(a) Generally. — A money judgment constitutes a lien in the amount of the judgment and post-judgment interest on the judgment debtor’s interest in land located in a county, except as provided by law, only in accordance with this Rule.
Rule 3-621.Lien of money judgment
District Court · Last amended July 1, 2026 · Last verified July 13, 2026
This rule prints two full, separately-dated versions in the official compilation (a pending-amendment straddle); both are shown below.
In one sentenceA District Court money judgment becomes a lien on the debtor's real estate within a county only after it's recorded there, through one process in Baltimore City and a different one everywhere else.
Full Text of Rule 3-621
Rule 3-621. Lien of money judgment — Effective until July 1, 2026
(b) In Baltimore City. — In Baltimore City a money judgment, when recorded and indexed pursuant to Rule 3-601 (d), constitutes a lien from the date of entry if entered in Baltimore City, or from the date of recording if received from another county.
(c) In counties other than Baltimore City. —
(1) Notice of Lien. — A person holding a money judgment entered in a county other than Baltimore City may file with the clerk of the court of entry a request that a certified Notice of Lien of Judgment be transmitted for recording to the clerk of the circuit court for that county or any other county. Within 24 hours after the filing of the request, the clerk shall transmit the Notice of Lien. If the Notice of Lien is transmitted to another county, the clerk at the same time shall transmit a certified copy of the judgment to the clerk of the District Court sitting in that county. The clerk shall maintain a record of all transmittals.
(2) Content of Notice. — A Notice of Lien shall contain: (A) the names of the parties, designating each judgment creditor as a plaintiff and each judgment debtor as a defendant; (B) the name of the court and assigned docket reference; (C) the date of the judgment; and (D) the amount of the judgment.
(3) Date of Lien. — When a Notice of Lien is recorded and indexed in the circuit court, the judgment constitutes a lien from the date of recording.
Rule 3-621. Lien of money judgment — Effective July 1, 2026
(a) Generally. — A money judgment constitutes a lien in the amount of the judgment and post-judgment interest on the judgment debtor’s interest in land located in a county, except as provided by law, only in accordance with this Rule.
(b) In Baltimore City. — Except as provided in Code, Real Property Article, § 14-203.1, in Baltimore City a money judgment, when recorded and indexed pursuant to Rule 3-601 (d), constitutes a lien from the date of entry if entered in Baltimore City, or from the date of recording if received from another county.
(c) In counties other than Baltimore City. —
(1) Notice of Lien. — A person holding a money judgment entered in a county other than Baltimore City may file with the clerk of the court of entry a request that a certified Notice of Lien of Judgment be transmitted for recording to the clerk of the circuit court for that county or any other county. Within 24 hours after the filing of the request, the clerk shall transmit the Notice of Lien. If the Notice of Lien is transmitted to another county, the clerk at the same time shall transmit a certified copy of the judgment to the clerk of the District Court sitting in that county. The clerk shall maintain a record of all transmittals.
(2) Content of Notice. — A Notice of Lien shall contain: (A) the names of the parties, designating each judgment creditor as a plaintiff and each judgment debtor as a defendant; (B) the name of the court and assigned docket reference; (C) the date of the judgment; and (D) the amount of the judgment.
(3) Date of Lien. — When a Notice of Lien is recorded and indexed in the circuit court, the judgment constitutes a lien from the date of recording. Committee note. — A judgment for medical debt in an action commenced on or after October 1, 2025 does not constitute a lien on owner-occupied residential property as defined by Code, Real Property Article, § 7-105.1. See Code, Courts Article, § 11-402(b) and Code, Real Property Article, § 14-203.1.
Amendment History
Effective until July 1, 2026
Amended April 7, 1986, effective July 1, 1986.
Effective July 1, 2026
Amended April 7, 1986, effective July 1, 1986; February 19, 2026, effective July 1, 2026.
Committee Note & Source
Effective until July 1, 2026
Source. This Rule is derived as follows:
Section (a) is derived from former M.D.R. 620 b.
Section (b) is derived from former M.D.R. 620 c.
Section (c) is derived from former M.D.R. 621 b and c.
Effective July 1, 2026
Source. This Rule is derived as follows:
Section (a) is derived from former M.D.R. 620 b.
Section (b) is derived from former M.D.R. 620 c.
Section (c) is derived from former M.D.R. 621 b and c.
Plain-English Summary
A District Court money judgment doesn't automatically tie up a debtor's land the moment it's entered. Rule 3-621 spells out the only way a District Court judgment becomes a lien on real property in a particular county, and the mechanics depend on where that property sits.
In Baltimore City, the lien attaches once the judgment is recorded and indexed under Rule 3-601(d) — from the date of entry if the judgment was entered in Baltimore City, or from the date of recording if it arrived from another county.
Everywhere else, the judgment holder has to take an extra step. The holder asks the clerk where the judgment was entered to send a certified Notice of Lien to the circuit court clerk in the county where the debtor's land is located, which can be a different county than where the case was filed. The clerk has 24 hours to send it out, and if the Notice of Lien goes to a county other than the one where judgment entered, that clerk also forwards a certified copy of the judgment to the local District Court. The lien itself doesn't take hold until the circuit court clerk records and indexes the Notice of Lien, and it dates from that recording, not from the date of the judgment.
A Notice of Lien has to identify the parties (creditor as plaintiff, debtor as defendant), the court and docket number, the date of the judgment, and the amount owed. Because a lien covers only land in the county where the Notice is recorded, a creditor whose debtor owns property in more than one county needs a separate Notice of Lien for each one.
Starting July 1, 2026, an added carve-out keeps certain medical-debt judgments from becoming liens on a debtor's home. A judgment for medical debt in a case filed on or after October 1, 2025 doesn't create a lien on residential property the debtor lives in and owns, under Code, Real Property Article § 14-203.1 and Code, Courts Article § 11-402(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a District Court money judgment automatically become a lien on the debtor's house?
Not on its own. Outside Baltimore City, the judgment holder must request a Notice of Lien and have it recorded in the circuit court where the property is located before it becomes a lien. In Baltimore City, the lien attaches once the judgment itself is recorded and indexed.
From what date does the lien run?
It depends on the county. In Baltimore City, the lien dates from entry of the judgment, or from recording if the judgment came from another county. Outside Baltimore City, the lien dates from when the circuit court clerk records and indexes the Notice of Lien, not from the date of the underlying judgment.
What has to be in a Notice of Lien?
The names of the parties, labeled as plaintiff and defendant, the court name and docket reference, the date of the judgment, and the amount owed.
Is there a new exception for medical debt starting in 2026?
Yes. Beginning July 1, 2026, a judgment for medical debt in a case filed on or after October 1, 2025 won't create a lien on a debtor's owner-occupied residential property.
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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