Washington County, Maryland Genealogy Records

Selected record inventories for Washington 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
1776
County seat
Hagerstown
Allegany CountyAnne Arundel CountyBaltimore CountyCalvert CountyCarroll CountyCharles CountyGarrett CountyHarford CountyHoward CountyMontgomery CountyPrince George's CountyBaltimore CityFrederick CountyWashington CountyAlleganyBaltimoreCarrollHarfordHowardMontgomeryFrederickWashington
Washington CountyParent county (search here for earlier records)Today's boundaries · U.S. Census Bureau

Listed record inventories

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

Other records

Tax records

County government

Marriages, births and deaths

Court records

Deeds and land

Census records

Church records

Naturalization 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

  • Find Washington County's official website

    We haven't checked this county's website yet, so this opens a web search. Look for an address ending in .gov, then find the clerk of the circuit court and the register of wills.

  • 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, Washington" 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: Frederick County

Check the parent county for earlier records: Frederick County

Later formed partly from Washington County: Allegany County

ST. MarysCalvertCecilKentTalbotAnne ArundelSomersetCharlesPrince GeorgesHarfordQueen AnnesCarolineDorchesterBaltimoreFrederickWashingtonWashingtonFrederickCecilKentCharlesBaltimore
Washington as created in 1776Where 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 1776, 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.