Harford County Register of Wills Office
The Honorable Derek K. Hopkins, Register
Address Mutual Fire Insurance Building18 Office Street
1st Floor
Bel Air, Maryland 21014 Operating Hours8:30am - 4:30pm Monday to Friday
Our cash registers close at 4:00pmWe are closed weekends and State Holidays
Please note that we cannot accept filings through email.
Important Information
The Harford County Register of Wills will be open by appointment only on a limited basis.
Please note the following:
- Please call our office for assistance instead of visiting the courthouse. Most needs can be fulfilled by phone, email, mail, or through our online services.
- Estate filings can be mailed or dropped off. We have a locked drop box in our lobby at 18 Office Street.
- Please be aware that, unless there is an emergency, the law does not require you to open an estate within a set timeframe after someone passes away. Unless there is a pressing concern, you may wait several weeks or longer before opening the estate for your loved one. Please contact us and we will be happy to answer your questions and assist you with the necessary forms.
Before submitting your paperwork, please ensure you fill out the appropriate checklist and follow the instructions contained within:
- Small Estate Checklist
- Regular Estate Checklist
(Estates over $50,000)
Our new location is on the first floor of the Mutual Fire Insurance Building which is located at 18 Office Street in Bel Air.
| Other Important Numbers | |
|---|---|
| Comptroller of Maryland: Maryland Estate Tax Division |
410-260-7850 |
| Comptroller of Maryland: Unclaimed Property Division |
410-767-1700 |
| Internal Revenue Service | 800-829-1040 |
| Legal Aid Bureau | 800-999-8904 |
| Maryland State Bar Association | 800-492-1964 |
| Motor Vehicle Administration | 800-950-1682 |
| Social Security Administration | 800-772-1213 |
| Vital Statistics Administration (provides copies of death certificates) |
877-463-3464 |
| Volunteer Lawyers Service | 800-510-0050 |
PUBLICATIONS AND ADDITIONAL MEDIA
The Honorable Derek K. Hopkins
The Honorable Derek K. Hopkins was sworn into office as the Register of Wills for Harford County on the evening of November 30, 2010 and started on December 1, 2010. The Hopkins family has lived in Harford County for generations. Derek is married to Katrina Hopkins and they have two children, Tim and Emma.
Prior to Derek becoming Register of Wills he was a full time auctioneer, estate appraiser, and a third generation real estate agent, who has focused on estate services. Derek is a graduate of North Harford High School, where he served in the FFA and as Maryland State FFA Vice President. After high school he attended Virginia Tech with a focus on business management, and worked in the Swine Research Center. Derek is a graduate of the Missouri Auction School, Kansas City, MO. He also is a graduate of the three-year Certified Auctioneer Institute at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
Hopkins is a past 4-H member, and has been an active volunteer in 4-H for years. He joined the Darlington Volunteer Fire Company at the age of 16, where he served as a firefighter and EMS member. After buying a home in Pylesville, he joined the Whiteford Volunteer Fire Company, where he is an active firefighter, EMS driver, and past president of the company. Derek has served in many other roles at the company as well. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he was sent by FEMA to be deployed to Mississippi where he served over a month helping the citizens of the gulf coast. Derek has also served on a number of other community groups. He is a member of Harford County's Agricultural Advisory Board and is passionate about saving the agricultural industry.
Derek grew up on the Hopkins Family farm in Darlington, where he says he learned his hard work ethic from his great-grandmother, Hazel Hopkins, and grandfather, Harry G. Hopkins. The family farm is now in farm preservation. Derek resides in Pylesville with his wife Katrina, who has worked for the State of Maryland's Court System for over 12 years. The family spends a lot of time now working on their small farm, where they have dairy goats, beef cattle, and chickens. 4-H is a big part of their family life and it allows them to spend a lot of family time together.
HARFORD COUNTY LINKS
OTHER LINKS
- Comptroller of MD - Estate Taxes
- Comptroller of MD - Unclaimed Property
- Death Certificates
- Kelley Blue Book
- IRS - Apply for EIN
- MD Attorney General - Protecting Seniors
- MVA
- People's Law Library
- Real Property Search
- Social Security
- State Bar Assn.
- Volunteer Lawyers Service
For A Historical List Of Harford County
Registers Of Wills
(MD State Archives Link)
Click Here