Find Howard County Genealogy Records

Howard County genealogy records begin in 1851, when the county was formed from Anne Arundel County. The Circuit Court in Ellicott City holds land records, marriage licenses, civil case files, and other primary documents for family history research, while earlier records from this area appear in Anne Arundel County files and at the Maryland State Archives.

Howard County Circuit Court Genealogy Records

The Circuit Court Clerk Wayne A. Robey maintains the primary records repository for Howard County genealogy research. The courthouse at 9250 Judicial Way in Ellicott City holds land records, deed filings, marriage licenses, and civil case files from 1851 forward. The main phone is 410-313-6500. For land records specifically, call 410-313-5850. For license, civil, or criminal matters, the direct line is 410-313-2144.

Regular office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Recording services close earlier, at 3:30 pm, so plan ahead if you need to submit documents for recording. Marriage licenses are issued at the Clerk's Office, and civil ceremonies can be arranged by appointment. Recording fees follow state guidelines: a standard instrument of nine pages or fewer costs $20, a release costs $10, and instruments over ten pages cost $75. A surcharge of $40 applies per instrument. Howard County also applies a recordation tax of $2.50 per $500 of value, a state transfer tax of 0.5%, and a county transfer tax of 1.25%.

Because Howard County was formed from Anne Arundel County in 1851, any research for ancestors in this area before that year needs to look at Anne Arundel County records. Ellicott City itself dates to 1772, so families there in the early 1800s would have been recorded in Anne Arundel County files. The Columbia area was largely undeveloped before the planned community was built in 1967, so historical records for that area are thin before the mid-20th century.

The Howard County Circuit Court page lists current contact details and online tools for records access.

The court page provides phone numbers, office hours, and links to case search tools for Howard County genealogy research.

Birth and Death Records in Howard County

Vital records for Howard County genealogy research are split between the Maryland State Archives and the Maryland Department of Health. The dividing line is date. Older records are at the MSA. Recent ones go through the Health Department.

Birth records from 1914 through 1928 are found in doctor's registers at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. Physicians were required to report live births, and those registers usually include the child's name, birth date, location, and parents' names. Records after 1924 are held by the Maryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration, at 410-764-3038 or online at health.maryland.gov/vsa. Records under 100 years old require proof of relationship before copies are released.

For deaths, the Maryland Death Index covers 1898 through 2010 and is searchable through the MSA at msa.maryland.gov. FamilySearch also hosts Maryland Deaths and Burials from 1877 to 1992, including Howard County entries. Deaths after 2010 are available through the Department of Health.

The Howard County Health Department handles recent birth and death certificates for events in Howard County. Contact them for current procedures and fee information.

Howard County Marriage Records

Marriage records in Howard County begin in 1851. The Circuit Court Clerk holds original license records. The Maryland State Archives holds a statewide marriage index searchable at msa.maryland.gov.

For marriages in the Howard County area before 1851, the records would be found in Anne Arundel County files, since Howard County was formed from Anne Arundel in 1851. This applies to families in Ellicott City and the surrounding mill towns that were established in the early 1800s. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City holds microfilmed Maryland marriage records accessible through local Family History Centers. The online case search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us covers civil matters including marriage-related filings.

Wills and Probate Records in Howard County

The Register of Wills handles probate in Howard County. Records date from 1851. The Maryland State Archives holds an index to wills from 1851 to 1960 that is searchable online. Probate files can include wills, inventories, accounts, and distributions to heirs. These documents name family relationships and list property, making them highly useful for genealogy research.

The statewide Register of Wills portal at registers.maryland.gov connects researchers to filings across all Maryland counties including Howard. For probate records from the Howard County area before 1851, look in Anne Arundel County probate files at the Maryland State Archives. The Archives of Maryland Online at aomol.msa.maryland.gov contains digitized volumes of original government records that can supplement the MSA's standard catalog holdings.

Howard County Land Records and Property Documents

All Howard County land records are available free through MDLandRec.net at mdlandrec.net. This state-run system provides direct access to deeds, mortgages, and plats. Maryland is the only state that offers this statewide and at no cost. Howard County records from 1851 onward are fully included in the system.

For land records from the Howard County area before 1851, search Anne Arundel County deed books. The MDLandRec system includes scanned images of original documents, not just index entries, so you can read the full deed text online. Plat maps are also available through Plats.net, a secondary tool that can be accessed at plats.net using the public login (username: plato, password: plato#). Property tax records from 1798 to 1948 are available through FamilySearch and can document an ancestor's land ownership in the Howard County region over time.

The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation maintains a real property search tool at sdat.dat.maryland.gov for current property records.

Research Facilities for Howard County Genealogy

The Howard County Library has two main branches useful for genealogy research. The Central Branch is at 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. The Miller Branch is at 9421 Frederick Road in Ellicott City. Both branches provide access to genealogy databases and local history materials.

The library's branches in Columbia and Ellicott City provide database access and local history collections for Howard County genealogy records.

The Howard County Historical Society maintains local records and family history materials at 8328 Court Avenue in Ellicott City. They do not have an active public website, so contact them by phone or visit in person to check their holdings. The historical society's collection focuses on the Ellicott City area, which has colonial roots going back to 1772 and has a rich trove of local primary sources.

The Howard County government website lists department contacts and office information that can help researchers find the right agency for specific record types.

The county government site lists agency contacts and office directories useful when locating specific Howard County genealogy records departments.

Using the Maryland State Archives for Howard County Research

The Maryland State Archives at 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, is the central repository for Howard County genealogy records from 1851 forward, plus earlier records from the Anne Arundel County period that covered this area. Call 410-260-6400 or search at msa.maryland.gov.

The MSA research guide at guide.msa.maryland.gov lists the most requested records by county and type. It is the best first step for identifying which record series to pursue. The MSA partners with the Internet Archive to share digitized materials free of charge at archive.org. That collection includes volumes that would otherwise require an in-person visit to Annapolis. The online case search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us covers civil court records for Howard County. Under Maryland Code, General Provisions sections 4-101 and following, most public records are open to inspection, so most Howard County genealogy records can be accessed without restriction.

Cities in Howard County

Nearby Counties

Howard County borders Baltimore County to the north, Anne Arundel County to the east, Montgomery County to the west, and Carroll and Frederick counties to the northwest. Records from Anne Arundel County are especially important for Howard County genealogy research covering the pre-1851 period.