Find Divorce Records in Queen Anne's County
Queen Anne's County divorce records are filed and maintained at the Circuit Court in Centreville, Maryland. The clerk's office in Centreville handles all divorce filings, copy requests, and case status inquiries for Queen Anne's County.
Queen Anne's County Overview
Queen Anne's County Circuit Court
The Queen Anne's County Circuit Court is in Centreville, the county seat, on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The clerk's office phone is 410-758-1773. All divorce cases for Queen Anne's County are filed here, and all Queen Anne's County divorce records are kept here unless they have been transferred to the Maryland State Archives. Standard court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The office is closed on state holidays.
Queen Anne's County sits on the Eastern Shore and is connected to the western side of the Chesapeake Bay by the Bay Bridge. Many residents commute to Baltimore or Annapolis for work, but for divorce filings, you file in the county where you or your spouse lives. Under Md. Code, Family Law § 7-101, one spouse must have lived in Maryland for six months before filing, and the case goes to the county of current residence. For Queen Anne's County residents, that means the Centreville courthouse.
| Court Location | Courthouse, Centreville, MD (Eastern Shore) |
|---|---|
| Phone | 410-758-1773 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| County Seat | Centreville |
| Region | Upper Eastern Shore |
Searching Queen Anne's County Divorce Records Online
The free online tool for Queen Anne's County divorce records is the Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us. The site runs 24 hours a day. To search Queen Anne's County cases, choose Civil Case as the case type, select Circuit Court Only, and then pick Queen Anne's County from the county list. Enter one or both party names to run the search. Use a date range to narrow results if multiple people share similar names. Case type DA means absolute divorce. Case type DL means limited divorce.
The search results show basic information: party names, the case number, the filing date, and current status. No actual documents are available through the online search. To get a copy of a Queen Anne's County divorce decree or other case documents, contact the clerk's office in Centreville at 410-758-1773. Have the case number ready if you have it. That will let staff pull the file faster and give you the page count and cost before you come in or send payment.
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search, shown above and available at casesearch.courts.state.md.us, is free to use for searching Queen Anne's County divorce cases. After finding a case number online, contact the Centreville clerk to get actual copies or certified records.
Note: The online Case Search database may not reflect same-day filings in Queen Anne's County, so call the clerk directly if you need the most current case status.
Requesting Queen Anne's County Divorce Records
Going to the Centreville courthouse in person is the most direct way to get Queen Anne's County divorce records. Bring valid photo ID and the case number if you have it. Staff will pull the file, let you know what it contains, and make copies for the standard fee. Pay at the counter before copies are released. Cash, check, and money order are typically accepted. For most active cases with files in on-site storage, copies can be ready the same day.
For mail requests, write to the Queen Anne's County Circuit Court clerk in Centreville, MD. Include both parties' full names, the approximate date of the divorce, the case number if known, your return address, and a daytime phone number. Do not send payment with the first letter. The clerk will find the file and contact you with the exact page count and cost. You then send a check or money order, and copies go out by mail. For certified copies, say so clearly in your letter. Certified copies need the court seal and clerk's signature and carry a $5.00 certification fee per document on top of the $0.50 per-page copy cost.
Queen Anne's County Divorce Record Fees
Copy fees at the Queen Anne's County Circuit Court follow Maryland's statewide schedule. Plain copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $0.50 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee for each document. Filing a new divorce case costs $165 without an attorney and $185 with one. These rates apply at all Maryland Circuit Courts, including Queen Anne's County.
If the filing fee is a hardship, apply for a waiver with form CC-DC-089. You qualify if your income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. Ask for the form at the clerk's office or download it from the Maryland Courts website. Waivers cover the initial filing cost for new cases. They do not typically cover copy fees for records requests. Given that copy fees run $0.50 per page, even a ten-page decree costs only $5.00 as a plain copy or $10.00 as a certified copy.
What Queen Anne's County Divorce Records Include
The final decree from a Queen Anne's County divorce case names both parties, gives the date and location of the marriage, states the grounds for dissolving it, and records all of the court's orders. Property division, alimony, child custody, visitation rights, and child support amounts all appear in the decree if they were contested. Name restoration goes in the decree if a party requested it. Certified copies carry the judge's signature, the court seal, the case number, and the finalization date.
The full case file holds more material. The Complaint for Absolute Divorce opens the record. Financial statements, parenting plans, settlement agreements, and all motions and court orders follow as the case progresses. Most of the file is public under Maryland Rule 16-902. Some parts are not. Maryland Rule 16-934 requires redaction of Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, medical records, income tax returns, and information about minor children from any public copy. Domestic violence victim information is also shielded. The clerk applies required redactions automatically when providing copies to the public.
Maryland Divorce Law and Queen Anne's County
Maryland Family Law governs all Queen Anne's County divorce cases. Md. Code, Family Law § 7-103 sets three recognized grounds for divorce in Maryland: a twelve-month period of separation without cohabitation, irreconcilable differences, and mutual consent. Mutual consent divorces are available when both parties agree on all terms. If there are minor children, all custody and support matters must be resolved first. Irreconcilable differences is a newer, more flexible ground that does not require proof of a waiting period as long as both spouses agree the marriage is over. Separation remains a common choice when the parties have been living apart and one does not want to contest the divorce.
Maryland Rule 16-902 makes divorce records public by default. The clerk of court cannot block access to the non-restricted portions of a Queen Anne's County case file. If you believe you have been improperly denied access, contact the Maryland Courts Self-Help Center at 410-260-1392 for guidance on how to proceed.
The Maryland Division of Vital Records, shown above at health.maryland.gov/vsa, provides divorce verifications for cases finalized from 1992 onward. A verification certificate costs $12 and confirms that a Queen Anne's County divorce occurred, though it does not substitute for a full certified copy of the decree from the Circuit Court.
Older Queen Anne's County Divorce Records
For divorces finalized on or after January 1, 1992, the Maryland Division of Vital Records keeps a statewide index and can issue a $12 verification certificate. Contact them at health.maryland.gov/vsa or phone 410-764-3038. The Division provides certificates confirming the divorce only, not full copies of the case file or decree.
For older Queen Anne's County divorce records, the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis holds county court records going back many decades. Certified copies cost $25. To order, provide both parties' full names, the county name, the approximate year, and the case number if you have it. Order online at shop.msa.maryland.gov or write to 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401 (phone 410-260-6400). For recent cases still held at the Centreville courthouse, call the clerk at 410-758-1773.
Self-Help and Legal Resources for Queen Anne's County
The Maryland Courts Self-Help Center at 410-260-1392 is open Monday through Friday, 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 offers a detailed guide to Maryland divorce law in plain language, covering residency requirements, grounds, forms, and what happens at a final hearing. Use the Maryland Guide & File tool at courts.state.md.us/guideandfile to complete the standard forms step by step without a lawyer. All Maryland divorce forms are free and available on the Maryland Courts website or at the Queen Anne's County clerk's office in Centreville. Maryland Legal Aid serves Queen Anne's County residents who qualify based on income.
Cities in Queen Anne's County
All Queen Anne's County residents file divorce cases at the Circuit Court in Centreville. Centreville is the county seat and the location of the courthouse where all Queen Anne's County divorce records are held. No Queen Anne's County cities currently meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site.
Nearby Counties
These counties are near Queen Anne's County on Maryland's Eastern Shore and Western Shore. File your divorce case in the county where you or your spouse currently lives in Maryland.