Find Glen Burnie Probate Court Records
Glen Burnie probate court records are filed and kept at the Anne Arundel County Register of Wills in Annapolis. Glen Burnie does not have its own probate office. All wills, estate filings, and guardianship cases for Glen Burnie residents go through the county courthouse on Church Circle. The office is one of the oldest in the state, with probate records going back to 1777. You can search Glen Burnie probate court records online using the free state database or call the office to request copies.
Glen Burnie Overview
Anne Arundel County Probate for Glen Burnie
Glen Burnie is part of Anne Arundel County. All probate matters go to the Register of Wills in Annapolis. The office is at 8 Church Circle, Suite 403, right in the heart of the state capital. Hon. Jasmine M. Jackson serves as the Register of Wills. She was appointed in June 2024. The office handles will filings, estate administration, and record requests for Glen Burnie and all other Anne Arundel County communities.
Call before you visit. The staff will make sure you have all the forms and papers you need before you make the trip from Glen Burnie to Annapolis. This is about a 20-minute drive depending on traffic. The office motto focuses on providing service with knowledge, compassion, honor, and integrity during what is often a difficult time for families.
| Office | Anne Arundel County Register of Wills |
|---|---|
| Register | Hon. Jasmine M. Jackson |
| Address | 8 Church Circle, Suite 403 Annapolis, MD 21401 |
| Phone | (410) 222-1430 |
| Toll-Free | (800) 679-6665 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM |
The Orphans' Court for Anne Arundel County is in the same building at 8 Church Circle, Suite 403. You can reach the court at (410) 222-1418. The Orphans' Court handles contested wills, disputes between heirs, and other judicial probate matters that come up in Glen Burnie estate cases.
Search Glen Burnie Probate Court Records
The quickest way to find Glen Burnie probate court records is the Maryland Register of Wills Estate Search. This free tool has records from 1998 to now for all Maryland counties. Select Anne Arundel County and search by name or estate number. Results show the estate number, status, date of death, filing date, personal representative, and attorney. The data updates daily.
Use the percent sign as a wildcard when you search. If you type "John%" in the first name field, you will see John, Johnson, Johnathan, and so on. You can sort the results by clicking on any column header. Click on a case to see its full docket history, including every filing made in that Glen Burnie probate case.
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search is another free option. It covers civil and criminal cases along with some probate matters filed in Anne Arundel County. For older records before 1998, you can contact the Register of Wills by phone at (410) 222-1430. Anne Arundel County has probate records going all the way back to 1777, though the oldest ones may be at the Maryland State Archives.
Glen Burnie Probate Filing Process
When a Glen Burnie resident dies, the original will needs to go to the Anne Arundel County Register of Wills. File it soon. The person named as personal representative in the will files a petition to open the estate. If there is no will, an interested family member can ask to be appointed under Md. Code, Estates and Trusts 5-104, which sets a priority list for who gets appointed first.
Maryland uses two types of probate. Administrative probate is the standard track for cases with no disputes. The Register of Wills reviews the will and appoints the personal representative without a court hearing. This is how most Glen Burnie probate cases are handled. Judicial probate kicks in when there is a contest, a caveat filed against the will, or some other dispute. Those cases go to the Orphans' Court.
After the personal representative is appointed, several deadlines start running. An inventory of estate assets is due within three months. The list of interested persons must be filed within 20 days. Creditors get six months from the date of death to file claims against the estate under Estates and Trusts 8-103. Each one of these filings becomes part of the Glen Burnie probate court record.
Small Estates: If the estate is worth $50,000 or less (or $100,000 if the spouse is sole heir), you may qualify for the simplified small estate process under Estates and Trusts 5-601.
Glen Burnie Probate Fees
Probate fees for Glen Burnie cases follow the state schedule. Estates worth $50,000 or less have no filing fee. Between $50,000 and $100,000, the fee is $100. Estates from $100,000 to $500,000 cost $200 to file. Larger estates pay more.
- $500,000 to $1,000,000: $1,000 filing fee
- $1,000,000 to $2,500,000: $2,000
- $2,500,000 to $5,000,000: $5,000
- Over $5,000,000: $7,500 to $10,000 or more
Copy fees for Glen Burnie probate court records vary. Call the office at (410) 222-1430 to ask about current rates for certified and plain copies. The toll-free line at (800) 679-6665 works too. For estate tax questions, the Comptroller of Maryland Estate Tax Division is at 800-638-2937. Unclaimed property from estates can be checked through the Comptroller at 800-782-7383.
Glen Burnie Probate Records Resources
The Maryland Courts wills and estates page provides an overview of probate law and links to helpful forms and guides for Glen Burnie residents.
This page covers the basics of what happens when someone dies with or without a will. It explains the role of the personal representative, what the Orphans' Court does, and how to find forms. For Glen Burnie residents who are new to probate, this is a helpful starting point before you contact the Anne Arundel County Register of Wills.
Legal Help for Glen Burnie Probate Cases
The People's Law Library has free information on Maryland estate law. It covers topics like how to file a will, what a personal representative does, and how creditor claims work. The guides are written in plain language and are useful for Glen Burnie families handling probate on their own.
Maryland Legal Aid gives free legal help to people who qualify based on income. Call 800-999-8904 to find out if you are eligible for help with a Glen Burnie probate case. The Volunteer Lawyers Service at 800-510-0050 connects people with pro bono attorneys. The Maryland Senior Legal Helpline at 1-800-896-4213 ext. 7760 is a free resource for older adults who need help with wills, trusts, or estate planning.
Anne Arundel County is one of Maryland's original counties, created in 1650. Its probate records stretch back to 1777 and include wills, administrator bonds, guardian bonds, inventories, and court records. Early records from the colonial era before 1777 are at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. The Archives also has FamilySearch collections for Anne Arundel County that can help with genealogy research tied to Glen Burnie probate court records.
Inheritance and Estate Tax in Glen Burnie
Maryland's inheritance tax may apply to some Glen Burnie probate cases. Spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, and siblings pay no inheritance tax. Collateral heirs like nieces, nephews, and cousins are subject to the tax. Charitable groups are generally exempt.
Estate tax returns are filed directly with the Comptroller of Maryland using the MET 1 Form. This changed in 2015. The Register of Wills no longer handles estate tax returns. For questions about inheritance tax on a Glen Burnie probate case, call the Comptroller at 800-638-2937. Both the estate tax and inheritance tax can apply to the same estate, so it is worth checking both when you are administering a larger estate in Glen Burnie.
Anne Arundel County and Nearby Cities
Glen Burnie is in Anne Arundel County. All probate filings for the area go through the Register of Wills in Annapolis. For full details on the county probate office, procedures, and additional resources, visit the county page.
View Anne Arundel County Probate Court Records
Nearby cities: Severn, Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City, Dundalk.