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State Archives plans 20-cent-per-page paywall for modern land-record downloads; agency aims to restore special funds
Summary
The Maryland State Archives told the Public Safety and Administration Subcommittee it will implement a 20¢ per-page fee for downloads from MDLandRec.net to curb automated bulk downloads and restore special fund revenue. The agency projects substantial revenue, will keep historical (>100-year) records free, and plans public notice before launch.
The Maryland State Archives is planning to charge 20 cents per page for downloading modern land-record documents from MDLandRec.net and expects the policy to generate significant special-fund revenue that will reduce reliance on general funds.
Elizabeth Weibel of the Department of Legislative Services said the archives— fiscal 2026 allowance is about $11 million, with the shift driven by an expected transition to special-fund revenue after implementing a new fee schedule. ‘‘Some companies have started using bots to create multiple individual accounts to download records, circumventing subscription fees while putting a strain on the site's servers,’’ Weibel said.
State Archivist Elaine Rice Bachman told the subcommittee the archives examined neighboring-state practices and determined a 20¢ per-page charge would be modest compared with regional norms (her testimony cited counties in neighboring states charging about $1 per page). She said the archives would keep historical land records (older than 100 years) free and preserve free in-person access at the state archives search room.
The archives projected the fee could return as much as $1 million in revenue per month and expects implementation in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, pending final approvals and procurement. Agency staff said they will provide a public notice in advance (the agency described a target 30-day notice but cautioned development timelines could extend).
The committee asked about courthouse clerks and local access; the archives said the new fee would not change courtroom or clerk access and that the administrative office of the courts had been notified of plans. The archives also said it plans to work with title-industry stakeholders to provide advance notice to heavy users of MDLandRec.net.
Archivists said revenue will allow operations to shift more of the agency—s budget to special funds and reduce pressure on the general fund while retaining access for researchers seeking historical materials.
