Agent Freddy — Maryland & Virginia
Maryland

Selling a home in Charles County

If you own in Waldorf, St. Charles, La Plata, Indian Head or elsewhere in Charles County, start with the costs. The county's recordation tax rose to $7 per $500 in July 2025, so check that any estimate you get uses the current rate. This page covers the current taxes, the records a buyer is likely to ask for, and how to get a written plan before you list. Freddy Makinde is a licensed Maryland REALTOR with eXp Realty.

Closing Costs

Taxes due at closing

TaxRateSource
Charles County recordation tax$7 per $500 of price, counting any part of $500 as a full $500Charles County Code § 281-1, amended by Bill 2025-04
Charles County transfer tax0.5% of the priceCharles County Code § 281-31
Maryland state transfer tax0.5%, or 0.25% for a first-time Maryland homebuyerTax-Property § 13-203

Bill 2025-04 set Charles County's recordation tax at $7 per $500, and the county Treasury lists the increase as effective July 25, 2025. On a $450,000 sale, that means $6,300 in recordation tax, $2,250 in county transfer tax and $2,250 in state transfer tax, or $10,800 in all. These figures are arithmetic on the published rates, not a market price.

Maryland law presumes the buyer and seller split these taxes equally unless the contract says otherwise. When every buyer is a first-time Maryland homebuyer who will live in the home, the seller pays the state transfer tax at the lower 0.25% rate, and also pays the county recordation and transfer taxes unless the contract expressly says otherwise (Real Property § 14-104). On the same $450,000 sale, that comes to $9,675. Your title company confirms the final figures. The Maryland seller closing-cost guide compares counties and has an estimator.

Well, Septic & Shoreline

Records buyers ask about

If your home is on a private well or septic system, buyers and their lenders may ask what records exist. The Maryland Geological Survey says well completion reports come from the county health department, and the Charles County Department of Health takes requests for property information such as septic records, percolation test results and plats. Asking before you list gives you time to find gaps.

Homes near tidal water may be in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, a strip of land reaching 1,000 feet inland from tidal water or tidal wetlands. In Charles County, development and even removing individual trees there need county approval, and the zoning code sets added limits on improvements. You can check an address on the county's GIS map by turning on the Critical Area boundary layer. Buyers who plan to build or clear trees there will want to know before they make an offer.

In St. Charles, which has its own zoning designation, the county's planning office says county approval for a fence requires an approval letter from the homeowners association or its design review board. Keep copies of past approvals for your listing file.

Pricing & Preparation

Pricing and preparation

Freddy prices from recent sales that match your home on location, type, size and condition, and shows you those sales in writing.

Over the three months ending July 2026, Charles County's median sale price was $448,684, down 2.5% from a year earlier, and the median home took 49 days to sell, eight days longer than the year before (Redfin). A countywide median mixes very different homes, so your own comparable sales matter more than this number.

Before listing:

  • Pull your SDAT property record and check lot size and living area.
  • Gather well, septic, HOA and permit paperwork you already have, including any Critical Area approvals.
  • Complete the Maryland Residential Property Disclosure and Disclaimer Statement with your agent.
The County

Where homes are

Charles County has three incorporated towns: La Plata, the county seat, and Port Tobacco, both incorporated in 1888, and Indian Head, which formed its own government in 1920 (Maryland Manual On-Line). Towns set their own property tax rates, which the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation publishes each July.

Waldorf is not incorporated. It is a census-designated place with 81,410 residents and 30,410 housing units in the 2020 Census. The county's 2006 comprehensive plan describes Waldorf's urban core as including much of St. Charles, a planned community organized into clusters around village centers. Bryans Road is also an unincorporated census-designated place.

Buying

Buying in Charles County

If this will be your first home in Maryland, state law helps at settlement. The state transfer tax drops to 0.25% and the seller pays it, along with the county recordation and transfer taxes unless the contract says otherwise (Real Property § 14-104). The Maryland Mortgage Program, run by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, offers 30-year fixed-rate loans and down payment assistance through approved lenders, with income and purchase price limits. Its first-time buyer test differs from the tax rule, so check both. The Maryland buyer closing-cost guide explains the difference.

Check your offer position with the Buyer Readiness Score, then search Charles County homes.

Next Step

Next step

Get a written plan for your Charles County home: likely sale range, what to fix, what to skip, and your estimated net.

Build my seller planOr start with the 3-minute Home Sale Score

Neighboring county guide: Prince George's County.

Sources

Sources (checked September 17, 2026)

This page describes costs and public records only. It does not rate neighborhoods, schools or safety. Local rates can change, so confirm them with your title company before closing.

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