(a) When permitted. — The court, on motion of any party or on its own initiative, may order that the trier of fact view any property that is involved in the litigation or any place where a material fact in issue occurred. The judge shall be present at and shall supervise the view and shall be the only person permitted to make any statement to the jury during the view.
Rule 2-515.View
Circuit Court · Last amended January 1, 1997 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceLets a Maryland court order the jury to view property or a place at issue in the case, with the judge present and in control of anything said to the jury during the visit.
Full Text of Rule 2-515
(b) Attendance at view. — The parties, their attorneys, and other representatives may be present during a view. A jury shall be transported to and attend a view as a body under the charge of an officer of the court, and the expense of transporting the jury shall be assessed as costs.
Amendment History
Amended June 5, 1996, effective Jan. 1, 1997.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is derived as follows:
Section (a) is derived in part from former Rule 550 a. The last sentence is new and replaces former Rule 550 c.
Section (b) is derived from former Rules U18 b and 550 d.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 2-515 covers the site visit, formally called a "view." On motion of a party or on its own initiative, the court can order the trier of fact to view property involved in the litigation or a place where a material fact in issue occurred. The judge has to be present, supervises the whole event, and is the only person allowed to say anything to the jury during it — a safeguard against parties or attorneys influencing jurors outside the structure of the trial itself.
Parties, their attorneys, and other representatives may attend the view alongside the jury. When a jury is involved, it travels to and attends the view together as a group, under the charge of a court officer, and the cost of transporting the jury gets assessed as part of the case costs rather than absorbed by one side informally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can speak to the jury during a view?
Only the judge. The judge must be present for and supervise the entire view, and is the sole person permitted to make any statement to the jury while it's happening.
Can the attorneys attend the view along with the jury?
Yes. The parties, their attorneys, and other representatives may be present during a view.
Who pays for transporting the jury to view a property or location?
The expense of transporting the jury is assessed as costs in the case — it isn't billed separately to one party outside the normal costs process.
Does a view happen only if a party requests it?
No. The court can order a view either on a party's motion or on its own initiative.
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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