Baltimore Bankruptcy Records
Baltimore bankruptcy records are kept at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Baltimore Division, located at the Garmatz Federal Courthouse in downtown Baltimore.
Baltimore Overview
Baltimore Division Bankruptcy Court
Baltimore is an independent city in Maryland. It does not belong to any county. All bankruptcy cases for Baltimore City residents go to the Baltimore Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. The court sits at the Edward A. Garmatz Federal Courthouse in the heart of downtown Baltimore.
The Baltimore Division handles personal and business bankruptcy filings for residents of Baltimore City as well as several surrounding counties. If you live in Baltimore City, this is your court. The intake window is open on weekdays, but note that it closes from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM daily. That closure went into effect December 22, 2025, so plan your visit around it. There is an after-hours drop box on the first floor of the courthouse if you need to submit papers outside of window hours.
| Court | U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Baltimore Division |
|---|---|
| Address | 101 W. Lombard Street, Suite 8530 Baltimore, MD 21201 |
| Phone | (410) 962-4295 |
| Intake Hours | Monday through Friday, open but closed 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM daily |
| After-Hours Drop Box | First floor of the Garmatz Federal Courthouse |
| Court Website | mdb.uscourts.gov |
The Garmatz courthouse is in central Baltimore near the Inner Harbor. Public transit routes serve the area well. Bring your ID to clear the security checkpoint at the entrance. The intake office is on the 8th floor, Suite 8530. If you are coming to pay a filing fee or get copies, note that the Baltimore Division does accept cash and other payment forms at its intake window.
How to Search Baltimore Bankruptcy Records
There are several ways to search bankruptcy records for Baltimore cases. The main tools are PACER, the VCIS phone line, and an in-person visit to the courthouse. Each method has its strengths depending on what you need.
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) is the federal system for all bankruptcy records. You can search by name, case number, or Social Security number. Create a free account at pacer.uscourts.gov. Each page of records costs $0.10, with a maximum of $3.00 per document. If your total charges stay under $30.00 in a quarter, those fees are waived entirely. Most casual users never hit the $30.00 threshold.
PACER Case Locator at pcl.uscourts.gov lets you search across all federal courts at once. This is useful if you are not sure which district a case was filed in, or if a person may have filed in a different state. You can search by name and get a list of matching cases with court locations.
VCIS (Voice Case Information System) is free and available around the clock. Call 1-866-222-8029 to get basic case info by phone. No account needed. You just need the case number or the debtor's name to get started. This line gives you status updates, discharge dates, and trustee information for Baltimore bankruptcy cases.
For in-person searches, go to the intake window at Suite 8530, Garmatz Federal Courthouse. Staff can look up cases by name or number. Plain copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus $0.50 per page. If the file was archived off-site, you can use SmartScan: retrieval costs $11.00, the first 30 pages cost $9.90, and each page after that is $0.65. SmartScan has a 100-page maximum per order.
The screenshot below shows the filing fees page from the Maryland bankruptcy court, which also links to related forms and procedures for Baltimore filers.
The official court fees page at mdb.uscourts.gov lists all current filing fees and copy costs for Baltimore Division cases.
Bankruptcy Filing Fees in Baltimore
Filing fees for bankruptcy cases in Baltimore are set by federal law and apply at the Garmatz Federal Courthouse. The fees are the same across the entire District of Maryland. Here are the current fees for each chapter type:
- Chapter 7 (liquidation): $338.00
- Chapter 13 (wage earner plan): $313.00
- Chapter 11 (business reorganization): $1,738.00
If you cannot afford the Chapter 7 fee, you may apply to pay in installments or ask for a full fee waiver. The waiver is only available for Chapter 7 and is based on income. You file the application with your petition. The judge reviews it and decides. For installment plans, you can split the fee into up to four payments, with the last one due no later than 120 days after filing.
Copy fees at the courthouse are $0.50 per page for plain copies and $5.00 plus $0.50 per page for certified copies. Certified copies are often needed for legal matters outside the court, like refinancing a home or showing proof of discharge to a creditor in Baltimore.
Baltimore State Courts and Related Records
The federal bankruptcy court handles the bankruptcy case itself. But several state courts in Baltimore hold related records that can be useful when researching someone's financial situation or when resolving matters that come up during a bankruptcy case.
The Baltimore City Circuit Court is the main state trial court for the city. It sits at 110 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, and can be reached at (410) 396-1293. The Circuit Court holds civil judgment records, property records, and other financial matters. If someone had a lawsuit filed against them before they filed bankruptcy, that judgment would be in the Circuit Court records. The 8th Judicial Circuit covers Baltimore City alone.
Baltimore City also has several District Courts handling smaller civil and criminal matters. Each serves a different part of the city:
- Eastside District Court: 5800 Wabash Avenue, (410) 878-8000
- Fayette District Court: 501 E. Fayette Street, (410) 878-8900
- E. North Avenue District Court: 1400 E. North Avenue, (410) 878-8500
- E. Patapsco District Court: 501 E. Patapsco Avenue, (410) 878-8300
You can search state court records for Baltimore City at the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal at casesearch.courts.state.md.us. Note that this system covers state courts only. It does not include federal bankruptcy cases. Use PACER for those.
The screenshot below shows the Maryland Legal Aid website, one of the most useful free resources for Baltimore residents dealing with bankruptcy.
Maryland Legal Aid offers free legal help to qualifying Baltimore residents navigating bankruptcy cases and related financial issues.
What Baltimore Bankruptcy Records Contain
Bankruptcy records filed in Baltimore contain a lot of information. The petition and schedules are the core documents. They list the debtor's assets, liabilities, income, and expenses. Anyone who wants to understand a debtor's financial picture can get a lot from these filings.
Key documents in a Baltimore bankruptcy case file include:
- Voluntary petition (starts the case, lists basic info)
- Schedules A through J (assets, debts, income, expenses)
- Statement of financial affairs
- Chapter 13 plan (if applicable)
- Creditor matrix (list of all creditors)
- Trustee reports and motions
- Discharge order or dismissal order
Most of these documents are public. A few items are restricted. Social Security numbers are truncated to the last four digits in public filings. Some documents filed under seal are not viewable without a court order. For the vast majority of Baltimore bankruptcy cases, the full file is open to the public through PACER or at the courthouse.
Free Legal Help in Baltimore
Baltimore has several organizations that help residents with bankruptcy cases at no cost or low cost. If you cannot afford an attorney, these groups may be able to help you understand your options and navigate the process.
Maryland Legal Aid has a Baltimore City office at 500 E. Lexington Street, (410) 951-7750. They offer free legal help to qualifying individuals. You can also call the statewide line at (866) MD-LAW-4U or visit mdlab.org. They handle a range of civil legal issues including bankruptcy and debt matters.
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) is another strong resource for Baltimore residents. Their office is at 201 N. Charles Street, (410) 547-6537. MVLS matches low-income clients with volunteer attorneys. They can help with bankruptcy filings, debt negotiation, and related matters in Baltimore.
The Debtor Assistance Project operates at the Garmatz Federal Courthouse itself. This project is specifically designed to help pro se filers (people without attorneys) at the Baltimore bankruptcy court. You can ask the court clerk for information about how to connect with the project. It is one of the most direct forms of help available to Baltimore residents filing on their own.
The People's Law Library at peoples-law.org has plain-language guides on how to file bankruptcy in Maryland. It covers which chapter to use, what forms to fill out, and how to prepare for the process. This is a good starting point for anyone in Baltimore who is considering filing and wants to understand the basics before seeing an attorney.
The People's Law Library provides free, easy-to-read guides for Baltimore residents on filing bankruptcy in Maryland.
Nearby Cities with Bankruptcy Records
If you are looking for bankruptcy records in cities near Baltimore, the following qualifying cities also have pages on this site.
- Columbia (Howard County)
- Dundalk (Baltimore County)
- Towson (Baltimore County)
- Glen Burnie (Anne Arundel County)
Baltimore and the Maryland Bankruptcy Court
Baltimore is an independent city and is not part of any Maryland county. All bankruptcy filings for Baltimore City residents go through the federal Baltimore Division at the Garmatz Federal Courthouse. For county-level resources across the state, explore Maryland county pages or return to the home page.