Rule 3-510.Subpoenas

District Court · Last amended January 1, 2025 · Last verified July 13, 2026

In one sentenceRule 3-510 governs when a District Court subpoena is required, how the clerk issues it, and how a party serves, objects to, or enforces it.

Full Text of Rule 3-510

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)

(a) Required, permissive, and non-permissive use. —

(1) A subpoena is required:

(A) to compel the person to whom it is directed to attend, give testimony, and produce designated documents or other tangible things at a court proceeding, including proceedings before an examiner; and

(B) to compel a nonparty to attend, give testimony, and produce and permit inspection and copying of designated documents or other tangible things at a deposition taken pursuant to Rule 3-401 or 3-431.

(2) A subpoena may be used to compel a party over whom the court has acquired jurisdiction to attend, give testimony, and produce and permit inspection and copying of designated documents or other tangible things at a deposition taken pursuant to Rule 3-401 or 3-431.

(3) A subpoena may not be used for any other purpose. If the court, on motion of a party or on its own initiative, after affording the alleged violator an opportunity for a hearing, finds that a person has used or attempted to use a subpoena or a copy or reproduction of a subpoena form for a purpose other than one allowed under this Rule, the court may impose an appropriate sanction, including an award of a reasonable attorney’s fee and costs, the exclusion of evidence obtained as a result of the violation, and reimbursement of any person inconvenienced for time and expenses incurred.

(b) Issuance. — A subpoena shall be issued by the clerk of the court in which an action is pending in the following manner:

(1) On the request of any person entitled to the issuance of a subpoena, the clerk shall (A) issue a completed subpoena, or (B) provide to the person a blank form of subpoena, which the person shall fill in and return to the clerk to be signed and sealed by the clerk before service.

(2) On the request of a member in good standing of the Maryland Bar entitled to the issuance of a subpoena, the clerk shall issue a subpoena signed and sealed by the clerk, which the attorney shall fill in before service.

(3) An attorney of record in a pending action who is a registered user under Rule 20-101 may obtain from the clerk through MDEC or through the AIS portal, for use in that action, an electronic version of a blank form of subpoena containing the clerk’s signature and the seal of the court, which the attorney may download, print, and fill in before service.

(4) Except as provided in subsections (b)(2) and (b)(3) of this Rule, a person other than the clerk may not copy and fill in any blank form of subpoena for the purpose of serving the subpoena. A violation of this section shall constitute a violation of subsection (a)(3) of this Rule.

(c) Form. — Except as otherwise permitted by the court for good cause, every subpoena shall be on a uniform form approved by the State Court Administrator. The form shall contain: (1) the caption of the action, (2) the name and address of the person to whom it is directed, (3) the name of the person at whose request it is issued, (4) the date, time, and place where attendance is required, (5) a description of any documents or other tangible things to be produced, (6) the date of issuance, and (7) a statement that the subpoena may be served within 60 days after its issuance and may not be served thereafter.

(d) Service. — A subpoena shall be served by delivering a copy to the person named or to an agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service for the person named or as permitted by Rule 3-121 (a)(3). Service of a subpoena upon a party represented by an attorney may be made by service upon the attorney under Rule 1-321 (a). A subpoena may be served by a sheriff of any county or by any person who is not a party and who is not less than 18 years of age. Unless impracticable, a party shall make a good faith effort to cause a trial or hearing subpoena to be served at least five days before the trial or hearing. A person may not serve or attempt to serve a subpoena more than 60 days after its issuance. A violation of this provision shall constitute a violation of subsection (a)(3) of this Rule.

(e) Objection to subpoena for court proceedings. — On motion of a person served with a subpoena to attend a court proceeding (including a proceeding before an examiner) or a person named or depicted in an item specified in the subpoena filed promptly and, whenever practicable, at or before the time specified in the subpoena for compliance, the court may enter an order that justice requires to protect the person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense, including one or more of the following:

(1) that the subpoena be quashed or modified;

(2) that the subpoena be complied with only at some designated time or place other than that stated in the subpoena;

(3) that documents or other tangible things designated in the subpoena be produced only upon the advancement by the party serving the subpoena of the reasonable costs of producing them; or

(4) that documents or other tangible things designated in the subpoena be delivered to the court at or before the proceeding or before the time when they are to be offered in evidence, subject to further order of court to permit inspection of them.

(f) Objection to subpoena for deposition. — A person served with a subpoena to attend a deposition may seek a protective order pursuant to Rule 2-403. If the subpoena also commands the production of documents or other tangible things at the deposition, the person served or a person named or depicted in an item specified in the subpoena may seek a protective order pursuant to Rule 2-403 or may file, within ten days after service of the subpoena, an objection to production of any or all of the designated materials. The objection shall be in writing and shall state the reasons for the objection. If an objection is filed, the party serving the subpoena is not entitled to production of the materials except pursuant to an order of the court from which the subpoena was issued. At any time before or within 15 days after completion of the deposition and upon notice to the deponent, the party serving the subpoena may move for an order to compel the production.

(g) Protection of persons subject to subpoenas. — A party or an attorney responsible for the issuance and service of a subpoena shall take reasonable steps to avoid imposing undue burden or expense on a person subject to the subpoena.

(h) Records produced by custodians. —

(1) Generally. — A custodian of records served with a subpoena to produce records at trial may comply by delivering the records to the clerk of the court that issued the subpoena at or before the time specified for production. The custodian may produce exact copies of the records designated unless the subpoena specifies that the original records be produced. The records shall be delivered in a sealed envelope labeled with the caption of the action, the date specified for production, and the name and address of the person at whose request the subpoena was issued. The records shall be accompanied by a certificate of the custodian that they are the complete records requested for the period designated in the subpoena and that the records are maintained in the regular course of business. The certification shall be prima facie evidence of the authenticity of the records.

(2) During Trial. — Unless the court has ordered that the records may be inspected and copied prior to trial, upon commencement of the trial, the clerk shall release the records only to the courtroom clerk assigned to the trial. The courtroom clerk shall return the records to the clerk promptly upon completion of trial or at an earlier time if there is no longer a need for them. Upon final disposition of the action, the clerk shall return the original records to the custodian but need not return copies.

(3) Presence of Custodian. — When the actual presence of the custodian of records is required, the subpoena shall state with specificity the reason for the presence of the custodian.

(i) Attachment. — A witness served with a subpoena under this Rule is liable to body attachment and fine for failure to obey the subpoena without sufficient excuse. The writ of attachment may be executed by the sheriff or peace officer of any county and shall be returned to the court issuing it. The witness attached shall be taken immediately before the court if then in session. If the court is not in session, the witness shall be taken before a judicial officer of the District Court for a determination of appropriate conditions of release to ensure the witness’ appearance at the next session of the court that issued the attachment.

End

Amendment History

Amended Feb. 10, 1998, effective July 1, 1998; Apr. 9, 2002, effective July 1, 2002; Oct. 31, 2002, effective Jan. 1, 2003; Nov. 12, 2003, effective Jan. 1, 2004; Dec. 4, 2007, effective Jan. 1, 2008; Oct. 4, 2012, eff. Jan. 1, 2013; March 3, 2015, effective July 1, 2015; April 9, 2018, effective July 1, 2018; Oct. 15, 2024, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Committee Note & Source

Committee note. A subpoena may be used to compel attendance at a court proceeding or deposition that will be held more than 60 days after the date of issuance provided that the subpoena is served within the 60-day period. The failure to serve a subpoena within the 60-day period does not preclude the reissuance of a new subpoena.

Cross references. See Code, Courts Article, § 6-410, concerning service upon certain persons other than the custodian of public records named in the subpoena if the custodian is not known and cannot be ascertained after a reasonable effort. As to additional requirements for certain subpoenas, see Code, Health - General Article, §§ 4-302 and 4-306 (b)(6), 45 C.F.R. 164.512 regarding medical records; Code, Health - General Article, § 4-307 regarding mental health records; and Code, Financial Institutions Article, § 1-304.

Cross references. For the availability of sanctions for violations of this section, see Rules 1-201 (a) and 1-341.

Cross references. Code, Health - General Article, § 4-306 (b)(6); Code, Financial Institutions Article, § 1-304.

Cross references. Code, Courts Article, § 10-104 includes an alternative method of authenticating medical records in certain cases.

Source. This Rule is derived as follows: Section (a) is new but the second sentence is derived in part from former Rule 407 a. Section (b) is new. Section (c) is derived from former M.D.R. 114 a and b and 115 a. Section (d) is derived from former M.D.R. 104 a and b and 116 b.

Section (e) is derived from former M.D.R. 115 b.

Section (f) is derived from the 1980 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 45 (d)(1).

Section (g) is derived from the 1991 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 45 (c)(1).

Section (h) is new.

Section (i) is derived from former M.D.R. 114 d and 742 e.

Plain-English Summary

This rule builds the whole life cycle of a District Court subpoena. It starts by drawing a line among three uses: subpoenas a party must use (to bring a witness to a court proceeding or to reach a nonparty for a deposition), a subpoena a party may use (to compel a party already before the court to a deposition), and every other use, which is off limits. Misuse can draw sanctions, including attorney's fees, exclusion of evidence, and reimbursement for anyone inconvenienced by the abuse.

The rule then walks through the mechanics: the clerk issues the subpoena or hands over a signed, sealed blank form for an attorney to fill in, and registered MDEC users can even download an electronic blank form. Every subpoena must follow the State-approved uniform form and carry a warning that it can be served only within 60 days of issuance. Service itself must reach the named person or an authorized agent, and a party should make a good-faith effort to serve a trial or hearing subpoena at least five days ahead of time.

Sections (e) through (g) protect the person on the receiving end: someone served with a court-proceeding subpoena can ask the court to quash it, delay it, or shift its costs, while someone served with a deposition subpoena can seek a protective order or file a written objection to document production within ten days. Section (h) gives records custodians a shortcut — they can mail sealed, certified copies to the clerk instead of showing up in person, unless the subpoena specifically demands their presence. And section (i) has teeth: a witness who ignores a subpoena without a good excuse can be picked up on a writ of attachment and brought before a judge or judicial officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I use a subpoena for a purpose the rule doesn't allow?

The court can sanction the misuse after a hearing, including ordering the offending party to pay a reasonable attorney's fee and costs, excluding evidence obtained through the violation, and reimbursing anyone inconvenienced by the time and expense.

How long do I have to serve a subpoena after the clerk issues it?

60 days. A subpoena may not be served, or even attempted to be served, more than 60 days after issuance, and attempting to do so is itself treated as a misuse of the subpoena.

Can a records custodian avoid showing up in court personally?

Usually yes. A custodian served with a trial subpoena can mail sealed, certified copies of the records to the clerk instead of appearing, unless the subpoena specifically requires the custodian's presence and states why.

How do I object to a deposition subpoena that demands documents?

File a written objection stating your reasons within ten days after service. Once you object, the party who served the subpoena can't get the documents without a court order compelling production.

What happens if a witness just ignores a subpoena?

The witness can be picked up on a writ of attachment and brought before the court if it's in session, or before a District Court judicial officer to set conditions for release pending the next session.

Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. · Official source

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