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Rule 9-112 – Court Records

May 13, 2021 | Family Law, Maryland

(a) Dockets. The clerk shall keep separate dockets for (1) adoption and guardianship proceedings and (2) revocations of consent to adoption or guardianship for which there are no pending adoption or guardianship proceedings in that county. These dockets are not open to inspection by any person, including the parents, except upon order of court. If the index to a docket is kept apart from the docket itself, the index is open to inspection.
(b)Sealing of Records. All pleadings and other papers in adoption and guardianship proceedings shall be sealed when they are filed and are not open to inspection by any person, including the parents, except upon an order of court. If a final decree of adoption was entered before June 1, 1947 and the record is not already sealed, the record may be sealed only on motion of a party. The clerk shall notify each person entitled to notice that the adoption has been finalized.

Md. Fam. Law. Actions. 9-112

This Rule is derived from former Rule D80 a and c.

Adopted June 5, 1996, eff. Jan. 1, 1997. Amended June 4, 2007, eff. July 1, 2007; June 20, 2017, eff. Aug. 1, 2017.

HISTORICAL NOTES

2007 Orders

The June 4, 2007, order, in section (b), added “The clerk shall notify each person entitled to notice that the adoption has been finalized..

Derivation:

Maryland Rule of Procedure D80, adopted as Rule D81, renumbered as Rule D80, May 31, 1983, eff. July 1, 1983, amended May 31, 1983, eff. July 1, 1983, related to records, rescinded June 5, 1996, eff. Jan. 1, 1997.

2017 Orders

The June 20, 2017 order, amended the Rule to conform to the renaming of the “Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to the “Maryland Department of Health.

See Code, Health–General Article, ยง 4-211, concerning the amendment and replacement of birth certificates following adoption and the requirement that the clerk transmit to the Maryland Department of Health a report of adoption or revocation of adoption.