryland affidavit about attempts to comply with federal, state and local firearms law. |
| Request a probate fee waiver | Form 1220 under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(a)(4). |
The Registers' forms page instructs users to download forms, complete them on a device and print them. The Baltimore County office also publishes local helper documents: a required-documents checklist, a sample petition and a sample inventory. Those local documents help you prepare the statewide forms; they do not replace them.
Local nuance
Baltimore County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Baltimore County is not Baltimore City | The two jurisdictions have separate Registers of Wills and separate Orphans' Courts. A Baltimore postal city can appear in Baltimore County, so domicile controls under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-103. |
| Single lawyer-judge practice can apply | Baltimore County is one of the Maryland jurisdictions where elected Orphans' Court judges must be admitted to practice law in Maryland and be members in good standing of the Maryland Bar under Md. Const. art. IV, § 40(d). The Maryland Judiciary states that judges in Baltimore County, Prince George's County and Baltimore City may preside alone. |
| Two offices, same building | The Register is in Room 500 and the Orphans' Court is in Suite 501 of the County Courts Building at 401 Bosley Avenue. File with the Register; contested matters go to the Orphans' Court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101. |
| Local estate mediation | The Orphans' Court for Baltimore County publishes an estate mediation program for disputes, including disagreements about who should serve, accounts, claims and family-property issues. The court may refer a case to mediation, or parties may choose mediation themselves. |
| Virtual hearings when scheduled that way | Maryland Rules Title 21 do not extend to the Orphans' Court under Maryland Rule 1-101(u), but the Baltimore County court publishes that hearings scheduled virtually are held by Webex, with a phone-only option. Ask the court before assuming how your hearing will be held. |
| Same-day timing is local | The Register's office takes no walk-in customers after 4:00 p.m. The drop box's last pickup is 3:30 p.m.; papers deposited later are date stamped the next business day. |
| Local helper documents | The statewide forms control, but the Baltimore County office publishes its own required-documents checklist, sample petition and sample inventory. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Baltimore County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | If the home passes outside probate by the deed, the estate may be limited to assets in the decedent's sole name. A small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601 is still opened with the Register, and no probate fee is due on a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206. The spouse should call (410) 887-6680, use the Baltimore County required-documents checklist, and file by mail, drop box before 3:30 p.m. or counter before 4:00 p.m. | Sunset helps identify accounts and policies that are actually part of the probate estate, organizes the proof of value the Register asks for, and generates the packet for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | An out-of-state personal representative may serve if a Maryland resident signs Form 1106 as resident agent. The original will still has to reach Towson on paper, but questions can be handled by phone, the filing can be mailed, and the statewide Estate Search at registers.maryland.gov lets the family follow the docket. | Sunset helps determine whether the asset list supports the small-estate route under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, prepares the forms, and coordinates a local attorney if the resident-agent or family-consent issues become difficult. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate where a home must be sold | A solely owned house usually means a regular estate filing. The Baltimore County checklist points the family to property valuation, mortgage-balance proof and land records. The probate fee under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206 is assessed when the first administration account is filed, not at the counter. If siblings or heirs dispute the sale, the Orphans' Court for Baltimore County may use its estate mediation program. | Sunset helps find debts, accounts and property, builds the filing packet, tracks documents needed for the house, and connects the family to a vetted local probate attorney for sale, tax or dispute issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Register of Wills for Baltimore County | The primary probate self-help office. The Register of Wills is an elected office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41 and may answer general questions and assist with required forms, but cannot give legal advice. Baltimore County also publishes a required-documents checklist, sample petition and sample inventory. | County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Room 500, Towson, MD 21204. Main: (410) 887-6680. New Proceedings: (410) 887-2893. Records: (410) 887-6688. Email for questions: [email protected]. |
| Orphans' Court for Baltimore County | The Orphans' Court is Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101. It handles contested matters, account objections, petitions to remove a personal representative, disputes over who should serve, claims disputes and caveats. It also publishes an estate mediation program. | County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Suite 501, Towson, MD 21204. Phone: 410-887-6516. |
| Registers of Wills statewide pages | Statewide forms, fees, FAQs, small-estate information under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, deadlines, inheritance-tax information under Md. Code, Tax-Gen. § 7-204 and Estate Search. | registers.maryland.gov |
| People's Law Library of Maryland | Consumer legal information library with Maryland estate administration and probate articles. It is a library, not a legal advice provider. | https://www.peoples-law.org/ |
| Baltimore County Access to Justice Resource Center | Same-building self-help resource for self-represented litigants in civil and family cases. Its published scope does not state that it assists with Register of Wills estate filings. | County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Second Floor, Towson, MD 21204. Phone: 410-887-3086. Email: [email protected]. |
| Maryland Court Help Centers | Free civil legal help, but the Help Centers state that they cannot help relatives or agents of the person with the legal problem or personal representatives. There is no Court Help Center location in Baltimore County. | Call or chat: 410-260-1392. |
| Maryland Legal Aid, Baltimore County office | Free civil legal services for financially eligible individuals. Its published wills-and-estates service is brief advice for drafting wills and advance directives, not representation of personal representatives in estate administration. | 215 Washington Ave., Suite 305, Towson, MD 21204. Local phone: (410) 427-1800. Statewide intake: 1-888-465-2468, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. |
| Baltimore County Bar Association lawyer referral | Local lawyer referral service published by the Register's office and the Access to Justice Resource Center. | Lawyer Referral: 410-337-9100. Bar Association: 410-337-9103. |
| Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service | The Register of Wills for Baltimore County points readers to this service. Its scope and eligibility are not described here. | 800-510-0050. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider counsel when a caveat is filed, someone objects to an account or commission, a petition seeks to remove the personal representative, heirs disagree about who should serve, a claim should be challenged, a house must be sold, the estate may be insolvent, or the personal representative lives outside Maryland. Those are the kinds of matters that move estate settlement from the Register's counter to the Orphans' Court for Baltimore County under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101. The Register publishes a Baltimore County lawyer referral number, and Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance policies, real property clues and other assets that families often miss. In Baltimore County, that matters because the Register asks for proof of value before letters of administration issue under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-302.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset list, family information and local filing details into an organized Maryland probate packet, using the statewide Register of Wills forms and the Baltimore County filing rules for mail, drop box and counter delivery.
Find a local probate attorney. When a filing becomes contested, a home must be sold, a claim is disputed, or the Orphans' Court becomes involved, Sunset helps connect the family with a vetted Baltimore County probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand what to file next and avoid missing accounts, deadlines and local filing details.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Baltimore County, Maryland?
File with the Register of Wills for Baltimore County, County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Room 500, Towson, MD 21204. The Register of Wills is the filing office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41. The Orphans' Court for Baltimore County is the probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101, but you do not start by filing with the court.
Is Baltimore City part of Baltimore County for probate?
No. Baltimore County and Baltimore City are separate Maryland jurisdictions with separate Registers of Wills and separate Orphans' Courts. If the decedent was domiciled in Baltimore City, the estate is opened there. If the decedent was domiciled in Baltimore County, the estate is opened in Towson. Domicile controls under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-103.
The address says Baltimore, MD. Do I file in Baltimore County or Baltimore City?
A postal city of Baltimore does not decide the probate venue. Some Baltimore County addresses use a Baltimore postal city. File where the decedent was domiciled at death, and only one Maryland jurisdiction may maintain the proceeding, under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-103.
Can I file a Baltimore County estate online or by email?
No online estate-opening route is published for Baltimore County. Maryland estate filings are paper filings with the Register of Wills. MDEC does not cover the Orphans' Court or the Register under Maryland Rule 20-101(w), Committee note, and the Baltimore County Register publishes that it cannot accept filings through email.
Does Baltimore County have its own probate forms?
No Baltimore County petition or cover sheet is used for filing. Use the statewide Register of Wills forms at registers.maryland.gov. For example, Form 1103 is used for a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, and Form 1112 is used for a regular estate. The Baltimore County office also publishes a required-documents checklist, sample petition and sample inventory.
What does it cost to open an estate in Baltimore County, and when do I pay?
Maryland uses one statewide probate fee schedule under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(2), for estates opened on or after October 1, 2022. It starts at $0 where the probate estate is under $50,000 and rises to $10,000 plus .02% of the excess over $10,000,000. No probate fee is due on a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601. For a regular estate, the fee is assessed and collected when the first administration account is filed under ET § 2-206(b)(5)(i), not when you first come to the counter.
Can the probate fee be waived in Baltimore County?
Yes, if the statutory conditions are met. The Register must waive fees under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(a)(4) when qualifying Maryland real property is to be transferred to an heir who lives on it, or is encumbered by a lien and subject to tax sale, and the estate is unable to pay by reason of poverty. Use Form 1220 under ET § 2-206.
What time do I have to get to the Towson courthouse or the drop box?
The Register's office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and publishes that it takes no walk-in customers after 4:00 p.m. The courthouse drop box has a 3:30 p.m. last pickup; items deposited after 3:30 p.m. are date stamped the next business day.
Can I attend a Baltimore County Orphans' Court hearing by video?
Maryland Rules Title 21 do not extend to the Orphans' Court under Maryland Rule 1-101(u). The Orphans' Court for Baltimore County publishes that hearings scheduled virtually are held by Webex, with a phone-only option. Whether your matter is scheduled that way is for the court to decide, so ask the court at 410-887-6516.
How do I look up a Baltimore County estate?
Use the Registers of Wills statewide Estate Search at registers.maryland.gov/RowNetWeb/Estates/frmEstateSearch2.aspx. Estate Search shows Register of Wills cases across Maryland. Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers circuit court and District Court records, not estates opened with the Register.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.