How to File DC-CV-081 (Warrant of Restitution) in Maryland: The 2026 Field-by-Field Filing Guide

DC-CV-081 is the form that turns a judgment for possession into an actual eviction. Without a signed warrant of restitution, the sheriff has no authority to act. This is the 2026 field-by-field walkthrough of the petition, the 5-business-day wait that precedes it, the two 60-day clocks that run from the moment of signing, and the common errors that get the petition rejected at the clerk's window.

The DC-CV-082 starts the case. The DC-CV-081 ends it. Get the petition right and the sheriff is at the door in two to three weeks. Get any of the timing wrong and the judgment goes back to zero.

The warrant of restitution is governed by Md. Code, Real Property § 8-401 and Maryland Rule 3-647. The form itself, DC-CV-081, Petition for Warrant of Restitution, was revised in July 2026 to clarify that the 60-day deadlines described below apply specifically to Failure to Pay Rent cases and not to Tenant Holding Over, Breach of Lease, or Wrongful Detainer actions. Use the current form; older copies may have outdated language.

For the broader warrant-stage timeline and how the two 60-day clocks interact with the redemption right, see Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline. For the upstream complaint form, see How to Fill Out DC-CV-082.

Before You Open the Form

DC-CV-081 is the third step, not the first. Do not fill it out until you have all of the following:

• A judgment for possession entered against the tenant on DC-CV-082
• The fifth business day after trial has arrived (the earliest the petition can be filed)
• No valid redemption tender has been received from the tenant (under § 8-401(h)(1), redemption is available up to actual execution; if a tender comes in before signing, accept it and do not file)
• The original judgment order or case number from the court record
• The filing fee in cash, check, or money order ($40 to $50)

If any of those are missing, fix them before walking into the clerk's office. Premature filing is the most common cause of DC-CV-081 rejection at the window.

DC-CV-081, Field by Field

The petition is short, typically one page in most counties. Each field has a specific purpose.

Section 1: Court Selection

File at the same District Court that entered the underlying judgment. The warrant follows the judgment; you cannot file the warrant in a different jurisdiction.

• Baltimore City judgments → file at 500 N. Calvert Street (relocated from 501 E. Fayette Street effective October 14, 2025)
• Baltimore County judgments → file at the same Baltimore County District Court that heard the case (Towson, Catonsville, Essex, or Dundalk)
• Other counties → file at the District Court that issued the judgment

Section 2: Case Number

Copy the case number from the underlying DC-CV-082 judgment exactly. This is how the clerk matches the warrant petition to the case file. A wrong or missing case number is an immediate rejection.

Section 3: Plaintiff (Landlord) Information

Use the same plaintiff identification that appeared on the DC-CV-082. If the plaintiff is an LLC, the LLC remains the plaintiff on the warrant petition. Do not switch from personal name to LLC or vice versa between filings.

For the LLC representation rules under § 10-206(b)(4), see Can a Landlord Evict Without a Lawyer in Maryland?.

Section 4: Defendant (Tenant) Information

List every defendant from the original DC-CV-082 judgment, in the same form (full legal name as on the lease and as the court recorded). If a tenant has moved out between judgment and warrant filing, list them anyway; the warrant authorizes possession restoration regardless of who is currently in the unit.

Section 5: Property Address

The property address exactly as it appeared on the DC-CV-082 and on the judgment. Include the unit number for multi-unit properties. Mismatched addresses between the complaint and the warrant create execution problems for the sheriff later.

Section 6: Post-Judgment Updates (When Applicable)

If anything material has changed between the judgment and the warrant filing, the petition may include a brief update. The most common updates:

• Partial post-judgment payment received from the tenant (reduces the money judgment but typically does not stop the warrant unless it constitutes a full redemption tender)
• Tenant has already vacated the property (the warrant may still be appropriate to confirm possession but the sheriff execution may be unnecessary)
• Substitution of plaintiff (rare; typically requires a separate motion before the warrant petition)

Most warrant petitions do not need post-judgment updates. The form does not always have a labeled field for them; if updates are material, file a short supplementary affidavit alongside the petition.

Section 7: Signature

The landlord (or the attorney of record, for LLCs above the small-claims threshold under § 4-405 of the Courts Article; currently $5,000) signs the petition. Maryland Rule 1-311 requires that every pleading by a represented party be signed by a Maryland-admitted attorney. For pro se filings, the party signs personally.

Section 8: The Judge's Order

This section is for the court, not the filer. The judge signs this part after reviewing the petition, which converts the petition into a signed warrant authorizing the sheriff to execute. The 60-day execution clock under § 8-401(f)(1)(iii) starts running on the date of the judge's signature.

Filing Fee and Payment

The DC-CV-081 filing fee runs $40 to $50 depending on the specific District Court. The Maryland statewide fee schedule is published at mdcourts.gov/courts/feeschedules. Payment is accepted in cash, check, or money order at most clerks' offices; some clerks accept card.

For Baltimore City, the typical DC-CV-081 fee is $40 plus any applicable surcharge. Check the current fee at filing rather than relying on this estimate.

Where to File

The warrant petition must be filed at the same District Court that entered the underlying judgment. The court that has the case file is the court that signs the warrant.

Filing in the wrong court is rejection, not transfer. The clerk returns the petition; the 60-day clock under § 8-401(f)(1)(ii) keeps running.

The Two 60-Day Clocks (Critical)

The single most important set of dates in the entire warrant stage. Memorize both.

Clock 1: File Within 60 Days of Judgment

Under § 8-401(f)(1)(ii), the warrant must be ordered (filed) within 60 days of the later of:

• The date of the judgment for possession, or
• The expiration of any stay of execution granted by the court

If the warrant is not filed within that window, the judgment is stricken. The case starts over from the 10-day Notice of Intent. The landlord loses 60+ days of timeline and the original filing fee.

Clock 2: Execute Within 60 Days of Signing

Under § 8-401(f)(1)(iii), once the judge signs the warrant, the sheriff must execute within 60 days. If not, the warrant expires AND the judgment for possession is stricken. Same full refile, same loss of timeline.

This second clock is the more common worst-case risk because it depends on sheriff scheduling, which can be affected by weather, sheriff workload, tenant emergencies, or rescheduling requests. Track the signing date and plan against the 60-day execution window from day one.

For the full warrant-stage timeline including sheriff scheduling variances by jurisdiction, see Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline.

Common Errors That Get DC-CV-081 Rejected

The five errors that most often produce a clerk's window rejection or a court vacatur of the warrant:

1. Filing before the fifth business day after trial. The most common rejection cause. Count business days from the trial date; weekend and holidays do not count.
2. Wrong court. Filing the warrant petition at a District Court that did not enter the underlying judgment.
3. Case number mismatch. Wrong case number on the petition, or no case number at all.
4. Plaintiff identity mismatch. Personal-name filing on a judgment that was entered against an LLC, or vice versa.
5. Missing filing fee. Petition submitted without payment. The clerk does not process the petition until the fee is received.

Each of these is a same-day fix in most cases. Resubmit with the defect cured. The 60-day filing clock keeps running through rejection, so move quickly.

What Happens After the Judge Signs

Once the warrant is signed, the case moves into the sheriff scheduling phase:

• Baltimore City Sheriff: 1 to 2 weeks from signing to execution typical
• Baltimore County Sheriff: 2 to 3 weeks typical
• Other counties: 2 to 3 weeks; rural counties can run 3 to 4

The sheriff's office contacts the landlord (or representative) with the scheduled date. Confirm the date the day before. Have a locksmith on call. For the day-of-execution mechanics, see Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline.

Throughout this phase, the tenant's redemption right under § 8-401(h)(1) continues to run. A valid tender (cash, certified check, or money order for the full court-determined amount) received any time before actual execution stops the warrant. The warrant does not extinguish the redemption right.

For the full redemption mechanics including the tender-handling workflow on eviction day, see Right of Redemption in Maryland.

How EvictPro Handles DC-CV-081

EvictPro's Warrant of Restitution stage is $199, court filing fee included. The platform tracks every clock and surfaces required actions at the right times.

What the platform tracks

• 5-business-day post-trial wait with automatic eligibility flagging on day 5
• 60-day filing clock under § 8-401(f)(1)(ii) with countdown alerts at 30, 14, and 7 days remaining
• Warrant signing date captured from court records
• 60-day execution clock under § 8-401(f)(1)(iii) with the same countdown alerts
• Sheriff scheduling coordination per county
• Redemption tender documentation for any tender received during the warrant pendency

Stage-based pricing (court fees inclusive)

• Notice of Intent: $0
• Filing with Court: $99 (DC-CV-082 prep, filing, court fee)
• Court Hearing: $249
• Warrant of Restitution: $199 (DC-CV-081 prep, filing, court fee, both 60-day clocks tracked)
• Sheriff Scheduling: $75
• Eviction Day: $225

Or bundle with Full Eviction Service: $749. Pay only for the stages you need. Court fees inside the stage prices.

Related reading:

• Maryland Warrant of Restitution Timeline
• How to Fill Out DC-CV-082: A Field-by-Field Maryland Filing Guide
• Right of Redemption in Maryland
• The Maryland FTPR Process, Step by Step
• How Long Does an Eviction Take in Maryland?
• Can a Landlord Evict Without a Lawyer in Maryland?

Ready to move from judgment to sheriff execution without losing the timeline to a clock miss? Start with a Notice of Intent that locks the timestamps into the case file from day one: