Md. R. Civ. P. Dist. Ct. 3-601

As amended through November 13, 2024

Rule 3-601 - Entry of Judgment

(a) When Entered. Upon a decision by the court denying or granting relief, the court shall enter the judgment promptly.

(b) Applicability--Method of Entry--Availability to the Public.

(1)Applicability. Section (b) of this Rule applies to judgments entered on and after July 1, 2015.

(2)Entry. The clerk shall enter a judgment by making an entry on the docket of the electronic case management system used by that court along with such description of the judgment as the clerk deems appropriate.

(3)Availability to the Public.

Unless shielding is required by law or court order, the docket entry and the date of the entry shall be available to the public through the CaseSearch feature on the Judiciary's website and in accordance with Rules and 16-904.

(c) Advice to Judgment Holder. Upon entering a judgment for a sum certain, except in Baltimore City, the court shall advise the judgment holder of the right to obtain a lien on real property pursuant to Rule 3-621.

(d) Recording and Indexing. Promptly after entry, the clerk shall record and index the judgment, except a judgment denying all relief without costs, in the judgment records of the court.

(e) Date of Judgment. On and after July 1, 2015, regardless of the date a judgment was signed, the date of the judgment is the date that the clerk enters the judgment on the electronic case management system docket in accordance with section (b) of this Rule. The date of a judgment entered prior to July 1, 2015 is computed in accordance with the Rules in effect when the judgment was entered.

Md. R. Civ. P. Dist. Ct. 3-601

This Rule is derived as follows:

Section (a) is new and is derived from the 1963 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 58.

Section (b) is new.

Section (c) is derived from former M.D.R. 619 b.

Section (d) is new.

Section (e) is new.

Adopted April 6, 1984, eff. 7/1/1984. Amended May 25, 1984, eff. 7/1/1984; 10/31/2002, eff. 1/1/2003; 11/12/2003, eff. 1/1/2004; 3/2/2015, eff. 7/1/2015; 6/6/2016, eff. 7/1/2016; amended June 29, 2020, eff. 8/1/2020.

HISTORICAL NOTES

2002 Orders

The October 31, 2002, order, in section (b), in the first sentence, inserted ", or on a docket within the file, or in a docket book, according to the practice of each court,.

2003 Orders

The November 12, 2003, order amended the source note.

2015 Orders

The March 2, 2015, order added an applicability provision in subsection (b)(1); deleted language from and added language to subsection (b)(2); modified how a judgment is entered; added subsection (b)(3), which provides that subject to a certain exception, a docket entry is available to the public through a search feature on the Judiciary website and in accordance with certain Rules in Title 16; and added section (e), which provides how the date of judgment is determined before and after the date of the amendment to Rule 3-601.

2016 Orders

The June 6, 2016, order revised internal references in the Rule.