Rule 2-111.Process — Requirements preliminary to summons
Circuit Court · Last amended July 1, 2023 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceBefore a Maryland clerk can issue a summons, the plaintiff generally must file a standard information report with the complaint, unless the case falls into one of the rule's listed exceptions or the court orders otherwise.
(1)Generally. — Except as otherwise provided by this rule, the plaintiff shall file with the complaint an information report substantially in the form available from the clerk pursuant to Rule 16-302 (b). If an action is governed by the Rules in Title 7 or commenced in the circuit court by filing a petition, an information report is not required to be filed unless ordered by the court.
(2)Exceptions. — An information report is not required to be filed with the complaint in the following actions:
(D)condemnation filed by State Roads Commission for unaccelerated quick-take (Code, Transportation Article, §§ 8-318 through 8-321);
(E)foreclosure (Rules 14-201 through 14-218);
(F)action for release of lien instrument (Rule 12-103);
(G)action against Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund or uninsured motorist (Rules 15-801 through 15-805);
(H)Maryland Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (Code, Family Law Article, §§ 10-301 through 10-371);
(I)mechanics’ lien (Rules 12-301 through 12-308);
(J)paternity (Code, Family Law Article, §§ 5-1001 through 5-1048); and
(K)tax sales (Rules 14-501 through 14-506; Code, Tax-Property Article, §§ 14-801 through 14- 854).
(3)Effect of Failure to File. — If the plaintiff fails to file a required information report with the complaint, the court may proceed without the plaintiff’s information to assign the action to any track within the court’s differentiated case management system.
(b)Summons. — For each summons to be issued, the plaintiff shall furnish to the clerk a copy of the complaint, a copy of each exhibit or other paper filed with the complaint, and a copy of the information report specified in section (a) of this Rule.
(c)Instructions for the sheriff. — A person requesting service of process by the sheriff shall furnish to the clerk all available information as to the name and location, including the county where service is to be made, of the person to be served. The information required by this section may be included in the caption of the case.
Amendment History
Amended June 7, 1994, effective Oct. 1, 1994; Jan. 10, 1995, effective Feb. 1, 1995; June 5, 1996, effective Jan. 1, 1997; Dec. 10, 1996, effective Jan. 1, 1997; Dec. 2, 2005, effective Dec. 2, 2005; June 6, 2016, effective July 1, 2016; November 9, 2021, effective January 1, 2022; April 21, 2023, effective July 1, 2023.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is derived as follows:
Section (a) is new.
Section (b) is derived from former Rule 103 g.
Section (c) is derived from former Rule 103 b.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 2-111 sits between filing a complaint and getting a summons issued, and it lays out the paperwork the plaintiff owes the clerk before that summons can go out. The centerpiece is the information report described in section (a): a form, available from the clerk, that the plaintiff files along with the complaint in most cases. Its purpose is administrative rather than substantive — it feeds the court's system for assigning cases to different case-management tracks, so the court can route a case appropriately from the start.
Not every case needs one. Section (a)(2) exempts a list of case types where an information report would add little or where a different set of rules already governs the case — including confessed judgment actions, friendly suits, foreclosures, mechanics' lien actions, actions against the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund or an uninsured motorist, paternity actions, and tax sales, among others. Actions under the Title 7 rules or cases begun by petition also skip the report unless a judge specifically orders one filed. If a plaintiff forgets to file a required report, section (a)(3) does not stop the case — the court can proceed without that information and assign the case to a track on its own.
Sections (b) and (c) turn to the summons itself. For each summons the plaintiff wants issued, the plaintiff must give the clerk a copy of the complaint, a copy of every exhibit or other paper filed with it, and a copy of the information report. And when service is to be made by the sheriff, the person requesting that service must give the clerk everything available about where the person to be served can be found, including the county — information that can appear right in the case caption rather than as a separate submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Maryland information report?
A standard form, available from the clerk, that a plaintiff files with the complaint in most civil actions. It supplies the information Maryland courts use to assign the case to a track within the differentiated case management system.
Do I need to file an information report in every case?
No. Rule 2-111(a)(2) lists exceptions, including confessed judgment, friendly suit, foreclosure, mechanics' lien actions, actions against the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund or an uninsured motorist, Interstate Family Support Act cases, paternity actions, and tax sales. Actions under Title 7 or begun by petition also skip it unless the court orders one.
What happens if I forget to file the information report?
The case doesn't stall. The court can proceed without the plaintiff's information and assign the action to any track within its case-management system.
What do I have to give the clerk to get a summons issued?
For each summons requested, a copy of the complaint, a copy of every exhibit or other paper filed with it, and a copy of the information report.
How does the sheriff know where to find the person I'm suing?
The person requesting service by the sheriff must furnish the clerk with all available information about the name, location, and county of the person to be served. That information can be included in the case caption.
Is an information report required for a case started by petition?
No, unless the court specifically orders one to be filed.
Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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