--- title: "Maryland Eviction Process and Court Timeline | MCC Solutions" description: "Maryland eviction court steps: District Court, answer At the hearing, writ 7 court days, lockout 6 days, sheriff or constable. From official pages, with the ear" url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/tools/eviction-process-maryland" --- Eviction process · Maryland # Maryland eviction process and court timeline What happens after the landlord files: court, filing fee, hearing after filing, time to answer or appear, judgment to writ, writ to lockout, who carries out the lockout, paying to stop the case, right to counsel (statewide) and diversion or mediation (statewide), from the state's own pages. **Short answer.** Cases go to the District Court. No written answer is described; the tenant defends by attending the hearing, and a judgment can be entered against a tenant who doesn't. Who carries out a lockout: sheriff or constable. ## At a glance Court District Court. Failure to pay rent and other landlord-tenant cases are handled by the District Court. "handled by the District Court" Source 1 Filing fee $50 for a Failure to Pay Rent complaint in every county but Baltimore City ($60 there), plus $5 for each tenant of record; the amount includes state surcharges. Tenant holding over and breach of lease cases cost more. "Summary Ejectment (Failure to Pay Rent) (all counties except Baltimore City) $50.00" Source 5 Hearing after filing The summons sets the Failure to Pay Rent trial for the fifth day after the complaint is filed; the court can postpone it by one day (longer only if all parties agree). "to appear before the District Court at the trial to be held on the fifth day after the filing of the complaint" Source 6 Time to answer or appear No written answer is described; the tenant defends by attending the hearing, and a judgment can be entered against a tenant who doesn't. "Attend the hearing if you want to defend your case." Source 3 Judgment to writ The landlord may file for the warrant of restitution no sooner than 7 business days after the judgment, and must file within 60 days of it (or of the end of any stay). "Warrant of Restitution: May be filed no sooner than seven (7) business days from the date of judgment." Source 4 Writ to lockout Once the eviction is scheduled, the landlord gives written notice at least 6 days before it (14 days by mail and 7 by posting in Baltimore City). "at least 6 days before it takes place" Source 2 Who carries out the lockout Sheriff or constable. The warrant of restitution tells the sheriff or constable to restore the property to the landlord. "tells the sheriff or constable to go to a property" Source 1 Paying to stop the case The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the rent the judge found due plus court costs; the landlord can't refuse it. "your tenant can stop the eviction if they pay you the amount of rent the judge determined was due, plus the court costs." Source 2 Right to counsel (statewide) Yes. Eligible tenants may get a free lawyer through the statewide Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) program; call 211. Local laws on the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel's list: Baltimore (2020). "Tenants may qualify for a free lawyer." Source 3 Diversion or mediation (statewide) Yes. The District Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution program offers free mediation. "The District Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution Program (ADR) offers mediation free of charge." Source 4 ## Sample timeline: filed Monday, December 7, 2026 **Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.** Need the other side served? [Process serving with an affidavit of service](/notary/process-serving). - **Answer or appear:** Saturday, December 12, 2026 - **Hearing or trial:** Saturday, December 12, 2026 - **Judgment:** Saturday, December 12, 2026 - **Writ or warrant of possession:** Tuesday, December 22, 2026 - **Earliest lockout:** Monday, December 28, 2026 Another date: [open the estimator](/tools/eviction-timeline-estimator?state=md). ## Want us to handle it? A runner files your papers in person at the clerk's window and sends you a scan of the stamped copy. We file what you prepared; we don't give legal advice. **Price:** Outside New Jersey it goes through our contractor network: quote-based, confirmed before any work starts, and booked once a local contractor accepts. In New Jersey it is from $75 per filing, court fees at cost. Starting rates. Your exact price is quoted after we confirm a local notary/runner, before you pay. [Request a court filing](/notary/court-filing#request) ## Help the official pages point to - The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the rent the judge found due plus court costs; the landlord can't refuse it. - The District Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution program offers free mediation. - Eligible tenants may get a free lawyer through the statewide Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) program; call 211. - Maryland Court Help Center, free talk with a lawyer (source 1) ## Worth knowing The October 2025 rent brochure (DC-CV-082BR) puts the earliest warrant request at seven business days after judgment, which matches the eighth-business-day rule on one court page; an older page said four business days. ## Official sources - [Maryland Courts: Housing Cases](https://mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/housingtenants) (checked November 2026) - [Maryland Courts: Rent Court for Landlords Part 2, I Won in Rent Court, Now What?](https://www.mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/import/video/docs/tipsheetrentcourtlandlordsiwonnowwhat.pdf) (checked November 2026) - [Maryland Courts: Housing Cases (legal help)](https://www.mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/housing) (checked November 2026) - [Maryland Courts: Failure to Pay Rent, Information for Landlords and Tenants (DC-CV-082BR, rev. 10/2025)](https://mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/court-forms/dccv082br.pdf) (checked November 2026) - [Maryland Judiciary: DCA-109 District Court Cost Schedule (Rev. 03/2026)](https://www.courts.state.md.us/district/forms/acct/dca109.pdf) (checked November 2026) - [Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-401 (2026 statute text)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/grp/8-401.pdf) (checked November 2026) General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Not a court form. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer. ## Common questions **Which court hears eviction cases in Maryland?** District Court. Failure to pay rent and other landlord-tenant cases are handled by the District Court. **How long does a tenant in Maryland have to respond?** No written answer is described; the tenant defends by attending the hearing, and a judgment can be entered against a tenant who doesn't. **How soon after filing is the Maryland hearing?** The summons sets the Failure to Pay Rent trial for the fifth day after the complaint is filed; the court can postpone it by one day (longer only if all parties agree). That's the statute's window; the court's own calendar decides the actual date. **When can a Maryland landlord get the writ after winning?** The landlord may file for the warrant of restitution no sooner than 7 business days after the judgment, and must file within 60 days of it (or of the end of any stay). **How long between the writ and a lockout in Maryland?** Once the eviction is scheduled, the landlord gives written notice at least 6 days before it (14 days by mail and 7 by posting in Baltimore City). **Who carries out an eviction in Maryland?** Sheriff or constable. The warrant of restitution tells the sheriff or constable to restore the property to the landlord. The officer acts on the court's order. **Can paying the rent stop a Maryland eviction case?** The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the rent the judge found due plus court costs; the landlord can't refuse it. Notice step: [notice periods](/tools/landlord-tenant-notice-periods-by-state) · Deposit step: [deposit rules](/tools/security-deposit-rules-by-state) · All states: [eviction process by state](/tools/eviction-process-timeline-by-state) · [Maine](/tools/eviction-process-maine) · [Massachusetts](/tools/eviction-process-massachusetts) ## Keep rental records in order [Bookkeeping for landlords](/bookkeeping/for/small-landlords)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)