Thanks to MSBA’s determined advocacy and coalition with other affected industries, the Maryland State Archives will no longer proceed with a planned per page or monthly subscription option to access Maryland Land Records online. MSBA thanks the many members who joined our campaign and reached out to elected officials and the Archives in opposition to the fee. Attorneys shared real life examples of the significant financial impact to their businesses as well the barriers to access to justice that would result from the fees.
The proposed $0.20 per page fee and subscription tiers were unreasonable, prohibitive, and created without proper notice to our profession for feedback. As soon as MSBA learned of the proposed charge earlier this year, we engaged in direct lobbying and grassroots advocacy and successfully delayed implementation of the fee (originally scheduled for May 1, 2025) to allow time for feedback on proposed pricing. Over the last few weeks, we continued to engage with the Governor’s Office, Archives, other professional groups, and the media about alternative reasonable pricing models and other funding options for the website.
The Maryland State Archives updated its website to state: The Maryland State Archives is suspending the implementation of the new version of the Maryland Land Records website that incorporates fees. The Archives looks forward to working with the General Assembly, the Judiciary, and the Executive Department on a sustainable funding plan that supports the electronic platform which provides access to Maryland's land records, as well as all of our archival collections. We appreciate the feedback we've received from stakeholders over the past three months and welcome continued suggestions to [email protected].
MSBA will continue to fight for our members over the next several months as we work with partners to find a permanent funding solution by the next legislative session.