Clerk of the Circuit Court for Charles County
- Address
- 200 Charles Street, La Plata, MD 20646
- Phone
- (301) 932-3201
- Hours
- Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed state holidays)
- Notary authentication
- About $1 per document
- Official page
- Maryland Judiciary
When you need this office
If your document was notarized by a notary commissioned in Charles County, this clerk must authenticate the notary's signature before the Maryland Secretary of State will add an apostille. The county is printed on the notary's stamp. Signing in La Plata doesn't matter on its own; what counts is where the notary holds their commission.
The Charles County clerk also keeps the county's marriage license records and divorce cases. Certified copies of those records are signed by the clerk and go straight to the Secretary of State, so you can usually apostille them yourself.
The route for a document notarized in Charles County
- Sign before a Maryland notaryThe notary's stamp names their county.
- Clerk of the Circuit Court, Charles County200 Charles Street, La Plata, MD 20646 · (301) 932-3201 · about $1 per document
- Maryland Secretary of State16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 · $5 per document
- Apostille attachedValid in every Hague Convention country
Documents that go through the Charles County clerk
Charles County apostille questions
Where do I get a notary authenticated in Charles County?
At the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Charles County, 200 Charles Street, La Plata, MD 20646. Call (301) 932-3201 to confirm hours and fees.
Can the Charles County clerk authenticate a notary from another county?
No. The Charles County clerk only authenticates notaries commissioned in Charles County. Check the county on the notary's stamp.
Do marriage certificates from Charles County need the clerk step?
No. A certified copy of a marriage license or divorce decree issued by the Charles County clerk goes directly to the Secretary of State.
How much does it cost?
The clerk generally charges $1 per document and the Secretary of State $5. Through MD Apostille, it is $50 per document plus the clerk fee.