(a) Generally. — All process shall be under the seal of the court and signed by the clerk.
Rule 2-114.Process — Content
Circuit Court · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceMaryland spells out exactly what every summons must say — court and docket information, the parties involved, key deadlines, and a warning that not responding can lead to a default judgment.
Full Text of Rule 2-114
(b) Summons. — A summons shall contain (1) the name of the court and the assigned docket reference, (2) the name and address of the party requesting the summons, (3) the name and address of the person to be served as set forth in the complaint, (4) the date of issue, (5) the time within which it must be served, (6) the time within which the defendant must file a response to the complaint by pleading or motion, (7) notification to the defendant that failure to file the response within the time allowed may result in a judgment by default or the granting of the relief sought, and (8) the time within which the return of service shall be made.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is derived from former Rule 103 f.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 2-114 sets the required contents of Maryland process. Section (a) covers all process broadly: it must carry the court's seal and be signed by the clerk. Section (b) then lists, item by item, what a summons specifically must include: the name of the court and the case's assigned docket reference; the name and address of the party who requested the summons; the name and address of the person to be served, taken from the complaint; the date the summons issued; the deadline for serving it; the deadline for the defendant to respond by pleading or motion; a warning that failing to respond in time can lead to a default judgment or the relief the plaintiff is seeking; and the deadline for the return of service to be made.
Together these eight pieces of information give a served defendant everything needed to understand the deadline pressure they're under and give the court and the parties a documented trail — issue date, service deadline, response deadline, and proof-of-service deadline — that everyone can check against as the case moves forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must all Maryland process carry, not just a summons?
The seal of the court and the clerk's signature, under section (a).
What information must a summons include?
Eight items: the court's name and docket reference, the requesting party's name and address, the name and address of the person to be served, the date of issue, the deadline for service, the deadline for the defendant's response, a default-judgment warning, and the deadline for the return of service.
Does the summons warn a defendant about what happens if they ignore it?
Yes. It must notify the defendant that failing to file a response within the time allowed can result in a default judgment or the relief the plaintiff requested.
Does the summons tell the sheriff or process server a deadline too?
Yes — it states the time within which the return of service must be made, in addition to the time within which the summons itself must be served.
Where does this content requirement come from?
The rule is derived from a former Maryland rule governing the content of a summons.
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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