Frequently Asked Questions

The Department of the Treasury is responsible for stamping every deed before it can be recorded at the Harford County Courthouse, regardless if it is necessary for taxes to be paid. If the property has been flagged by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation for Agricultural Transfer Tax, then the deed will need to be presented to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation first for clearance, then presented to the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Revenue Collections.

When recording a deed for a property in the municipalities of the county, it must be stamped by the appropriate municipality before presenting it to the Bureau of Revenue Collections. Municipalities can be contacted at:

City of Aberdeen: 410-272-2222 City of Havre de Grace: 410-939-1800 Town of Bel Air: 410-638-4555

Please contact the Bureau of Revenue Collections at 410-638-3269, Option 5. A lien certificate is required for the processing of any type of transfer of property in the county. There is a $50 fee for this document. Lien sheets applications can be found on the Certificate of Tax Lien page.

Other fees include:

Payment of outstanding taxes (real, personal, and/or water and sewer assessments)

Water and sewer usage billings

Invoices

Repayment of circuit breaker credits

Agricultural transfer Tax

County transfer tax

Please contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Harford County at 410-638-3474 to determine recording fees that they will require be paid at time of recording.

Please contact the State Department of Assessments and Taxation at 410-836-4800 to determine if the property is used for agricultural purposes and could possibly require the repayment of agricultural taxes.