Baltimore City Probate Records
Probate in Baltimore City is handled by the Register of Wills for Baltimore City and the Orphans' Court. The Register's office is the filing and records channel for wills, estate administration, personal representatives, estate claims, small estates, regular estates, modified administration, probate forms, copy requests, and payments. The Orphans' Court handles the probate court side of estate and related proceedings. This split matters because a Circuit Court civil file, a District Court landlord-tenant case, and a Baltimore City probate estate are not searched through the same record path.
The official Register page places the office at Courthouse East, 111 North Calvert Street, 3rd Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed weekends and state holidays. Main phone is 410-752-5131, toll-free is 888-876-0035, and fax is 410-752-3494. The Register page provides an email link for questions, but states that filings are not accepted by email. Call before visiting, because appointments are taken ahead of walk-ins and walk-ins after 3:00 p.m. may be handled the next business day.
The Baltimore City Register of Wills office page gives the local probate office address, phone numbers, appointment guidance, and entry rules.
That local Register source is the best starting point for Baltimore City probate records, appointments, office rules, and contact details.
Baltimore City Probate Terms
Probate records use terms that do not appear in ordinary civil or criminal case searches. These definitions help separate the estate role, the court filing, and the type of administration shown in Baltimore City Register of Wills records.
- Testator
- The person who made a will. Safekeeping wills held by the Baltimore City Register are released only to the testator in person with a driver's license copy.
- Executor
- A person named in a will to handle estate administration. Maryland records may also use personal representative for the appointed estate role.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will. The estate may still need Register of Wills and Orphans' Court action.
- Guardianship
- A court process for managing a person's affairs or property when legally required. Some guardianship details may be restricted.
- Conservatorship
- A term often used for property-management roles in other states; in Baltimore City probate research, verify the exact Maryland filing type with the Register or court.
Small estates, regular estates, modified administration, claim filings, inventories, accounts, and final distribution papers may appear at different stages of the probate file. A person reading Baltimore City probate records should check whether the file is open, closed, pending, or archived before assuming the estate is finished. The Estate Search status field is useful for that first check, but it does not tell the whole story if a copy of a will, inventory, account, or order is needed.
Search Baltimore City Orphans' Court
Baltimore City probate records have two official online search paths in the research: Register of Wills Estate Search and Register of Wills Claim Search. Estate Search is used for estate numbers, decedent names, estate status, estate type, party type, and filing dates. Claim Search is used for creditor or claimant records tied to estates. Online search does not replace filing, certified-copy, or restricted-record requests at the Register counter.
- Start with the Register of Wills search gateway and choose the estate or claim search that fits the record.
- Select Baltimore City in the county field when the form offers statewide county choices.
- Search by estate number, decedent name, claimant name, estate status, filing date, or claim status when those fields fit the known facts.
- Use the public index to identify the estate or claim, then contact the Baltimore City Register of Wills for copies, filings, or appointment questions.
The Register of Wills search gateway separates estate search from claim search.
The gateway matters because Baltimore City estate records and claim records use separate search forms.
Baltimore City Orphans' Court Contacts
The Register of Wills and Orphans' Court are both part of the Baltimore City probate route. The research identifies Hon. Belinda K. Conaway as Register of Wills for Baltimore City and notes that she was elected in 2014 and sworn in on December 1, 2014. The Sheriff's contact page also lists Orphans' Court and Register of Wills phone routing at 410-396-5034, while the Register's own page lists 410-752-5131 as the main number.
Register of Wills for Baltimore City
Courthouse East
111 North Calvert Street, 3rd Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-752-5131
Toll free: 888-876-0035
Fax: 410-752-3494
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday
Orphans' Court for Baltimore City
Probate court contact listed through the Baltimore City court phone directory
410-396-5034
Call before visiting or filing probate papers.
Baltimore City Probate Fees
Probate fee amounts are centralized by the Maryland Register of Wills. The official fee table is a dedicated source and can change. Use the official schedule before filing a Baltimore City estate, claim, copy request, or related probate paper.
| Item | Official Fee Source |
|---|---|
| Estate opening or administration fee | Maryland Register of Wills fee schedule |
| Letters, certificates, or certified copies | Verify current amount with the official fee schedule. |
| Claim or estate-related filing | Confirm with the Baltimore City Register before filing. |
| Other probate copies or services | Use the current official schedule, not an old printed amount. |
The Register of Wills fee schedule is the official source for current probate fees.
The fee schedule should be checked close to the filing date because estate fees and copy costs are procedural amounts, not general background facts.
Baltimore City Estate Search Fields
The Estate Search form includes detailed filters that can narrow Baltimore City probate records by decedent, estate status, estate type, party role, and filing date. The captured data line showed the index current as of June 26, 2026 at 4:00:00 PM.
| Field Label | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Estate Number | Text | Maximum length 50. |
| Last Name / Exact Match | Text and checkbox | Use exact match to narrow surname results. |
| County | Dropdown | Includes Baltimore City as a statewide county choice. |
| Estate Status | Dropdown | Options captured include open, closed, pending, and archived-style values. |
| Estate Type | Dropdown | Captured coded values include small, regular, modified, and other estate types. |
| Party Type | Dropdown | Decedent or personal representative. |
| Filing Date Range / Exact Date | Date fields | Use MM/DD/YYYY format where provided. |
The Register of Wills Estate Search is the direct public estate index.
Estate Search is useful for finding the estate index, but certified copies and filing actions still route through the Baltimore City Register of Wills.
Baltimore City Claim Search
Claim Search is the separate Register of Wills tool for claims against estates. It supports claimant-style fields and estate-number searching. That makes it useful when the known fact is the creditor, claim status, or estate number rather than a decedent-only search.
| Field Label | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Search Name By | Radio | Visible script indicates Filed By toggles corporation-name search. |
| First Name / Given Name and Surname | Text | Personal claimant search fields. |
| Corporation Name | Conditional text | Displayed when Filed By is selected. |
| Estate Number | Text | Use when the estate number is known. |
| County, Claim Type, Claim Status | Dropdowns | County includes Baltimore City; claim statuses include open, pending, satisfied, withdrawn, disallowed, and partial-status values. |
| Date Filed | Date | Exact filing-date field with datepicker. |
The Register of Wills Claim Search is the direct public claim index.
The claim-search source supports creditor and claim tracking, which is separate from opening an estate or requesting certified copies.
Baltimore City Probate Limits
Baltimore City probate records are public only to the extent allowed by court rules, Register procedure, and the nature of the filing. The Register page says all persons entering Courthouse East are subject to security search. It also says filings are not accepted by email. Safekeeping wills have a special rule: wills held by the office are released only to the testator, must be picked up in person, and require a copy of the testator's driver's license.
Weather closures for the Register follow Circuit Court for Baltimore City closures, and the Register page points users to WBAL TV 11 for closure details. That is a local Baltimore City operational point worth checking before traveling for a filing deadline. Important related phone numbers include Land Records at 410-333-3760, Clerk of the Circuit Court at 410-396-3100, Comptroller Estate Tax Division at 410-260-7850, and Vital Statistics Administration at 877-463-3464.
The Register of Wills forms page provides official probate forms for estate filings.
Forms help identify the correct probate filing, but Baltimore City filing delivery still follows Register rules, appointment practice, and court-security screening.
Probate records also have a narrower public-access frame than many simple index searches suggest. A public estate index may confirm that an estate exists, but it does not mean every attached paper is viewable online or releasable without review. Guardianship-related material, protected identifiers, sensitive family information, and court-sealed items may be restricted. If the goal is a certified copy, ask the Register which document name to request and whether the office needs proof of identity or authority.