Find Free Montgomery County Divorce Records & Order Copies

Search free Montgomery County divorce records by accessing indexes, lookup tools, and other databases provided in this resource.

This streamlined article explains how to obtain details about someone else’s divorce or legal separation in Montgomery County, Maryland, and provides in-depth guidance on how to check a case’s status or get a copy of a divorce case file — such as a judgment or decree.

This resource will also help determine which agency (state or local) is most likely to have the desired record and which method is most appropriate based on the searcher’s needs.

How To View Montgomery County Divorce Records for Free

Family law cases such as dissolution of marriage (divorce), annulment, child custody, alimony occurring in Montgomery County are handled by the Circuit Court’s Family Department, which is a part of the state’s general jurisdiction.¹

Most divorce cases originating here are open to the public and can be accessed online, in person, by mail, or drop box.

Online: People wishing to search public divorce records in Montgomery County can use Maryland Judiciary’s Online Case Search. This portal allows users to view basic case details and docket information completely free of charge. No sign-up is required.

A divorce case may be searched using the docket number (also known as the case number or tracking number). There is also an option to look up the case number by entering the names of either one or both parties.

To search by name, select Civil Case as the case type, and Circuit Court Only as the court system. Select Montgomery County and specify a range of dates within which the divorce might have happened.

The search results will display a list of cases matching the criteria. The database contains general information about each case e.g., the case number, current case status, names of the former spouse, as well as the court where the case was heard.

Cases listed with the “Case Type: DA” indicate they are “absolute divorce” cases, which means a marriage has fully ended. Some cases are categorized as DL (“limited divorce”), also known as a court-ordered separation. This means though the spouses are still married, they are living apart, which is typically the first step to divorce.

Clicking on a case number will open a brief history, including which courtroom the case was assigned, what documents were filed, making it convenient to view summaries of both — court documents and events.

Those who need help in understanding the legal words used in the case search results, can refer to the Court Terms Glossary or the Journalist’s Guide to Maryland’s Legal System.

Additional information and guidance can be found in the Case Search FAQ section and Court Help Video.

However, the Maryland Judiciary website does not provide access to the actual documents or the complete case files. To obtain them, interested persons can reach out to the circuit court clerk.

Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) allows users to view a case record with actual documents online and submit filings remotely in a court case.⁴ However, it can only be accessed by those who are parties to the divorce proceedings, not the general public.

In Person: To review a complete record in person, or to get copies of a divorce case, Montgomery County residents can seek assistance through the court clerk’s office at the following address:

Montgomery County Circuit Court
50 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850

Phone: 240-777-9400
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm

To retrieve a case file for viewing, the court staff will need either the case number or the names of the divorced persons. Visitors are advised to have the case number ready ahead of their trip to the courthouse (using the online case search method explained above).

If a record cannot be found, there is an option to ask for a record request form, fill it out with as much information as possible and submit it at the office.

Copies of divorce papers and related case documents can be ordered for $.50 per page. An additional $5 certification fee will be charged for certified copies.

A triple seal (exemplified copy) of a divorce record costs $10 plus $.50 per page copied. No postage fee is charged.

Certified copies/triple seal copies are not required unless it’s for official purposes, such as changing name or applying for remarriage. For personal uses such as genealogical research or premarital background check, informational/regular copies are sufficient.

By Mail: Mailing is another option to submit divorce record requests without having to visit the courthouse. Applicants may properly complete the Montgomery County Court Record Copy Request Form (without including any payment) and mail it to the following court location:⁵

Montgomery County Circuit Court 
Family Department
South Tower, First Floor, Rm 1460
50 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850

Drop-Box: Those who reside in Rockville, Maryland can use this option to request a certified copy of a divorce decree or other related court documents.

Applicants may print the Court Case Copy Request Form (linked above), provide details of the record(s) requested, place it into the drop box located outside the Circuit Court office at any time of the day.¹

“Family Department” should be mentioned outside the envelope. For both options above (request by mail and through drop box), there is no need to add any payment during the time of application.

Only when the requested file is found, the court staff will contact the requester notifying them that the record copies are ready and the costs to be paid. Upon successful completion of payment, the hard copies will be sent via mail (US Postal Service).

For faster delivery, a self-addressed prepaid return envelope can be enclosed (with FedEx Express or other expedited services) with the application form. More instructions are shared on the Circuit Court’s guidelines for obtaining copies of court records and Maryland Courts’ Finding Your Judgment of Divorce Video.^{6, 7}

Note that divorce cases, being judicial records, are not in the custody of the city governments. For example, the City of Rockville does not provide a divorce record search option on its official website.

Dissolution of marriage or other family law matters do not fall within the types of public records available for immediate inspection at the City Clerk’s Office or the City Manager’s Office.⁸

So, if a divorce case was filed or the hearing was conducted in Montgomery County, the same court record search process is applicable (as explained earlier), regardless where the parties reside, Silver Spring, Rockville, Bethesda, Gaithersburg or any other city or town.

In all instances, the only way to view a case file or request copies of documents within the file is through the circuit court clerk’s office, located in downtown Rockville, Maryland.

How To Access Divorce Records in Maryland as a Whole

If any of the former spouses is a Maryland resident, but the exact location (e.g., county, city) where the divorce occurred is not known, a statewide search may be helpful.

Maryland Courts’ Case Search Portal gives access to statewide court records online. Users can run a check on themselves or someone else without confining the search to a particular jurisdiction or location.

However, the data on the judiciary’s site are for informational purposes only. It may not be exhaustive and may not always reflect the actual status of a case. So, online divorce indexes or case summaries cannot be treated as proof of divorce, separation or annulment.

To verify divorces and annulments that took place on or after January 1, 1992, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Division of Vital Records (DVR) may be contacted. A verification of divorce costs $12 per search, is accepted in check or money order only, payable to the “Division of Vital Records”.

To order by mail, applicants may complete the Application for Verification of Divorce Record Form, mail it along with the required fee, copies of required photo IDs, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the following address:⁹

State Department Of Health
Division of Vital Records
P.O. Box 68760
Baltimore, Maryland 21215-0036

For additional information – such as the persons eligible to apply, fees, or processing times – review the Division of Vital Records’ Divorce Verification Instructions.

Note that a “verification of divorce” includes basic details, such as the names of the ex-spouses, the date of decree, the county where it was granted etc. This document serves the same purpose as a “divorce certificate”. It can be shown as proof of divorce without disclosing a lot of details about the case.

This is different from the actual “decree of divorce” or “annulment of marriage” both of which are court documents and can be used for larger legal or financial matters (e.g., changing wills, insurance, power of attorney etc.). These documents can be found only through the county circuit court that ordered the decree.

Here’s the directory to all Maryland’s circuit court addresses and contact information. Those searching for older divorce cases (events before 1980), can conduct a search through the Maryland State Archives. Citizens can order certified copies of a decree of divorce online for a fee (starting $25).¹⁰

Alternatively, individuals wishing to search and order copies of archived divorce records in person may visit the following location:

Maryland State Archives
Hall of Records
350 Rowe Blvd
Annapolis, MD 21401

Phone: 410-260-6487
Email: [email protected]

Besides the state archives, some other public libraries and historical societies maintain genealogical resources that might include older family relationships and divorce information.

Citizens can order a Maryland divorce record online through the third-party provider VitalChek. VitalChek is a government-endorsed vital records provider that allows citizens to order state-issued documents online. Users may refer to the times and costs as well as the FAQ section for more details.

When unsure about specific details (e.g., date, location), users can also look up divorce records online to use third-party people search sites.

Third-party providers collect information from a wide range of sources, including social media, and can be used to find records beyond what’s available through government databases. However, these sites are more suitable for personal public record searches (i.e., to satisfy your curiosity) rather than for official uses.

Are Divorce Records in Montgomery County Maryland Available for Anyone’s Viewing?

Under the Maryland Public Information Act and Access to Court Records Rule 16-903, divorces recorded in Montgomery County are generally public records.^{11, 12}

A person who is allowed to inspect a court record (either in paper form or in electronic form) at the court clerk’s office is also entitled to have a copy or printout of the court record, regardless of whether the searcher is a party to the case or not.

Rule 16-403 “Circuit Courts – Clerks’ Offices” mandates that the office of every clerk of a circuit court should be open to the public all through the year. However, certain records like sensitive information in a divorce case can be shielded or sealed which removes them from public access or inspection.

Furthermore, the Montgomery County circuit court does not index or record informal relationships such as common law marriage in which a couple lives together but has not been legally married.¹³ So, a “common law divorce” does not exist in Maryland.

On the other hand, the state recognizes domestic partnerships (for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples); so, dissolution of domestic partnerships can also be found in Montgomery County divorce records.