Warrant of Restitutions: Evictions

The following guidelines have been prepared to assist landlords with evictions:

Scheduling of Evictions

Evictions may be scheduled only after the signed original “Warrant of Restitution” has been received by the Sheriff’s Office, from the court. There are occasions when the “Landlord” will receive their copy of the “Warrant of Restitution” (sometimes a week) before the original is received by the Sheriff’s Office. In these incidents the eviction cannot be scheduled until the Sheriff’s Office is in receipt of the original copy of the “Warrant of Restitution”.

Landlords should call (410) 836-5448 and utilize the prompt for “landlords scheduling evictions” (option 1) where a message can be left. When the clerk schedules the evictions, the landlord will be called back and provided with the next available date.

Evictions are scheduled for Tuesdays through Thursdays at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

Landlord’s Responsibility

  • Effective October 1, 2025, landlords are required by law 6 days before the scheduled date of the eviction to provide written notice to the tenant of the date on which the eviction is scheduled to be executed, by the following means:
    • Sending the notice by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing from the Post Office (PS Form 3817);
    • Posting the notice on the front door of the leased premises and taking a date-stamped photograph of the notice posted on the front door; and
    • If the landlord knows or has on file the email address or cellphone number of the tenant, sending the notice electronically to the tenant by email message or test message.
    • The District Court has provided a specific form (CC-DC-CV-123) on their website that must be used for notification.
  • On the date of the eviction, the landlord or their representative must be present at the time of the eviction and should provide the following:
  • Under the new law for warrants of restitution dated October 1, 2025 and later, printed copies of the following must be given to the deputy:
    • Certificate of mailing dated a minimum of 6 days prior to eviction;
    • Photograph of the notice (form CC-DC-CV-123) posted on the front door of the leased premises containing a readable date stamp of the date and time the notice was posted (minimum of 6 days prior to eviction); and
    • Signed affidavit (form CC-DC-CV-124) of the person who posted the notice on the front door of the leased property.
    • If the above documents are not provided, the eviction will be cancelled and the district court notified. If the district court finds that the landlord failed to properly notify, the warrant of restitution will be vacated.
  • Additionally, the landlord should be prepared with the following to ensure the eviction can be completed timely and efficiently:
  • Minimally a large enough crew of people and any necessary moving equipment to remove the property from the residence within about 3-4 hours.
  • A locksmith for gaining entry or changing locks.
  • Equipment for moving a mobile home if the eviction involves ground rent.
  • Tools required for disassembly of large items if required for removal.
  • The contents are to be removed to the edge of curtilage, of the property. It is the responsibility of the landlord to remove the abandon property.
  • Unavailability of sufficient or timely resources may result in cancelation of the eviction.

Weather Conditions

An eviction shall not be canceled due to rain or snow. Evictions will be cancelled if the following conditions exist:

  • A temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower
  • A winter storm warning or blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service
  • A hurricane warning or tropical storm warning issued by the National Weather Service
  • An excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service

If the eviction is canceled for any of these conditions, the landlord should contact the Civil Unit at the above number and follow the instructions to schedule an eviction for a later date. Evictions may be canceled if emergencies occur requiring deputies to be reassigned.

Cancellations

The landlord should notify the Civil Unit as soon practical if an eviction has been canceled due to payment or other settlement with the tenant. If the eviction is canceled by the “Sheriff’s Office” due to the Landlord’s failure to have sufficient people or equipment to complete the eviction the “Civil Unit” shall attempt to schedule another eviction date before the “Warrant of Restitution” expires.