(a) Copies to be furnished. — For each summons to be issued the plaintiff shall furnish the clerk a copy of the complaint and a copy of each exhibit or other paper filed with the complaint.
Rule 3-111.Process — Requirements preliminary to summons
District Court · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceBefore the clerk can issue a summons in a District Court case, the plaintiff has to hand over a copy of the complaint and its exhibits for each defendant, plus enough information for the sheriff to find the person being served.
Full Text of Rule 3-111
(b) 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.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is derived as follows: Section (a) is derived from former M.D.R. 103 h. Section (b) is derived from former M.D.R. 103 b.
Plain-English Summary
This rule covers the paperwork a plaintiff has to supply before the clerk will issue process. Section (a) requires a copy of the complaint and every exhibit or other paper filed with it for each summons requested — one full set per defendant, since each summons travels with its own copy of what's being served.
Section (b) applies when the sheriff is doing the serving. The plaintiff has to give the clerk enough identifying information — name, location, and the county where service should happen — for the sheriff to find the person. That information can appear in the case caption rather than in a separate filing.
Notice what's missing compared to the circuit courts' version of this step. Rule 2-111 requires circuit court plaintiffs to file an information report used to sort the case into the court's differentiated case-management tracks. The District Court has no such requirement — a reflection of its docket of smaller-scale, summary civil matters that don't need the same case-tracking apparatus the circuit courts use for more complex litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to file an information report with my District Court complaint?
No. That requirement belongs to Rule 2-111 in the circuit courts, which use it for case-management tracking. Rule 3-111 asks only for copies of the complaint and exhibits, plus service information for the sheriff — nothing else.
How many copies of the complaint do I need to give the clerk?
One copy of the complaint and each exhibit or paper filed with it for every summons to be issued. If there are multiple defendants, each summons needs its own complete set.
Can I put the defendant's address in the caption instead of a separate cover sheet?
Yes. Section (b) allows the information the sheriff needs — name, location, and county for service — to be included directly in the case caption rather than filed separately.
What happens after I furnish these copies?
The clerk then issues the summons under Rule 3-112, which sets out how the summons is delivered or mailed to get service underway.
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
Also known as: what to file before summons district court marylandcopies of complaint for summonssheriff service information district courtmd rule 3-111