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*sb0471*
SENATE BILL 471
N2, D1 6lr0783
SB 628/25 – JPR CF HB 822
By: Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee and Senator McKay
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Circuit Court Clerks and Registers of Wills – Maximum Salary 2
FOR the purpose of altering the maximum annual salary of the clerks of the circuit courts 3
and the registers of wills; repealing as obsolete a certain minimum annual salary for 4
the register of wills for Baltimore City; and generally relating to the salaries of the 5
clerks of the circuit courts and the registers of wills. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 8
Section 2–504 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Estates and Trusts 13
Section 2–205 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 19
2–504. 20
2 SENATE BILL 471
(a) (1) The clerk of each circuit court shall receive an annual salary of not more 1
than [$146,500 as set by the Board of Public Works on the basis of the relative volume of 2
business and receipts in the clerk’s office] THE SALARY OF A STATE EMPLOYEE AT 3
GRADE 26, STEP 20 OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND STANDARD AND BARGAINING 4
SALARY SCALE IN EFFECT ON THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY THAT THE CLERK BEGINS 5
A NEW TERM OF OFFICE. 6
(2) ANY CHANGE IN THE SAL ARY PAID UNDER THE STATE O F 7
MARYLAND STANDARD AND BARGAINING SALARY SCALE DURING THE TERM OF 8
OFFICE OF A CLERK MAY NOT APPLY TO THE INCUMBENT CLERK, BUT THE CHANGED 9
RATE SHALL TAKE EFFECT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT FOLLOWING TERM OF 10
OFFICE. 11
(3) THE SALARY OF THE CLE RK OF EACH CIRCUIT COURT SHALL BE 12
SET BY THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS ON THE BASIS OF THE RELATIVE VOLUME OF 13
BUSINESS AND RECEIPTS IN THE CLERK’S OFFICE. 14
(b) A clerk shall devote his full working time to the duties of the clerk’s office and 15
is entitled to the salary prescribed in subsection (a) of this section. 16
(c) The salary of a clerk is payable biweekly. 17
Article – Estates and Trusts 18
2–205. 19
(a) (1) It is the intent of this section that each register shall receive a fair and 20
adequate compensation for the effort and duties required of the register by the register’s 21
office. 22
(2) The volume and character of work done by the register shall be in 23
comparison to the salary fixed by the Board of Public Works for each of the other registers. 24
(b) (1) Each register is e ntitled to receive an annual salary of not more than 25
[$146,500, to be determined in each instance by the Board of Public Works ] THE SALARY 26
OF A STATE EMPLOYEE AT GRA DE 26, STEP 20 OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND 27
STANDARD AND BARGAINING SALARY SCALE IN EFFECT ON T HE DAY BEFORE THE 28
DAY THAT THE REGISTER BEGINS A NEW TERM OF OFFICE. 29
(2) ANY CHANGE IN THE SAL ARY PAID UNDER THE STATE OF 30
MARYLAND STANDARD AND BARGAINING SALARY SCALE DURING THE TERM OF 31
OFFICE OF A REGISTER MAY NOT APPLY TO THE INCUMBENT REGISTER, BUT THE 32
CHANGED RATE SHALL TAKE EFFECT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT FOLLOWING 33
TERM OF OFFICE. 34
SENATE BILL 471 3
(3) THE SALARY OF EACH REGISTER SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE 1
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS. 2
[(2)] (4) In determining the annual salary of the register, the Board of 3
Public Works shall be guided in the exercise of its discretion by: 4
(i) The population of the county determined by the last official 5
United States census; 6
(ii) The dollar volume of total fees and taxes collected and excess fees 7
turned over to the St ate for each of the preceding 5 years by the office of the register for 8
which the salary is being fixed; and 9
(iii) Other pertinent data which have relation to the reasonableness 10
of the salary in relation to the work done and volume handled by the office. 11
(c) [The minimum annual salary for the register in Baltimore City is $12,000. 12
(d)] (1) The salaries of the registers shall be paid semimonthly from the fees 13
and receipts of the office, after deducting the expenses of the office. 14
(2) Expenses incl ude salaries of deputies and clerks, books, stationery, 15
office supplies, and other necessary and customary expenses of doing business. 16
[(e)] (D) (1) (i) If the fees and receipts of the office are insufficient in any 17
fiscal year to pay all or a part of th e expenses of the office and authorized salary of a 18
register, the deficiency shall be funded from the taxes remitted to the Comptroller by the 19
register during that fiscal year. 20
(ii) Written authority for the transfer of funds shall be first obtained 21
from the Comptroller. 22
(2) In the event that tax collections for the fiscal year are insufficient, the 23
Comptroller shall make up the deficit from excess fees remitted from all other registers. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, in accordance wit h Article 25
III, § 35 of the Maryland Constitution, this Act may not be construed to extend or apply to 26
the salary or compensation of a clerk of a circuit court or a register of wills while serving in 27
a term of office beginning before the effective date of this Act, but the provisions of this Act 28
concerning the salary or compensation of a clerk of the circuit court or a register of wills 29
shall take effect at the beginning of the next following term of office. This limitation does 30
not apply to an individual appointed or elected after the effective date of this Act to fill out 31
an unexpired term. 32
4 SENATE BILL 471
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2026. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.