Assessment Records
Sometimes, assessment records can be helpful for legal needs, such as filing taxes, dealing with estate and inheritance issues, or other court proceedings.
Assessment records also help in historical research, such as researching older buildings on property. To discover who owned property during a certain time frame, we always recommend starting with land record research through mdlandrec website, which is more straightforward.
Placing an Order
If you already have the county, the property owner’s name, and the needed year, then you can place an order online and select 'Property Tax Assessments'. Turn around time is approximately 7 to 10 business days for each separate order, with turn around sometimes increasing if multiple years are needed.
If you don't have the county, property owner’s name, and the year, then please email us what you do know, and we will advise you on how to proceed.
If you plan to visit in person, then please note assessment records are not available same-day. Assessment records are complex, and take extra time for our staff to research. Please provide prior notice by email, and include the county, year, and owner name to msa.helpdesk@maryland.gov at least 7-10 business days in advance.
Please note that certified copies incur the charge of $35.00 for each separate order.
FAQs
Why am I being charged for multiple orders when I just need one property owner information over multiple years? Each year consists of different and new research.
How are assessment records organized? Rather than being organized by address, most assessment records are organized by the county, then by the district, and then by last name of the owner at the time.
How do I find out when my house was built? You might be able to determine this by comparing assessed improvements over the years. You will need to know the names of the owners over time in order to view assessment records over time, and SDAT and Maryland Land Records can help provide you with that information. This is not a precise method, but still can provide some research help. Never hesitate to contact us if you’re stuck!
I’m trying to find out when a building was constructed on my property, but no assessments survive for the years I need. What do I do? We recommend searching building permits. These are rarely permanent records, and only some are in the Archives’ collection, but you can contact us for more in-depth assistance.
What years do your assessments cover? Our collections of assessments vary for each county, so please contact us to ensure we have the year that you need.
How far back do your assessments go? Our earliest collection is for the 1783 assessment, conducted to raise funds for the war effort. You can search indexes online here |