Evictions

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office receives approximately 10,000 warrants of restitutions and writs of possessions from the Montgomery County Court each year. Many of these court orders are resolved by the involved parties prior to an eviction being carried out by the Sheriff’s Office. To provide efficient and prompt service, the Sheriff’s Office has prepared the following guidelines related to the scheduling and execution of eviction related court orders.

Plaintiff/Landlord/Agent

Md. Code, Real Property Article, §8-401(f)(1)(iii)

If the landlord orders a warrant of restitution but takes no action on the warrant within 60 days from the later of the date the court issues the order for the warrant, or the date as otherwise extended by the court:

  1. The warrant of restitution shall expire and the judgment for possession shall be stricken; and
  2. The judgment shall be applied to the number of judgments necessary to foreclose a tenant’s right to redemption of the leased premises as established in subsection (g)(2) of this section unless the court in its discretion determines that the judgment may not apply for purposes of subsection (g)(2) of this section.

To Schedule an Eviction:

FOR WARRANTS FILED WITH THE COURT BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2025

  • File for a warrant of restitution (District Court) or writ of possession (Circuit Court).
  • Receive a Judge’s signed copy of the order from the court. An eviction date cannot be scheduled until the Eviction Section has received the original order from the court.
  • The plaintiff or authorized representative must call the Sheriff’s Office Eviction Section to schedule (have the Plaintiff/Landlord/Agent name listed on the court order available when scheduling).
  • The best times to call and schedule an eviction are:
    Weekdays, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

FOR WARRANTS FILED WITH THE COURT ON OR AFTER OCTOBER 1, 2025

Following the Court's issuance of a warrant of restitution, the Sheriff's Office will schedule a date for repossession of the premises to occur. After receiving the date for the scheduled repossession, the landlord must provide written notice to the tenant at least six (6) days before the scheduled date of repossession that contains the following: 

  • the District Court case number;
  • the tenant's name as stated in the summary ejectment case;
  • the address of the leased premises;
  • the date on which the Court ordered the warrant of restitution;
  • the initial scheduled date of the eviction; 
  • a statement that the repossession may occur unless the tenant: (i) returns possession of the leased premises to the landlord; or (ii) [for warrants issued under Md. Code Ann. Real Property §8-401] exercises the right to redemption under §8-401, if available;
  • if the tenant still has a right to redemption of the leased premises under §8-401(H), a statement showing the amount still due to redeem the property; 
  • a statement that the notice is the final notice to the tenant of the repossession, even if the repossession is stayed for any reason;
  • the following statement:

"You could lose all your personal belongings left inside your home when the eviction occurs. Local laws and practices about disposal of any of your personal belongings upon eviction vary. 

You may seek advice by calling 211 for a legal referral or by contacting the District Court Help Center at 410-260-1392 to speak to an attorney."; and

  • the telephone number, e-mail address, and mailing address at which the landlord may be contacted. 

Landlords will be required to provide the following documents before the scheduled repossession will take place: (i) the certificate of mailing; (ii) a photograph of the notice posted on the front door of the leased premises containing a readable timestamp indicating the date and time that the notice was posted; and (iii) a signed affidavit of the person who posted the notice on the front door of the leased premises. 

Scheduled evictions will be granted in one-hour time slots. An eviction may be scheduled for either 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM or 1:00 PM Monday through Friday.

On the Day of a Scheduled Eviction:

The plaintiff or authorized representative must be present at the property, at the scheduled time, with the appropriate keys/code to gain entry, and the plaintiff must provide:

  1. A moving crew of at least:
    • 8 persons for a one-bedroom apartment
    • 10 persons for a two-bedroom apartment
    • 12 persons for a three-bedroom apartment
    • 15 persons for a townhome
    • 20 persons for a single detached home
  2. Heavy-duty plastic bags and boxes
  3. Tools, which may be needed to disassemble a tenant’s personal property prior to removal.
  4. When applicable, a box-style moving truck may be required to relocate the tenant’s personal property to the nearest public space.
  5. When applicable, a locksmith or other similarly skilled person may be required to assist the deputies in gaining entry to the property.

Unavailability of sufficient or timely resources may result in the eviction being rescheduled.

Tenants (for Warrants filed with the Court on or after October 1, 2025)

Once an eviction has been completed, a "Notice of Repossession of Premises" posting (red & white postcard) will be placed on the property (or delivered to the tenant if they are present). This notice is posted to make all occupants aware that repossession of the premises has been completed. 

Weather Conditions

Evictions will not proceed in the following circumstances:

  • If it is raining or snowing at the start time of the scheduled eviction.
    • If rain or snow begin after the start time of the scheduled eviction, the eviction will continue until completion.
  • If the predicted high temperature from the national weather broadcast on the scheduled eviction date is 32 degrees or lower, evictions for that day will be rescheduled.
  • If the HEAT Index is or is forecast to be above 95 degrees, evictions for that day will be rescheduled.