Title 4. District Court -- Jurisdiction — Subtitle 4. Civil Jurisdiction
Statutes in effect as of October 1, 2026.
Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-401 (2026)
Title 4. District Court -- Jurisdiction
Subtitle 4. Civil Jurisdiction
§ 4–401LinkCopy Citation
Except as provided in § 4–402 of this subtitle, and subject to the venue provisions of Title 6 of this article, the District Court has exclusive original civil jurisdiction in:
(1)
An action in contract or tort, if the debt or damages claimed do not exceed $30,000, exclusive of prejudgment or postjudgment interest, costs, and attorney’s fees if attorney’s fees are recoverable by law or contract;
(2)
An action of replevin, regardless of the value of the thing in controversy;
(3)
A matter of attachment before judgment, if the sum claimed does not exceed $30,000, exclusive of prejudgment or postjudgment interest, costs, and attorney’s fees if attorney’s fees are recoverable by law or contract;
(4)
An action involving landlord and tenant, distraint, or wrongful detainer, regardless of the amount involved;
(5)
A grantee suit brought under § 14–109 of the Real Property Article;
(6)
A petition for injunction relating to the use, disposition, encumbrances, or preservation of property that is:
(i)
Claimed in a replevin action, until seizure under the writ; or
(ii)
Sought to be levied upon in an action of distress, until levy and any removal;
(7)
A petition of injunction filed by:
(i)
A tenant in an action under § 8–211 of the Real Property Article or a local rent escrow law; or
(ii)
A person who brings an action under § 14–120, § 14–125.1, or § 14–125.2 of the Real Property Article;
(8)
A petition filed by a county or municipality, including Baltimore City, for enforcement of local health, housing, fire, building, electric, licenses and permits, plumbing, animal control, consumer protection, and zoning codes for which equitable relief is provided;
(9)
Proceedings under Title 12 or Title 13 of the Criminal Procedure Article for the forfeiture or return of money involved in a gambling or controlled dangerous substances seizure where the amount involved, excluding any interest and attorney’s fees, if attorney’s fees are recoverable by law or contract, does not exceed $20,000;
(10)
A proceeding for adjudication of:
(i)
A municipal infraction as described in § 6–102 of the Local Government Article;
(ii)
A Commission infraction as defined in § 17–208 of the Land Use Article;
(iii)
A Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission infraction under § 29–102 of the Public Utilities Article, concerning rules and regulations governing publicly owned watershed property;
(iv)
A Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission infraction under § 29–101 of the Public Utilities Article, concerning Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission regulations governing:
(1)
Erosion and sediment control for utility construction;
(2)
Plumbing, gas fitting, and sewer cleaning;
(3)
Required permits for utility construction; and
(4)
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Pretreatment Program;
(v)
A zoning violation for which a civil penalty has been provided in accordance with Title 11, Subtitle 2 or § 20–526(c) of the Land Use Article;
(vi)
A citation for a Code violation issued under § 10–119 of the Criminal Law Article;
(vii)
A civil infraction relating to a violation of the campaign finance laws under § 13–604 of the Election Law Article;
(viii)
A violation of an ordinance or regulation enacted by a county without home rule, under authority granted under the Local Government Article, or any provision of the Code of Public Local Laws for that county, for which a civil penalty is provided;
(ix)
A civil infraction that is authorized by law to be prosecuted by a sanitary commission;
(x)
A violation under Title 10, Subtitle 1, Part III of the Criminal Law Article; or
(xi)
A civil infraction relating to the storage or distribution of tobacco products under Title 1, Subtitle 12 of the Local Government Article;
(11)
A proceeding for adjudication of a civil penalty for any violation under § 5–1001 of the Environment Article, § 15–113, § 15–113.1, § 21–1122, or § 21–1414 of the Transportation Article, or § 14–304 of the Public Safety Article, or any rule or regulation issued pursuant to those sections;
(12)
A proceeding to enforce a civil penalty assessed by the Maryland Division of Labor and Industry under Title 5 of the Labor and Employment Article where the amount involved does not exceed $20,000;
(13)
A proceeding for a civil infraction under § 21–202.1, § 21–704.1, § 21–706.1, § 21–707.1, § 21–809, § 21–810, § 21–810.1, § 21–1134, § 22–612, or § 24–111.3 of the Transportation Article or § 10–112 of the Criminal Law Article;
(14)
A proceeding for a temporary peace order or a final peace order under Title 3, Subtitle 15 of this article;
(15)
A proceeding for condemnation and immediate possession of and title to abandoned, blighted, distressed, and deteriorated property under authority granted in the Code of Public Local Laws of a county, including Baltimore City, where the estimated value of the property does not exceed $25,000;
(16)
A proceeding for a replacement motor vehicle under § 14–1502(c)(1)(i) of the Commercial Law Article;
(17)
An action for damages for a dishonored check or other instrument under Title 15, Subtitle 8 of the Commercial Law Article, regardless of the amount in controversy; and
(18)
A civil action for an injunction or for a civil penalty for a violation of § 8–605(f) of the Transportation Article.
Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-402 (2026)
Title 4. District Court -- Jurisdiction
Subtitle 4. Civil Jurisdiction
§ 4–402LinkCopy Citation
(a)
Except as provided in §§ 4–401 and 4–404 of this subtitle, the District Court does not have equity jurisdiction.
(b)
Except as provided in § 4–401 of this subtitle, the District Court does not have jurisdiction to decide the ownership of real property or of an interest in real property.
(c)
The District Court does not have jurisdiction to render a declaratory judgment.
(d)
(1)
(i)
Except in a case under paragraph (2), (4), (5), or (6) of § 4–401 of this subtitle, the plaintiff may elect to file suit in the District Court or in a trial court of general jurisdiction, if the amount in controversy exceeds $5,000, exclusive of prejudgment or postjudgment interest, costs, and attorney’s fees if attorney’s fees are recoverable by law or contract.
(ii)
In the case of a class action, the separate claims of the proposed members of the class may be aggregated to meet the minimum amount in controversy required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.
(2)
In a case under § 4–401(7) or (8) of this subtitle, the plaintiff may elect to file a petition for injunctive relief either in the District Court or the circuit court.
(3)
In a case under § 4–401(16) of this subtitle, the plaintiff may elect to file a claim for a replacement motor vehicle in either the District Court or the circuit court.
(e)
(1)
In a civil action in which the amount in controversy does not exceed $25,000, exclusive of attorney’s fees if attorney’s fees are recoverable by law or contract, a party may not demand a jury trial pursuant to the Maryland Rules.
(2)
Except in a replevin action, if a party is entitled to and files a timely demand, in accordance with the Maryland Rules, for a jury trial, jurisdiction is transferred forthwith and the record of the proceeding shall be transmitted to the appropriate court. In a replevin action, if a party is entitled to and files a timely demand for a jury trial, the District Court may conduct a hearing on the show–cause order prior to issuing the writ, enforce an injunction issued by it in the action, and issue, renew, and receive returns upon the writ of replevin. The action shall be transmitted to the appropriate court only after the writ has been returned, stating that the property sought has been seized or eloigned, and the time for filing a notice of intention to defend has expired.
(f)
If the amount in controversy in an action for damages for a dishonored check or other instrument under § 4–401(17) of this subtitle exceeds $25,000, the defendant is entitled to transfer the action from the District Court to an appropriate circuit court by filing a timely demand as prescribed under the Maryland Rules.
Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-404 (2026)
Title 4. District Court -- Jurisdiction
Subtitle 4. Civil Jurisdiction
§ 4–404LinkCopy Citation
The District Court has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court over proceedings under Title 4, Subtitle 5 of the Family Law Article and has the powers of a court in equity in those proceedings.
Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-405 (2026)
Title 4. District Court -- Jurisdiction
Subtitle 4. Civil Jurisdiction
§ 4–405LinkCopy Citation
The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction over a small claim action, which, for purposes of this section, means a civil action for money in which the amount claimed does not exceed $5,000 exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney’s fees, if attorney’s fees are recoverable by law or contract; and landlord tenant action under §§ 8-401 and 8-402 of the Real Property Article, in which the amount of rent claimed does not exceed $5,000 exclusive of interest and costs.
Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-406 (2026)
Title 4. District Court -- Jurisdiction
Subtitle 4. Civil Jurisdiction
§ 4–406LinkCopy Citation
(a)
The District Court has concurrent civil jurisdiction with a governing body of a county or the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore over a proceeding for adjudication of a violation of an ordinance enacted:
(1)
By a charter county for which a civil penalty is provided under § 10–202 of the Local Government Article;
(2)
By the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore for which a civil penalty is provided by ordinance; or
(3)
By a code county for which a civil citation is issued under Title 11, Subtitle 3 of the Local Government Article.
(b)
The governing body of a county or the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore may delegate its authority under subsection (a) of this section to a board, a commission, an agency, or an officer under its jurisdiction and control.