Kent County Divorce Records
Kent County divorce records are held at the Circuit Court in Chestertown, Maryland. The Circuit Court clerk's office is the place to search for cases, request copies of divorce decrees, and ask about filing procedures in Kent County.
Kent County Overview
Kent County Circuit Court
The Kent County Circuit Court is in Chestertown, the county seat for this small Eastern Shore county. The courthouse phone number is 410-778-7460. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with closures on Maryland state holidays. The clerk's office handles all Kent County divorce records, from new filings to certified copies of old decrees. For most requests, calling ahead to confirm the case is in active storage rather than off-site will save a trip.
Kent County is one of Maryland's smaller counties by population. The courthouse in Chestertown serves the entire county, and because caseloads are smaller than in suburban counties, the clerk's staff can often give more personal attention to records requests. If you call with both party names, staff can usually find the case quickly and tell you the page count and cost before you come in. This makes it easier to plan your visit or send the right payment amount if you are requesting by mail.
| Court Location | Courthouse, Chestertown, MD (Eastern Shore) |
|---|---|
| Phone | 410-778-7460 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| County Seat | Chestertown |
| Region | Upper Eastern Shore |
How to Search Kent County Divorce Records
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us is the free tool for looking up Kent County divorce cases online. Go to the site, choose Civil Case as the case type, select Circuit Court Only, then pick Kent County from the county menu. Type in one or both party names to run the search. A date range helps narrow results if multiple people share the same name. Results show case type DA for absolute divorce or DL for limited divorce.
Online results show basic case data only: party names, the case number, the filing date, and current status. No actual documents appear through Case Search. To get the decree or any part of the case file, contact the Kent County clerk at 410-778-7460 or visit the courthouse in person. Having the case number before you call makes the process faster and cuts down on back-and-forth with staff.
The screenshot above shows the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal at casesearch.courts.state.md.us. Use it to locate Kent County divorce case numbers before contacting the clerk for certified copies or full document requests.
Note: Case Search is updated regularly but may lag by a day or two on recent Kent County filings, so call the clerk directly if you need real-time status on a newly filed case.
Requesting Kent County Divorce Records
Visiting the Chestertown courthouse in person is the most direct way to get Kent County divorce records. Bring your photo ID and the case number if you have it. Staff will pull the file, confirm what is in it, and provide copies for the standard fee. You pay at the counter. Bring cash, check, or money order to be safe. Staff can usually complete in-person copy requests the same day if the file is not in off-site storage.
For mail requests, write to the Kent County Circuit Court clerk's office in Chestertown, MD. Include the full names of both parties, the approximate date of the divorce, and the case number if you know it. Give your return address and daytime phone number so staff can reach you. Do not send payment with the initial letter. The clerk will get back to you with the page count and exact amount owed. Send a check or money order after you confirm the total, and copies will be mailed to your return address. Certified copies, which carry the court seal and clerk's signature, require the additional $5.00 certification fee per document on top of the per-page copy rate.
Kent County Divorce Record Fees
Copy fees at the Kent County Circuit Court match Maryland's statewide schedule. Plain copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $0.50 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee per document. Filing a new divorce case costs $165 without an attorney and $185 with one. Those costs apply across all Maryland Circuit Courts, including Kent County.
If the fee creates a financial hardship, use form CC-DC-089 to apply for a waiver. Waivers are available when your income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. The clerk's office has the form, or you can get it from the Maryland Courts website. Waivers apply to filing costs for new cases. Copy fees for existing records are generally not waived but are low enough that costs stay manageable even for multi-page decrees.
What Kent County Divorce Records Contain
The final divorce decree from a Kent County case names both parties, gives the date and location of the marriage, states the grounds for the divorce, and records the court's rulings on all contested matters. Property division, alimony, child custody, visitation, and child support are all part of the decree if they were issues in the case. If one party asked for a name change or restoration of a former name, that is in the decree as well. Certified copies bear the judge's signature, the court seal, the case number, and the date the divorce became final.
The broader case file contains the initial Complaint for Absolute Divorce, any financial statements filed by both parties, parenting plans, settlement agreements, and all motions and orders entered during the case. Most of the file is a public record. Some parts are not. Maryland Rule 16-934 requires that Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, medical records, income tax returns, and certain information about minor children be redacted from public copies. Domestic violence victim information is protected as well. The clerk will provide copies with required redactions already applied.
Maryland Divorce Law and Kent County
All Kent County divorce cases fall under Maryland Family Law. Md. Code, Family Law § 7-101 requires one party to have lived in Maryland for six months before filing. You file in the county where you or your spouse lives. Md. Code, Family Law § 7-103 sets out the three recognized grounds for divorce in Maryland: a twelve-month separation, irreconcilable differences, or mutual consent. Mutual consent moves the fastest when both parties agree on all terms and there are no unresolved issues involving minor children.
Maryland Rule 16-902 states that court records are open to the public by default. Kent County divorce records are public documents, and the clerk cannot deny access to non-restricted portions of a case file. If records have been improperly withheld or you are unsure what you are entitled to see, the Maryland Courts Self-Help Center at 410-260-1392 can help you understand your rights.
The Maryland State Archives, shown above at shop.msa.maryland.gov, holds older Kent County court records that have been transferred from the Circuit Court. Certified copies from the Archives cost $25 and require both party names, the county, and the approximate year of the divorce.
Older Kent County Divorce Records
For divorces finalized from January 1, 1992 onward, the Maryland Division of Vital Records maintains a statewide index. A verification certificate from the Division confirms that a divorce occurred and costs $12. Contact them at health.maryland.gov/vsa or by phone at 410-764-3038. The Division does not issue full decree copies, just verification certificates.
Older Kent County divorce records are held at the Maryland State Archives, 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401 (phone 410-260-6400). The Archives holds county court records going back generations. Certified copies cost $25. Order online at shop.msa.maryland.gov or write directly to the Archives with both parties' names, the county, and the approximate year. For recent cases still at the Chestertown courthouse, call the clerk at 410-778-7460.
Self-Help Resources for Kent County Divorce Cases
The Maryland Courts Self-Help Center at 410-260-1392 is open weekdays, 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM, with live attorney chat available on the Maryland Courts website. The People's Law Library at peoples-law.org provides a plain-language guide to Maryland divorce law covering all key topics from grounds to final decree. The Maryland Guide & File tool at courts.state.md.us/guideandfile walks you through completing the official forms. All Maryland divorce forms are free, available online or at the Kent County clerk's office in Chestertown. Maryland Legal Aid also serves Kent County residents who qualify based on income and case type.
Cities in Kent County
All Kent County residents file divorce cases at the Circuit Court in Chestertown. Chestertown is the county seat and the location of the courthouse where all Kent County divorce records are maintained. No Kent County cities currently meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site.
Nearby Counties
These counties are near Kent County on Maryland's Eastern Shore. File your divorce case in the county where you or your spouse currently lives in Maryland.