registers.maryland.gov APIregisters.maryland.gov ↗
Search Maryland probate estates by county, name, date, and status. Retrieve estate details, Personal Representative contacts, claims, and docket history.
curl -X GET 'https://api.parse.bot/scraper/bdfbe4d1-e28b-48d7-b6ec-476ff36e1436/search_estates?county_id=15&last_name=Smith&filing_date_to=05%2F05%2F2025&filing_date_from=05%2F01%2F2025' \ -H 'X-API-Key: $PARSE_API_KEY'
Search for estates by county, name, date, or status. Returns a list of matching estate records with record_id values for detailed lookup via get_estate_detail.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| county_id | string | County ID (1-24). Use get_county_list to look up IDs by name. |
| last_name | string | Decedent's last name to search for. |
| first_name | string | Decedent's first name to search for. |
| estate_type | string | Estate type code: RE (Regular Estate), SE (Small Estate), MA (Modified Administration), UN (Unknown/Unclassified), FP (Full Probate), LO (Limited Order), MV (Modified Administration - Volunteer), NP (No Personal Representative), RJ (Rejected), SJ (Small Estate - Judicial). |
| estate_number | string | Exact estate number (e.g. W125727). |
| estate_status | string | Estate status: OPEN, CLOSED, ARCHIV, PENDIN. |
| filing_date_to | string | End filing date in MM/DD/YYYY format. |
| filing_date_from | string | Start filing date in MM/DD/YYYY format. |
{
"type": "object",
"fields": {
"data": "array of estate summary objects, each containing county, estate_number, record_id, filing_date, date_of_death, estate_type, estate_status, and decedent_name"
},
"sample": {
"data": [
{
"county": "Montgomery",
"record_id": "1829769229",
"estate_type": "RE",
"filing_date": "05/01/2025",
"date_of_death": "02/21/2025",
"decedent_name": "MIXON , ROY EXON",
"estate_number": "W122712",
"estate_status": "OPEN"
}
],
"status": "success"
}
}About the registers.maryland.gov API
This API exposes 5 endpoints covering the Maryland Register of Wills Estate Database, giving programmatic access to probate records across all 24 Maryland counties. The search_estates endpoint lets you filter open and closed estates by decedent name, filing date range, estate type, and county. The get_estate_detail endpoint returns full case records including Personal Representative names, attorney contacts, aliases, and docket history — data useful for estate attorneys, creditors, and due-diligence workflows.
Estate Search and Detail
The search_estates endpoint accepts up to eight filter parameters: county_id (1–24, resolved via get_county_list), last_name, first_name, estate_number, estate_type (RE, SE, MA, or UN), estate_status (OPEN, CLOSED, ARCHIV, PENDIN), and a filing_date_from/filing_date_to range in MM/DD/YYYY format. Each result in the returned array includes a record_id that serves as the key for the get_estate_detail endpoint. The detail response includes estate_number, status, type, dates, decedent_name, aliases, a personal_reps array with contact information, and an attorney field.
Daily Lead Pipeline
The get_daily_estate_leads endpoint runs a multi-county retrieval for recently filed estates and enriches each result with the full detail record. The response array includes Case_Number, Decedent_Name, Date_of_Death, Filing_Date, Attorney_Name, County_Origin, and a Pro_Se_Indicator boolean that is true when no attorney is listed. An optional county parameter (e.g. Montgomery, Howard, Anne Arundel) narrows results to a single county; omitting it returns records across all Maryland counties.
Claims Search and County Reference
The search_claims endpoint returns claims filed against estates, filtered by county_id, decedent last_name and first_name, filing_date, or estate_number. Each claim summary includes filing_date, claim_status, estate_number, decedent, and claimant. The get_county_list endpoint returns the complete name-to-ID mapping needed for any endpoint that accepts a county_id parameter, covering all 24 Maryland counties.
- Monitor newly filed probate estates daily using
get_daily_estate_leadsand filter by county for territory-specific lead generation - Identify pro se estates (no attorney on record) via the
Pro_Se_Indicatorfield for attorney business development outreach - Look up Personal Representative contact details from
get_estate_detailfor creditor notification and estate administration workflows - Search claims by decedent name or estate number via
search_claimsto track creditor activity across Maryland probate cases - Build due-diligence tools that cross-reference estate status (OPEN, CLOSED, ARCHIV, PENDIN) and filing dates for asset research
- Retrieve docket history and attorney contact from
get_estate_detailto support legal research on specific estates
| Tier | Price | Credits/month | Rate limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 100 | 5 req/min |
| Hobby | $30/mo | 1,000 | 20 req/min |
| Developer | $100/mo | 5,000 | 250 req/min |
One credit = one API call regardless of which marketplace API you call. Exceeding the rate limit returns a 429 response. Authenticate with the X-API-Key header.
Does registers.maryland.gov have an official developer API?+
What does `get_estate_detail` return beyond what `search_estates` provides?+
search_estates returns summary fields sufficient to identify a record — estate number, filing date, date of death, county, type, and a record_id. get_estate_detail uses that record_id to return the full case record: the personal_reps array with contact information, the attorney field, any aliases for the decedent, and the full docket history.Does the API cover estates outside Maryland?+
get_county_list endpoint returns the full set of supported counties and their IDs. You can fork this API on Parse and revise it to point at another state's probate registry if one is publicly accessible.Can I retrieve document images or PDF filings attached to an estate?+
How should I filter `search_claims` when I only know the decedent's name?+
last_name and optionally first_name without specifying county_id or estate_number. The endpoint will return all matching claim summaries statewide. If results are too broad, add county_id (resolved from get_county_list) or a filing_date to narrow them.