Search Queen Anne's County Bankruptcy Records
Bankruptcy records for Queen Anne's County, Maryland are filed through the Baltimore Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, and searching them requires using federal tools like PACER or the free VCIS phone line rather than state court websites. This guide walks you through every step, from finding a case number to getting copies of filed documents, and also covers the Queen Anne's County Circuit Court Clerk's office for related local records.
Queen Anne's County Overview
Federal Bankruptcy Court for Queen Anne's County
Bankruptcy is a federal process. Cases from Queen Anne's County go to the Baltimore Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. The Baltimore courthouse is at Garmatz Federal Courthouse, 101 W. Lombard Street, Suite 8530, Baltimore, MD 21201. The phone number is (410) 962-4295. The court is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The intake counter closes from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM each day, so plan your visit around that window.
You cannot find bankruptcy records on the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website. That site covers only state courts. Bankruptcy courts are federal, so the records live in a different system entirely. Searching the wrong database is a common mistake, and it will just waste your time. The right tools are PACER, the VCIS phone line, and the PACER Case Locator, all described below. The official court site at mdb.uscourts.gov has additional guidance and forms.
The Queen Anne's County Circuit Court Clerk does not handle bankruptcy. That office, run by Katherine Hager, is at 107 N. Liberty Street, Centreville, MD 21617. The phone number is 410-758-1773. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. This office handles state civil matters, land records, marriage licenses, and more. Their research room is open to the public, and records go back to 1658. But for bankruptcy, you must use the federal system.
| Baltimore Division |
Garmatz Federal Courthouse 101 W. Lombard Street, Suite 8530 Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: (410) 962-4295 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (intake counter closes 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM) |
| Circuit Court Clerk |
Katherine Hager 107 N. Liberty Street, Centreville, MD 21617 Phone: 410-758-1773 Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Judicial Circuit | 2nd Judicial Circuit (Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot) |
How to Search Queen Anne's County Bankruptcy Records
The easiest free option is the Voice Case Information System. Call 1-866-222-8029 any time, day or night. It is automated and runs 24/7. You can search by name or case number. The system tells you the chapter type, the filing date, the case status, and who the trustee is. No registration needed. No cost. This is a solid first step before you sign up for PACER.
PACER gives you access to all filed documents in any bankruptcy case from Queen Anne's County. Sign up at pacer.uscourts.gov. Once you have an account, log in, select the District of Maryland, and search by name or case number. Documents cost $0.10 per page. Each document is capped at $3.00, so a long filing will not cost more than three dollars. If your total charges for a quarter are under $30.00, you are not billed at all. This means light users of PACER often pay nothing.
The PACER Case Locator at pcl.uscourts.gov is useful when you do not know which court a person filed in. It covers all federal bankruptcy courts in the country. Search by name or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Results show the district, case number, and filing date. From there, you can go into PACER for the full record.
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers state courts only. It will not return bankruptcy results. But it can show you civil suits, debt collection cases, or judgments filed in state court that may relate to the same person or property involved in a Queen Anne's County bankruptcy.
For land records, use MDLandRec.net, which is free. Land records in Queen Anne's County go back to 1658. If a bankruptcy case involves real property, you can check ownership history, deeds, and liens through this site. The Circuit Court Clerk also supports e-recording for land records if you need to submit documents remotely.
The Clerk's office notes that searches are much faster when you bring a case number. This has been the policy since October 5, 2020. If you call or visit the Centreville office for help with state records, have as much identifying information ready as you can. Spanish-language assistance is available at the clerk's office.
Scam Alert: Queen Anne's County has reported deceptive letters using the court's name to threaten bank account seizures. There are also caller ID spoofing scams. Courts do not contact you by phone or letter demanding immediate payment. If you receive such a contact, do not pay and report it.
The Queen Anne's County land records page on the Maryland Courts website shows what the Clerk's office manages for local property and deed records.
Land records are separate from bankruptcy filings but can be useful when tracing property tied to a bankruptcy estate in Queen Anne's County.
The Queen Anne's County marriage license page shows the services available through the Clerk's office, which include marriage applications, passport processing, and notary services in addition to civil records.
The office also accepts passport applications from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Note that all deeds must be stamped by the Finance Office at 107 N. Liberty St, Centreville, phone 410-758-0414, before they can be recorded.
The Queen Anne's County District Court directory lists state court contact information for civil and small claims cases in the county.
Again, bankruptcy cases do not appear in state court directories. These links are for related state court lookups only.
Visit the Queen Anne's County Circuit Court Clerk's main page for the full list of services, office policies, and recording fees.
This page also has the current recording fee schedule, which applies to land instruments, releases, and other documents recorded in Queen Anne's County.
Bankruptcy Filing Fees and Clerk Recording Fees
Bankruptcy filing fees are set at the federal level. Chapter 7 costs $338. Chapter 13 costs $313. Chapter 11 costs $1,738. These are paid to the federal court, not to the county. Payments go through pay.gov or to the Baltimore Division directly.
The Queen Anne's County Circuit Court Clerk charges separate fees for recording local documents. A release of nine pages or fewer costs $10. Any other instrument of nine pages or fewer costs $20. Instruments of ten pages or more cost $75. A $40 surcharge applies to all recorded instruments. A marriage license costs $35, and a civil ceremony fee is $25. The Clerk accepts cash, Visa, MasterCard, cashier's checks, and money orders. These fees are for state-level filings and have nothing to do with federal bankruptcy costs.
PACER charges $0.10 per page with a $3.00 cap per document. If you spend less than $30.00 in a calendar quarter, your charges are waived. The SmartScan retrieval service costs $11.00 to start, plus $9.90 for the first 30 pages and $0.65 per page after that, with a 100-page limit per request.
Legal Help for Queen Anne's County Residents
Bankruptcy law is complex. Getting advice before you file can save you time and money. Several groups in Maryland serve Queen Anne's County with free or low-cost legal help.
Maryland Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to low-income Marylanders. You can reach them at (866) MD-LAW-4U or through their website at mdlab.org. The site has an online intake form if you prefer not to call. Maryland Legal Aid handles debt-related cases including bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights issues that affect Queen Anne's County residents.
The People's Law Library at peoples-law.org/where-file-bankruptcy explains where and how to file for bankruptcy in Maryland. It covers the difference between the Baltimore and Greenbelt divisions, what forms to use, and what to expect after filing. This is free and does not require creating an account.
Cities in Queen Anne's County
Queen Anne's County is largely rural. The county seat is Centreville, and other small communities include Stevensville, Chester, Grasonville, Queenstown, and Church Hill. None of these cities meet the population threshold for individual city pages. All bankruptcy cases from any address in Queen Anne's County go through the Baltimore Division.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Queen Anne's County. Each has its own county page with court details. If you are researching a case and are not certain which county applies, check the address carefully before searching.