Howard County Probate Court Records

Howard County probate court records are held at the Register of Wills office in Ellicott City. This office manages all estate filings, will probate, and guardianship cases for Howard County residents. If you need to search for a will, find estate case details, or get copies of probate documents, the Register of Wills is the place to start. You can reach them by phone or visit in person at the Circuit Courthouse on Judicial Way. Staff can walk you through what you need, but they do ask that you call first before you come in.

Howard County Register of Wills

The Howard County Register of Wills handles all probate court records for the county. Hon. Byron E. Macfarlane serves as Register. His office is on the first floor of the Circuit Courthouse in Ellicott City. The staff here can help you file a new estate, look up existing cases, or get copies of wills and other probate documents. They also serve as the Clerk to the Orphans' Court, which hears disputes over estates and guardianships in Howard County.

Before you visit, call the office first. Staff will walk you through the steps and make sure you have the right forms with you. This saves time for both sides. The office cannot give legal advice, but they do keep a list of local attorneys who handle probate matters. They also cannot provide notary services. Check their site for any closings or delays before you plan your trip.

Getting to the courthouse is fairly easy. Free parking is in the courthouse garage, so you won't need to pay a meter or find a spot on the street. Bus Route 403 RTA also serves the courthouse if you take public transit. All visitors must pass through security scanners at the entrance.

Howard County Orphans' Court

The Orphans' Court in Howard County is in the same building as the Register of Wills, at 9250 Judicial Way, Suite 1206. You can reach them at (410) 313-0491. This court has the power to hear contested probate cases, remove personal representatives, and resolve disputes among heirs. If you and the other parties in an estate case cannot agree, the Orphans' Court will step in and make a ruling. Administrative probate, the kind with no disputes, stays with the Register of Wills and does not need to go before the court.

Hearings at the Orphans' Court are open to the public. You can attend and observe even if you are not part of the case. Most hearings are short. The court sets its own schedule and posts dates on the Howard County courts site.

How to Search Probate Records in Howard County

There are a few ways to search Howard County probate court records. The fastest is the online EstateSearch tool on the Maryland Register of Wills website. This free tool lets you look up estate cases by name, estate number, or date range. Data goes back to 1998 for most counties, and some have older entries too. The system is updated each day at the end of business hours.

When you use EstateSearch, keep these tips in mind. You can use a percent sign as a wildcard. For example, type "Smith%" to find all last names that start with Smith. You need to enter at least a last name or first name to search by date range. Results sort by clicking column headers. If your search pulls up more than 500 results, you need to narrow it down with more details like a first name or filing date. The tool times out after two minutes of no use, so work quickly.

You can also search Howard County probate records through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search system. This covers civil, criminal, and probate docket info from trial courts. Cases since 1965 can be found here. For older records from 1840 through the mid-1900s, contact the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. They hold microfilm copies of Howard County probate records, including wills from 1840 to 1862, administration accounts from 1840 to 1853, and inventories from 1840 to 1854.

Howard County Estate Records

Howard County was carved out of Anne Arundel County in 1851, though a Howard District had been in place since 1838. Probate records for Howard County begin in 1840. The oldest records on file include wills from 1840 to 1862 and administration bonds from 1840 to 1873. Proceedings records go back to 1840 as well. More recent probate records cover the years 1854 through 1999 in physical form, and cases from 1998 onward are in the online system.

A typical Howard County probate court record may contain:

• The last will and testament of the person who died
• Letters of administration naming the personal representative
• Inventories of estate assets
• Accounts filed by the personal representative
• Bonds posted for faithful handling of the estate
• Court orders from the Orphans' Court

The Register of Wills also has publications on wills, estate administration, and domestic partners. These are free to pick up at the office or may be on their website. They cover the basics of what to do when someone passes away and how the probate process works in Howard County.

Probate Fees in Howard County

Probate fees in Maryland are set by state law and based on the value of the estate. Howard County follows the same fee schedule as all other counties in the state. For estates opened on or after October 1, 2022, the fees are as follows: estates worth $50,000 or less pay no fee at all. Estates between $50,000 and $100,000 pay $100. The fee goes up to $200 for estates between $100,000 and $500,000. Larger estates pay more, up to $10,000 for estates worth $7.5 million to $10 million. Estates over $10 million pay $10,000 plus 0.02% of the excess amount.

Small estates under $50,000 (or $100,000 if the spouse is the sole heir) can use a simplified process under Md. Code, Estates and Trusts § 5-601. This cuts the paperwork and time it takes to settle the estate in Howard County. The personal representative must file an inventory within three months of their appointment, per Estates and Trusts § 7-101.

Note: Copy fees and certification charges may apply on top of the base probate fee when you request documents from the Howard County Register of Wills.

Howard County Register of Wills Portal

The Howard County Register of Wills page on the Maryland Registers website shows office details, contact information, and links to the EstateSearch tool for Howard County probate court records.

From this page you can find hours, directions, and publications about the probate process in Howard County. The site also links to the online estate search tool where you can look up case information for free.

Legal Help for Howard County Probate

If you need help with a probate case in Howard County, several resources are on hand. The People's Law Library of Maryland has guides on estate administration, small estates, and what to do when someone dies without a will. The Maryland Judiciary also has a help page at mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/willsestates that walks through the basics of wills and estates.

The Howard County Register of Wills keeps a list of attorneys who handle probate court cases. While staff cannot give you legal advice, they can point you to that list. For estate tax questions, call the Comptroller of Maryland at 800-638-2937. Maryland estate tax returns (MET 1 Form) are filed directly with the Comptroller's office as of July 1, 2015. Unclaimed property questions go to a separate line at 800-782-7383.

The MDEC system lets attorneys file probate documents online in Howard County. If your lawyer uses e-filing, case updates and documents may be available through the MDEC portal. The Maryland State Archives Guide is another useful tool for anyone tracing older probate records or doing family history research tied to Howard County estates.

Cities in Howard County

Howard County includes several communities that all file probate cases through the same Register of Wills office in Ellicott City. Columbia is the largest community in the county by population. All Howard County probate court records, no matter which town you live in, go through the Register of Wills at the Circuit Courthouse.

Other areas in Howard County include Elkridge, Laurel, Savage, and Highland. Residents of all these places use the Howard County Register of Wills for any probate court records needs.

Nearby Counties

These counties sit next to Howard County. If you are not sure where a probate case was filed, check the address of the person who died. Probate takes place in the county where the person lived at the time of death.