Baltimore County maintains public records pursuant to Maryland's Public Information Act § 4-101, which establishes presumptive public access to government documents created or received by county agencies. The county's records span ten categories: court records (civil, criminal, traffic, and family cases from the Circuit Court), property records (deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and tax assessments), vital records (birth certificates from 1939-present, death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees), business records (licenses, permits, and fictitious business registrations), tax records, voting records from the Board of Elections, government proceedings (Council meeting minutes, agendas, and video recordings), financial documents (budgets, expenditure reports, and statements), law enforcement records (with restrictions), and land use records (zoning maps, building permits, and development plans). The Baltimore County Circuit Court Clerk's Office maintains court and land records, while the State Department of Assessments and Taxation and Maryland Department of Health Division of Vital Records hold respective property and vital records. Baltimore County complies with Maryland's Open Meetings Act and operates a public information portal and dedicated request process to provide digital access to commonly requested documents.
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