Ellicott City, Maryland Genealogy Records

Ellicott City is the county seat of Howard County and home to the Howard County Circuit Court, which holds genealogy records for all Howard County communities including Ellicott City itself. This guide covers birth, death, marriage, land, and probate records for Ellicott City and Howard County family history research.

Howard County Handles Ellicott City Records

All genealogy records for Ellicott City residents go through Howard County. Because Ellicott City is the county seat, the courthouse is located directly in the community. Howard County records go back to 1851 when the county was formed from Anne Arundel County. For records of families in this area before 1851, researchers need to check Anne Arundel County records at the Maryland State Archives.

Ellicott City itself was founded in 1772 by the Ellicott family as a milling community. Records of those early decades, before Howard County existed, are in Anne Arundel County's holdings. The Ellicott family's records and the early mill community's history are well documented in local historical collections, making Ellicott City a particularly rich area for early Maryland family research.

The Howard County Government website provides services and contact information for researchers working on Ellicott City and Howard County family history.

Howard County Circuit Court

The Howard County Circuit Court at 9250 Judicial Way, Ellicott City, MD 21043 maintains land records, marriage licenses, and civil case files for all Howard County communities. The court holds Howard County records back to 1851. Marriage licenses are issued here. Both parties must bring government-issued birth certificates, a 48-hour waiting period applies, and the license is valid for six months in Howard County only.

The Howard County Circuit Court in Ellicott City handles marriage licenses, land records, and civil case files for all Howard County residents.

Birth and Death Records for Ellicott City Residents

Vital records for Ellicott City residents are part of the Howard County system. The Maryland State Archives holds birth records from 1898 to 1921 and death records from 1898 to 2011 for Howard County. The Maryland Department of Health handles records after those cutoff dates. For early family history research, the MSA is the key source. Call 410-260-6400 or search at msa.maryland.gov.

FamilySearch has Maryland Deaths and Burials from 1877 to 1992, which includes Howard County entries. Church records from early Ellicott City congregations can document births and deaths before civil registration began in 1898. For recent vital records, contact the Maryland Department of Health at 410-764-3038 or visit health.maryland.gov/vsa.

Howard County Historical Society

The Howard County Historical Society at 8328 Court Avenue, Ellicott City, maintains local historical records and a museum in a historic building. Their collections include documents related to the founding Ellicott family, early mill operations, and Howard County families going back to the 19th century. The society is a good first stop for researchers working on families with roots in Ellicott City's early history.

The Miller Branch Library at 9421 Frederick Road, Ellicott City, has a local history collection with materials specific to Howard County. FamilySearch provides free online access to Howard County records at familysearch.org, and the Reclaim The Records collection at archive.org includes over 5 million Maryland vital records accessible free without a login.

Land Records in Ellicott City

All Howard County land records are free online through MDLandRec.net at mdlandrec.net. Deeds, mortgages, plats, and other recorded instruments from Howard County are in this system going back several decades. For older records, the Circuit Court holds deed books from 1851 forward, and the Maryland State Archives holds records going back to the colonial period when this land was part of Anne Arundel County.

Land records for the Ellicott City area before 1851 are found in Anne Arundel County deed books at the MSA. The very early land grants in this area go back to the 1600s and 1700s when the land was first patented from the colonial government. The Early Settlers Database at earlysettlers.msa.maryland.gov covers 17th-century land patents and can trace the earliest ownership of land in the Howard County area.

Nearby Cities

Ellicott City is in Howard County near Anne Arundel County to the south and east. Researchers working on Howard County families may also need to check records from Anne Arundel County for families that moved between the two.