Transfer and recordation tax, county by county
Eleven Maryland jurisdictions, one table. The state charges 0.5% everywhere; what changes is the county transfer tax and the recordation rate.
Maryland charges a 0.5% state transfer tax on every sale. On top of that, each county sets its own transfer tax (zero in Carroll and Frederick, 1.5% in Baltimore County and Baltimore City) and its own recordation tax, from $3.80 per $500 in Washington County to $10 per $1,000 in Baltimore City. A licensed Maryland title company collects all of it at settlement.
| Jurisdiction | Recordation | County transfer | State transfer | Combined rate | On $350,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore City | $10.00 per $1,0001% | 1.5% | 0.5% | 3% | $10,500$3,500 + $5,250 + $1,750 |
| Baltimore County | $5.00 per $1,0000.5% | 1.5% | 0.5% | 2.5% | $8,750$1,750 + $5,250 + $1,750 |
| Prince George’s County | $5.50 per $1,0000.55% | 1.4% | 0.5% | 2.45% | $8,575$1,925 + $4,900 + $1,750 |
| Charles County | $7.00 per $5001.4% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 2.4% | $8,400$4,900 + $1,750 + $1,750 |
| Montgomery County | $4.45 per $5000.89% | 1% | 0.5% | 2.39% | $8,365$3,115 + $3,500 + $1,750 |
| Howard County | $2.50 per $5000.5% | 1.25% | 0.5% | 2.25% | $7,875$1,750 + $4,375 + $1,750 |
| Anne Arundel County | $7.00 per $1,0000.7% | 1% | 0.5% | 2.2% | $7,700$2,450 + $3,500 + $1,750 |
| Harford County | $6.60 per $1,0000.66% | 1% | 0.5% | 2.16% | $7,560$2,310 + $3,500 + $1,750 |
| Frederick County | $7.00 per $5001.4% | none | 0.5% | 1.9% | $6,650$4,900 + $0 + $1,750 |
| Carroll County | $6.50 per $5001.3% | none | 0.5% | 1.8% | $6,300$4,550 + $0 + $1,750 |
| Washington County | $3.80 per $5000.76% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1.76% | $5,910$2,660 + $1,500 + $1,750 |
Example column is arithmetic on the listed rates at $350,000, below every tier and threshold (Montgomery steps up above $500,000; Anne Arundel’s county rate rises above $1 million). Washington County’s $50,000 exemption is applied. Baltimore City’s owner-occupant exemption is not, because it depends on the buyer. Sorted from most to least expensive.
The one wrinkle per county
- Harford County. Recordation is split evenly between agricultural land preservation and county school funding.
- Carroll County. No county transfer tax, but one of the higher recordation rates in central Maryland.
- Prince George’s County. Unlike most of Maryland, the county also applies its transfer tax to the buyer’s mortgage.
- Baltimore City. Highest combined rate in the state. The first $22,000 is exempt when the buyer signs an affidavit that the house will be their principal residence.
- Anne Arundel County. County transfer tax is 1% under $1 million and 1.5% above it.
- Montgomery County. Recordation is $4.45 per $500 on the first $500,000 and steps up in tiers above that under the schedule effective October 1, 2023.
- Frederick County. No county transfer tax. Recordation is rounded up to the next $500.
- Charles County. Recordation rose from $5.00 to $7.00 per $500 for fiscal year 2026.
- Washington County. The first $50,000 of the price is exempt from the county transfer tax. Lowest recordation rate on this site.
What this means when you sell for cash
In a retail sale the contract decides who pays which line, and the seller usually covers at least half. When you sell to Old Line Home Buyers, a licensed Maryland title company works out every line and pays it from the closing funds, so the tax never becomes a check you write at the table. The full cash versus listing math is on our what it costs page, and each county’s rules for sellers (rental licensing, probate, well and septic) are on its county page, linked in the table.
Questions about Maryland closing taxes
- How much are seller closing costs in Maryland?
- In a listed sale, roughly 1 to 2 percent of the price for your share of transfer and recordation tax plus settlement fees, on top of a 5 to 6 percent commission. The tax lines are the table above. When you sell to Old Line Home Buyers there is no commission, and the title company pays the standard seller costs and every tax line from closing funds.
- What is the difference between transfer tax and recordation tax in Maryland?
- Transfer tax is charged on the sale itself, by the state (0.5% everywhere) and by most counties at their own rate. Recordation tax is charged when the deed is recorded, set per $500 or per $1,000 of the price, and it varies more from county to county than transfer tax does.
- Which Maryland counties have no county transfer tax?
- Of the jurisdictions on this page, Carroll County and Frederick County charge no county transfer tax. Both make it up on the recordation side, at $6.50 and $7.00 per $500.
- Who pays transfer and recordation tax when I sell my house to a cash buyer?
- When you sell to Old Line Home Buyers, a licensed Maryland title company calculates every line and pays it from the closing funds. You never write a check for it at the table. In a retail sale the split is negotiated in the contract.
- Where does the Baltimore City rate come from, and why is it the highest?
- Baltimore City charges $10 per $1,000 in recordation tax plus a 1.5% city transfer tax, and the state adds 0.5%, which is 3% of the price on a typical sale. The first $22,000 is exempt when the buyer signs an affidavit that the house will be their principal residence.
See the number for your house, taxes already handled
A written cash offer with the math shown, usually within a day. The title company pays every tax line from the proceeds.
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