Bethesda Bankruptcy Records
Bethesda bankruptcy records are handled by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Greenbelt Division, which serves all of Montgomery County.
Bethesda Overview
Federal Bankruptcy Court for Bethesda
Bethesda is in Montgomery County. All bankruptcy cases from Bethesda go to the Greenbelt Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. This federal court handles all Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 filings from Bethesda residents and businesses. The court is located in Greenbelt, about 20 miles from Bethesda.
| Court | U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Greenbelt Division |
|---|---|
| Address | 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Suite 300 Greenbelt, MD 20770 |
| Phone | (301) 344-8016 |
| Intake Hours | Monday through Friday, closed 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM daily |
| Website | mdb.uscourts.gov |
The Greenbelt Division went cashless on December 10, 2025. The court no longer takes cash or checks at the intake window. If you need to pay fees at the Greenbelt courthouse, you must use pay.gov online, mail a check to the Baltimore Division, or pay in person at the Baltimore intake. An after-hours drop box is on the first floor for filings you bring outside normal intake hours.
How to Search Bethesda Bankruptcy Records
There are a few ways to look up bankruptcy records for Bethesda cases. PACER is the main tool most people use. You can also call the VCIS phone line for free basic info, or visit the courthouse in person. Each method gives different levels of detail.
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) is the federal system for searching bankruptcy cases. Go to pacer.uscourts.gov to set up a free account. Once you log in, you can search by name, case number, or Social Security Number. PACER shows case status, filed documents, hearing schedules, and party information. The cost is $0.10 per page. A single document is capped at $3.00 no matter how long it is. If your total charges stay under $30.00 in a quarter, PACER waives the fees entirely. For many people doing a one-time search, this means no cost at all.
VCIS is a free phone line that gives basic case info around the clock. Call 1-866-222-8029 any time of day. You can check case status, filing date, and trustee info with no account needed. It works well for quick lookups when you just need to confirm a case exists or check whether a discharge was entered.
To search in person, go to the Greenbelt courthouse at 6500 Cherrywood Lane. Public terminals there let you pull up case records at no charge. Staff can help you find a case if you have a name or case number. In-person copies cost $0.50 per page for plain copies. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus $0.50 per page. If you need a document retrieved from the federal archives, SmartScan charges $11.00 for retrieval plus $9.90 for the first 30 pages and $0.65 for each page after that, up to 100 pages total.
View the Maryland Bankruptcy Court fee schedule at mdb.uscourts.gov
The fee schedule above shows current filing and copy costs for all Maryland bankruptcy divisions, including the Greenbelt Division that serves Bethesda.
Bankruptcy Filing Fees for Bethesda Residents
Federal bankruptcy filing fees apply to all cases filed from Bethesda at the Greenbelt Division. These fees are set by Congress and are the same across all Maryland divisions. The fees below are current as of early 2026.
- Chapter 7 (liquidation): $338.00
- Chapter 13 (repayment plan): $313.00
- Chapter 11 (business reorganization): $1,738.00
If you cannot pay the filing fee all at once, you can ask the court to let you pay in installments. The court may allow up to four payments. Low-income filers in Chapter 7 cases may apply to have the fee waived entirely. You must show that your income is below 150% of the federal poverty line. The waiver form is available at the courthouse and on the court's website.
Remember that Greenbelt no longer accepts cash. Use pay.gov to pay online. You can also mail payment to the Baltimore Division at 101 W. Lombard Street, Suite 8530, Baltimore, MD 21201, or pay in person at that office.
What Bethesda Bankruptcy Records Contain
Bankruptcy case files are federal court records. They are public under federal law, with a few exceptions. Most documents in a Bethesda bankruptcy case are open to anyone who searches PACER or visits the courthouse.
A typical bankruptcy case file from Bethesda includes the petition, which lists the debtor's name, address, and type of bankruptcy. You will also find schedules of assets and liabilities, a list of all creditors, a statement of financial affairs, and any motions filed by either party. For Chapter 13 cases, the repayment plan is part of the record. Discharge orders and case closure notices are also included once the case reaches those stages.
Some personal data is restricted. Social Security Numbers are partially redacted in public records. Minors' names are protected. Certain sensitive financial documents may be sealed by court order. But in general, bankruptcy records are among the most open of all court records in the federal system.
Montgomery County State Courts Serving Bethesda
Bankruptcy is a federal matter, but related legal issues often involve state courts in Montgomery County. Bethesda falls under the 6th Judicial Circuit, which covers Montgomery and Frederick counties.
| Court | Montgomery County Circuit Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 50 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD |
| Phone | (240) 777-9466 |
The Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville handles civil cases, judgments, and liens that may connect to a bankruptcy case. For example, if a creditor has a lien on your property, that lien is recorded at the county level. State court judgments can sometimes be discharged or modified through bankruptcy. Searching Montgomery County circuit court records can give you the full picture of a debtor's legal situation.
Maryland Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us lets you look up state court cases online at no cost. This is a state-level tool only and does not show federal bankruptcy cases. Use it alongside PACER to get a complete view of someone's court history in Montgomery County.
Legal Help for Bethesda Bankruptcy Cases
If you need help with a bankruptcy case in Bethesda, several free and low-cost resources are available in Montgomery County.
Maryland Legal Aid serves Bethesda residents through its Montgomery County office. The office is at 600 Jefferson Plaza, Suite 430, Rockville, MD. Call (240) 314-0373 for local help, or use the statewide line at (866) MD-LAW-4U. Maryland Legal Aid helps people who qualify based on income. They can advise on whether bankruptcy is the right option, help fill out forms, and sometimes provide representation in court.
The People's Law Library at peoples-law.org/where-file-bankruptcy has a plain-language guide to filing for bankruptcy in Maryland. It covers how to pick the right chapter, what exemptions apply, and what to expect from the process. This is a good first stop if you want to understand the basics before talking to a lawyer.
The People's Law Library guide above walks through the full bankruptcy process for Maryland residents, including those in Bethesda and Montgomery County.
The Montgomery County Bar Association can refer you to a private bankruptcy attorney. Many attorneys offer a free or low-cost first meeting. You can also find bankruptcy attorneys through the Maryland State Bar Association at msba.org. A lawyer is not required for bankruptcy, but having one can help you avoid mistakes that slow down your case or lead to dismissal.
Nearby Cities in Montgomery County
Other qualifying cities near Bethesda also fall under the Greenbelt Division for bankruptcy. All use the same federal court and the same PACER system for record searches.
- Rockville (Montgomery County seat)
- Silver Spring
- North Bethesda
- Aspen Hill
- Wheaton
- Gaithersburg
- Germantown
Montgomery County Bankruptcy Records
Bethesda is in Montgomery County. All bankruptcy filings from Bethesda go through the Greenbelt Division of the federal court. For more on the court that serves the county, county-level state courts, related records, and local resources, visit the Montgomery County bankruptcy records page.