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Maryland County
Garrett County, Maryland
Deep Creek Lake and Wisp ski resort - from Deep Creek Lake (Maryland's largest lake, the 3,900-acre reservoir in the Appalachian Mountains of Garrett County is the state's premier four-season mountain resort destination - summer boating, kayaking, and swimming give way to fall foliage views and winter skiing at adjacent Wisp Resort, making Deep Creek Lake one of the Mid-Atlantic's most popular mountain lake getaways) to Garrett County's Appalachian wilderness (the county contains significant portions of the Savage River State Forest and portions of the Appalachian highlands that receive more snow than any other Maryland location, creating genuine mountain character with whitewater kayaking on the Youghiogheny River and Garrett State Forest hiking).
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Office: Garrett County Department of Emergency Management – provides Advanced Life Support (ALS) pre-hospital EMS and coordinates the county’s Emergency Operations Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, and Hazardous Materials Response Plan; as “the premier vacation destination in Maryland,” the department emphasizes readiness for both residents and visitors.
Sheriff: Garrett County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) – 311 East Alder Street, Oakland, MD 21550 | (301) 334-1911 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Bryson Meyers (in office since December 2022); created in 1872, with Thomas Coddington as the first elected Sheriff; serves roughly 648 square miles and 30,000 residents; also operates the county’s 911 Public Safety Answering Point, handling roughly 25,000 calls annually.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-68 and US-219 serve Oakland, the county seat, in Maryland’s westernmost, mountainous panhandle.
Notes: Garrett County holds three genuine Maryland records: the state’s highest point (Hoye Crest on Backbone Mountain, 3,360 feet), its largest freshwater lake (Deep Creek Lake, roughly 3,900 acres), and its highest free-falling waterfall.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Garrett County Circuit Court – Oakland, MD.
Notes: Deep Creek Lake, an artificial reservoir with roughly 69 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 75 feet, anchors Garrett County’s identity as a four-season recreation destination – summer boating and fishing give way to winter skiing at nearby Wisp Ski Resort, one of the mid-Atlantic’s most popular ski areas. The county’s mountain-and-lake terrain, part of the Appalachian range, is unusual for Maryland and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Garrett County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via garrettcountymd.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County – confirm current address/phone via relib.net.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Deep Creek Lake State Park, Wisp Ski Resort, Swallow Falls State Park (Maryland’s highest free-falling waterfall), and Hoye Crest (the state’s highest point) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine triple-record status – highest point, largest lake, highest waterfall, all within one county – is one of the more distinctive geographic facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Garrett County Department of Planning – confirm current contact via garrettcountymd.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Garrett County Animal Shelter (Sheriff’s Office) – Oakland, MD | Animal Control (301) 334-8096 | Shelter (301) 334-3553 | After Hours (301) 334-1911; a mandatory spay/neuter shelter requiring all adopted animals be sterilized within 30 days of adoption (or within 30 days of reaching six months of age); rabies vaccination and county licensing required by law for all dogs and cats. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Garrett County Department of Public Works – confirm current contact via garrettcountymd.gov.
NOTES: Garrett County is the sixth and final county in the second batch of the Maryland v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine triple-record status – highest point, largest lake, highest waterfall, all within one county – is one of the more distinctive geographic facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Garrett County
Garrett County is Maryland’s Appalachian mountain resort county – Deep Creek Lake’s four-season recreation economy and Wisp Resort’s skiing make Maryland’s westernmost county the state’s premier mountain destination, drawing visitors from Baltimore, Washington, and Pittsburgh to the highlands of far western Maryland.
Oakland (the county seat, population ~2,000) is Garrett County’s governmental hub while the Deep Creek Lake communities of McHenry and Swanton anchor the county’s year-round resort economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Garrett County Assessor at 203 S. 4th Street, Oakland, MD 21550, phone 301-334-1950. MD assessed at percentage of full cash value.
Courts & Legal
Garrett County Circuit Court at 203 S. 4th Street, Oakland, MD 21550, phone 301-334-1937, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Land Records & Court Filings)
203 S. 4th St., Oakland, MD 21550
(301) 334-1937
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Garrett County Register of Wills (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
“Maryland, Index to the Wills of Garrett County, 1872-1960” is a specific published resource for this county.
The 1907 Garrett County Courthouse, part of the Oakland Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Garrett County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Garrett County Register of Wills Garrett County Courthouse, 313 East Alder Street, Room 103, Oakland, MD 21550 (301) 334-1999
Garrett County is Maryland’s westernmost county, seated in Oakland near Deep Creek Lake. The 1907 Garrett County Courthouse (Classical Revival) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, part of the Oakland Historic District.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Maryland is NOT a Uniform Probate Code state – it follows its own framework under the Maryland Estates and Trusts Article, administered through the Register of Wills rather than a traditional probate court in most cases.
Small Estate Administration – for a gross probate estate of $50,000 or less, or $100,000 or less if the surviving spouse is the sole heir or legatee. Filed as a Petition for Administration of a Small Estate. There is no filing fee for small estates opened on or after October 1, 2022. Small estates typically close in 2 to 4 months.
Modified Administration – available for Regular Estates when the residuary legatees consist of the personal representative and non-taxable recipients of property (spouse, children, parents, grandparents, siblings), the estate is solvent, and all consent. The personal representative must elect this within 3 months of appointment, files a verified Final Report within 10 months, and must complete final distribution within 12 months of appointment.
Regular Estate (Administrative Probate) – required when probate assets exceed $50,000 (or $100,000 with spouse as sole heir). Requires a formal Inventory (due within 3 months) and Account (first account due within 9 months, can be filed as early as 6 months), with a fee based on estate value.
Judicial Probate – conducted by the Orphans’ Court rather than administratively through the Register of Wills, required when the will’s validity is questioned, the will is damaged, or more than one qualified person petitions to serve as personal representative.
Step 2: filing for probate
File a Petition for Administration (Form 1103, plus Schedule B/Form 1137 as needed) with the Register of Wills in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death.
The Register of Wills reviews the petition and, following the statutory order of priority, appoints a personal representative and issues Letters of Administration.
Notice to creditors is published by the Register in a newspaper; creditors have 6 months from the date of death (or 2 months after being mailed notice, whichever is later) to file a claim, or they’re barred from collecting.
The personal representative pays valid debts, files the required Inventory and/or Account (or Final Report under Modified Administration), pays any inheritance tax due, and distributes the remaining assets – the surviving spouse or domestic partner is entitled to a $10,000 family allowance, and $5,000 for each unmarried minor child.
What it costs
No filing fee for small estates opened on or after October 1, 2022.
Regular estates pay a probate fee based on the total gross estate value, per a published fee schedule.
Maryland imposes both a state estate tax (threshold around $5 million) and a separate inheritance tax.
Maryland does not require an attorney for probate, but complex or contested estates commonly benefit from one.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
203 S. 4th St., Oakland, MD 21550
(301) 334-1911
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
203 S. 4th St., Oakland, MD 21550
(301) 334-3393
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Garrett County Health Dept
(301) 334-7730
Dept of Social Services
(301) 334-9431
MD Medicaid
(800) 492-5231
Garrett Regional Medical Center
grmc.com (Oakland — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Garrett County Health Department – (301) 334-7777.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Oakland
Population: 28,000
Area: 648 sq mi
Established: 1872
Tier: 3
Public Records
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