This page has information about the court’s new form Notice Regarding Restricted Information Pursuant to Rule 20-201.1 (MDJ-008) hereafter referred to as the “Restricted Information Form.” This form must be completed and filed when you file any court documents that contain restricted information.
In general, court cases and documents are open to the public. This means that anyone can view the case file at the courthouse. Some information about the case is also online through Maryland Judiciary Case Search and Maryland’s electronic case filing system MDEC. More information about access to court records can be found here.
Sometimes a part of a document, the entire document, or even the entire case is defined by law as restricted information. This information is not open to the public.
There are many different types of restricted information. Here are a few common examples of restricted information:
The person filing documents with the court is responsible for letting the court know if the documents, or their contents, are restricted. Complete the Restricted Information Form to let the court know that you are submitting something that Maryland law requires the court keep private.
This is not the same as asking the court to keep something private that would ordinally be open to the public. In these situations, you must submit a request to either seal or shield that document. The Restricted Information form is usually submitted along with a request to seal or shield.
The Restricted Information Form is required if the document you are filing is restricted or has restricted information. It is up to you to review your documents closely for information that is restricted. Determining what is and is not restricted can be difficult. This page lists some of the most common situations when you may need to complete the form.
If you are not sure whether the form is required, consider speaking with a clerk at the courthouse or a lawyer. You may use the Maryland Guide and File interview to help you fill out the form.
Note: The form is not required in Baltimore City. If your case is in Baltimore City, do not complete the form. Additionally, you are not required to complete the form for cases that are always kept private by the courts. These are:
Sometimes a document you are filing with the court includes information or an attachment that is restricted. Complete the Restricted Information Form if you are filing documents that include any of the following:
You may file a document that contains some restricted information, but the entire document is not restricted. In these situations, you must file both a redacted and an unredacted copy. Redacted means that the restricted information is not visible. For instance, you may file a motion that lists your full bank account number. The bank account number is restricted but the rest of your motion is not. In this case, you should:
Most of the time, you will complete a Restricted Information Form to accompany another standard court form. Here is a list of the most common court forms that must be accompanied by the Notice Regarding Restricted Information:
