Find Bankruptcy Records in Worcester County
Worcester County bankruptcy records are filed through the Baltimore Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. Worcester County is Maryland's only coastal county on the Atlantic Ocean, covering Snow Hill, Ocean City, and surrounding communities. Residents who need to search bankruptcy cases, check case status, or get court documents can use PACER online, call the VCIS phone line, or contact the Baltimore courthouse directly.
Worcester County Overview
U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Baltimore Division
Worcester County residents file federal bankruptcy cases through the Baltimore Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. The courthouse is at the Garmatz Federal Courthouse, 101 W. Lombard Street, Suite 8530, Baltimore, MD 21201. The phone number is (410) 962-4295. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Intake counters close from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM each day. The court handles Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11 petitions for Worcester County.
The Worcester County Circuit Court is a different court from the federal bankruptcy court. Clerk Susan Braniecki oversees the Circuit Court at One West Market Street, Room 104, Snow Hill, MD 21863. The phone number is 410-632-5500. That office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Ceremonies at the courthouse are available until 4:00 PM. The Circuit Court maintains state court records, land records, and other county-level documents. It does not handle federal bankruptcy cases. Worcester County's land records go back to 1742, making it one of the longer-running courthouse records systems in Maryland.
Worcester County is part of the 1st Judicial Circuit of Maryland. This circuit also includes Dorchester, Somerset, and Wicomico Counties. All four counties on Maryland's lower Eastern Shore share the same judicial circuit for state court matters. For federal bankruptcy purposes, all four counties are handled by the Baltimore Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland.
| Bankruptcy Court (Baltimore) |
Garmatz Federal Courthouse 101 W. Lombard Street, Suite 8530 Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: (410) 962-4295 |
|---|---|
| Hours (Baltimore) | Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (intake closes 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM) |
| Circuit Court (State) | One West Market Street, Room 104, Snow Hill, MD 21863 | Phone: 410-632-5500 |
| Circuit Court Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (ceremonies until 4:00 PM) |
| Clerk | Susan Braniecki |
How to Search Worcester County Bankruptcy Records
PACER is the primary tool for searching bankruptcy records in Worcester County. Set up a free account at pacer.uscourts.gov and search within the District of Maryland. You can search by debtor name, case number, or Social Security number. Document pages cost $0.10 each, with a cap of $3.00 per document. No charges apply if your total for a quarter stays under $30.00. PACER shows all case filings, docket entries, and document images for every Worcester County bankruptcy case on file.
If you prefer a no-login option, the VCIS phone line is free and available around the clock. Call 1-866-222-8029 any time. You will need the debtor's name or their Social Security number to pull up a case. The automated system provides case numbers, filing dates, trustee names, and case status. It is a fast and simple way to verify whether a bankruptcy has been filed by someone in Worcester County. No account or payment is needed.
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us covers state court records only. This system shows civil, criminal, and traffic matters from the Worcester County Circuit Court and District Court. It will not show federal bankruptcy cases. Use it if you need state court judgments, liens from court actions, or criminal history records tied to Worcester County. For a full financial picture, check both PACER and Maryland Judiciary Case Search.
Standard copy fees at the Worcester County Circuit Court are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $5.50. Notary authentication is $1.00 per notary, which applies only to Worcester County notaries. No notary services are available to the public at the courthouse. These fees apply to state court documents. Federal bankruptcy records obtained through PACER have their own separate fee schedule.
The Worcester County clerk's office page on Maryland Courts provides an overview of services and procedures available at the Snow Hill courthouse. Visit the Worcester County clerk's page for contact details and available services.
The clerk's office page shows the services available at One West Market Street, including state court record access and filing procedures for Worcester County residents.
Filing Bankruptcy from Worcester County
Worcester County residents must file bankruptcy petitions with the Baltimore Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Filing fees are set by federal statute. Chapter 7 costs $338 to file. Chapter 13 costs $313. Chapter 11 costs $1,738. These fees are paid at the time of filing. You can pay in person at the Baltimore courthouse, by mail, or online through pay.gov. The Greenbelt courthouse does not serve Worcester County filers, so Baltimore is your court location.
Low-income filers from Worcester County may qualify for a fee waiver on Chapter 7 cases. Submit Official Form 103B with your petition to apply. You can also request up to four installment payments using Official Form 103A. The court reviews income and expense figures before deciding on a waiver or payment plan. If you earn at or below 150% of the federal poverty line, a waiver is often approved. An attorney or legal aid worker can help you fill out both forms.
Before filing, Worcester County residents must complete a credit counseling course from a court-approved provider. This must be done within 180 days before the petition date. After filing, you must also complete a debtor education course before the court will grant your discharge. Both courses are available online and usually cost between $10 and $50 through approved vendors. The full list of approved providers is on the court's website. For a detailed look at the current fee schedule, visit mdb.uscourts.gov/forms/filing-fees.
The Worcester County clerk's office handles business and notary matters at the state level alongside the Circuit Court's other functions. View the Worcester County business filing page for information on state court filings and related procedures in Snow Hill.
The business filing page covers state court procedures at the Snow Hill courthouse, including recording fees and document submission options for Worcester County.
Recording Fees and Land Records in Worcester County
Worcester County land records go back to 1742. The Circuit Court has maintained those records continuously since the first courthouse was built that year. The current courthouse was built in 1894 with later additions. Land records are maintained electronically and can be searched through MDLandRec.net at mdlandrec.net, which is free to use. Deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded documents for Worcester County are available through that system.
Recording fees at the Worcester County Circuit Court include a $40 surcharge on most instruments. A release of nine pages or fewer costs $10. Other instruments of nine pages or fewer cost $20. Documents of 10 or more pages cost $75. These fees apply to state recording at the Snow Hill courthouse. They are separate from any federal bankruptcy court fees. If a bankruptcy case involves property in Worcester County, a discharge or release of lien will need to be recorded at the state level with these fees applied.
Non-resident marriage applications in Worcester County require a Non-Resident Affidavit. The affidavit must be mailed along with a money order made payable to the Clerk of Circuit Court. The person who signs the form must be an official who issues marriage licenses, not just any notary. Marriage license fees are $35 and must be paid in cash only. Civil ceremonies at the courthouse cost $25 in cash and require an appointment. These details apply to state court functions and are separate from bankruptcy-related matters in Worcester County.
Legal Help for Worcester County Residents
Maryland Legal Aid provides free legal services to low-income residents of Worcester County. Call the statewide number at (866) MD-LAW-4U or visit mdlab.org to find the nearest office and check if you qualify. Legal Aid attorneys can advise on bankruptcy options, help prepare forms, and in some cases represent clients in court at no charge. Eligibility is based on income and family size.
People's Law Library is another free resource. The guide at peoples-law.org/where-file-bankruptcy walks through which chapter of bankruptcy may fit your situation, what forms are needed, and what the court process looks like. This is a good starting point if you have not hired an attorney yet. The guide is written in plain English and covers the District of Maryland specifically, including Worcester County cases handled by the Baltimore Division.
SmartScan is available for older or archived case documents not available through standard PACER searches. The cost is $11.00 for retrieval, $9.90 for the first 30 pages, and $0.65 per page after that. Maximum retrieval is 100 pages per request. Contact the Baltimore courthouse directly to arrange a SmartScan request for a Worcester County bankruptcy case. This service is useful when you need physical copies of old case files or documents from cases that predate the court's full digital records.
The Worcester County Circuit Court does not provide notary services to the public. If you need a notarized document for use in a bankruptcy case, you will need to find a notary elsewhere. Banks, shipping stores, and some law offices offer notary services. For authentication of a Worcester County notary's signature, the circuit court charges $1.00 per authentication. This applies only to notaries commissioned in Worcester County.
The Worcester County Circuit Court page on Maryland Courts provides detailed information on the court's history and current services at the Snow Hill courthouse. View the Worcester County Circuit Court main page for a full overview.
The circuit court page covers the court's jurisdiction, contact information, and the services available to Worcester County residents for both state court and related legal matters.
Cities in Worcester County
Worcester County includes Snow Hill, Ocean City, Berlin, Pocomoke City, and Ocean Pines. No cities in Worcester County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All Worcester County residents file bankruptcy cases through the Baltimore Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. State court matters for the entire county are handled at the courthouse in Snow Hill.
Nearby Counties
Wicomico County borders Worcester County to the west. Both counties are in the 1st Judicial Circuit and use the Baltimore Division for federal bankruptcy filings. Check your county of residence when filing to make sure you are filing in the right place.