Howard County Property Search
Howard County property records, also known as land records, are officially recorded documents that contain information about properties in Howard County, Maryland. These records include mortgages, plats maps, land deeds, conveyances, and other legal documents that property owners and other relevant parties file with Howard County’s Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Land Records Department. The Department is responsible for recording and maintaining these records.
A “Howard County Property record search” is a term used to describe processes record seekers can use to obtain public information and records about properties in Howard County.
Property records can be examined to ascertain a property’s legal information in situations involving property issues, such as arguments over property lines or ownership disputes.
Are Howard County Property Records Public?
Yes. The Maryland Public Information Act establishes members of the general public’s right to access public records while protecting government interest and citizen’s rights to privacy.
Howard County property records are accessible to the public, given that most property records—aside from a few exceptions—are subject to the Maryland Public Information Act.
Howard County property records are accessible to the general public through different public offices, such as the County’s Circuit Court Clerk’s Office and the County Department of Finance, depending on the type of property records. For instance, land deeds and mortgage records are accessible through the former, while property tax records are accessible through the latter.
Where to Perform a Howard County Property Lookup
Inquiries regarding how to conduct a Howard County property lookup can be directed to the Howard County Clerk's Office Land Records Department. Given that the Land Records Department is the primary custodian of property records in Howard County, the department is a good starting point for parties that wish to lookup property records. The Land Record Department can be visited and contacted at:
9250 Judicial Way
Suite 1900
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Open: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Phone: (410) 313-5850
A Howard County property lookup can also be conducted through the Maryland State Archives (MSA). The MSA maintains most Maryland counties' older land records, including Howard County. Record seekers can lookup land records the MSA maintains in person at the Archive’s Public Search Room. The public search room is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on the first Saturdays of every month (8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Although the MSA allows both walk-in and by-appointment visits, appointments are advised as walk-in visits may not be allowed if the facility reaches capacity. Interested persons can schedule a by-appointment visit online using the Maryland State Archives Appointment Request Form. For further inquiries and assistance, individuals can contact the MSA helpdesk by email at msa.helpdesk@maryland.gov or call (410) 260-6487. The MSA is located at:
350 Rowe Boulevard,
Annapolis, MD 21401.
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in Howard County
Generally, a property’s ownership information is detailed in the property’s deed. In Howard County, deeds are considered public records. Hence, anyone who wishes to look up a property owner in Howard County can do so by reviewing the property’s deed.
Interested persons can visit the Howard County’s Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Land Records Department to search for, request, and obtain copies of county property deeds in person. Record seekers can also search for property deeds online through the MDLANDREC tool.
How to Find Howard County Property Records Online
Howard County property records are accessible online through the MDLANDREC.NET tool. This tool is maintained by the collaborative efforts of the Maryland Judiciary, the 24 elected Court Clerks of Maryland, and the Maryland State Archives.
To access MDLANDREC.NET, users must register an account with the Maryland State Archives. Users who already have an account can log in using their account’s email and passwords. Meanwhile, first-time users can create an account using the application for a new account link on the portal’shomepage.
How to Find Property Owner by Address for Free
Individuals who want to find information about a property owner by address in Howard County can visit the County’s Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Land Record Department to search public property records. Property records searches are conducted at the Department for free. However, copies of any document can be requested at $.50 per page. Inquirers should search for deeds specifically when searching the department’s records. Since these records reveal who is entitled to ownership of a piece of county property.
Inquirers can also search Howard County property records through the MDLANDREC.NET tool to find a property owner’s information by address online. The Maryland Department Of Assessments And Taxation SDAT website is another online tool interested can use to search for County property owners' information by address for free.
Howard County Property Tax Lookup
In Howard County, a property tax lookup can be conducted through the Howard County Department of Finance. For convenience, the County Department of Finance makes all county property tax records available online through Howard County's Tax Self-Service site. Record seekers can search for a property’s tax records on the website by the property’s ID, owner’s name, or address for free. Additionally, property taxes can also be paid through the website.
How to Find Howard County Property Appraiser
Interested persons can find Howard County property Appraisers and Registered Appraisal Management Companies on the Maryland Department of Labour’s Real Estate Appraisers and Home Inspectors Public Query website. On the website, individuals can search for Real Estate Appraisers by name, location, or license number, and a link to a list of Registered Appraisal Management Companies is also available.
Howard County Property Assessor
The primary duty of the Howard County Assessor’s Office is determining the total cash value of properties in the County. Howard County Assessor's office can be contacted at:
District Court Multi-Service Center
3451 Court House Drive
Ellicott City, Maryland 21043
Hours: 8:00 to 4:30 (410) 480-7940
Fax: (410) 480-7960
E-mail: sdat.how@maryland.gov
