Howard County, Maryland Genealogy Records

Selected record inventories for Howard County, their listed years, and where to ask for access.

Selected inventory review: 2026-11-02. Selected collection metadata checked against repository catalog descriptions. This is not a complete holdings audit, examination of original records, or certification of current access. See the access note for limitations. Repository catalog or holdings guide

Formed
1851
County seat
Ellicott City
Baltimore CountyCalvert CountyCaroline CountyCarroll CountyCecil CountyCharles CountyDorchester CountyFrederick CountyHarford CountyKent CountyMontgomery CountyPrince George's CountyQueen Anne's CountySt. Mary's CountyTalbot CountyWashington CountyBaltimore CityAnne Arundel CountyHoward CountyBaltimoreFrederickKentPrince George'sQueen Anne'sTalbotAnne ArundelHoward
Howard CountyParent county (search here for earlier records)Today's boundaries · U.S. Census Bureau

Listed record inventories

Selected holdings and indexes for Howard County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.

Tax records

County government

Deeds and land

Cemeteries and burial

Marriages, births and deaths

Court records

Naturalization records

Military records

Other records

Wills and estates

See the repository's descriptions and search options

Repository access note: Selected Maryland State Archives catalog series. Separate paper, microfilm and electronic catalog records may describe overlapping material; the format and series identifier are retained in each title. Electronic does not guarantee unrestricted online images. Consult the individual series page for restrictions, location and missing volumes.

Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.

Where to find the records

  • Howard County official website

    Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the clerk of the circuit court and the register of wills, and any online record search the county offers.

  • The clerk of the circuit court

    Land records and marriage licenses, and civil and criminal cases.

  • The register of wills

    Wills, estates and guardianships.

  • The Maryland State Archives

    In Annapolis: most of the counties' older records, from colonial land and probate records to court and church records.

  • Maryland State Archivesfree

    The state archives in Annapolis, with most of Maryland's older county records and its online land records (MDLandRec).

  • FamilySearch Catalogfree

    Search by place for "Maryland, Howard" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Anne Arundel County

Check the parent county for earlier records: Anne Arundel County

CecilKentTalbotCharlesHarfordQueen AnnesDorchesterWashingtonMontgomeryPrince GeorgesCalvertFrederickCarrollBaltimoreAnne ArundelHowardHowardAnne ArundelKentTalbotQueen AnnesPrince GeorgesFrederickBaltimore
Howard as created in 1851Where its land was the day beforeToday's boundaryBoundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1851, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.

Research tip

Maryland's land records from colonial times to the present are online at MDLandRec, run by the State Archives, with a free account (check its current terms for recent records). Baltimore City has kept its own records, separate from Baltimore County, since 1851.