Medlicottidae are characterized by discoidal to thinly lenticular shells and sutures with a narrow ventral lobe and a modified first lateral saddle.

Previously the Medlicottiidae were divided in part L of the Treatise, 1957, into just two subfamilies, the Uddenitinae introduced by Miller and Furnish in 1940 and the Medlicottinae revised from Karpinsky 1889.

Hyatt and Smith (1905) included Medlicottia in the Pronoritidae, prior to the establishment of the Prolecanitina as a separate order by Mller and Furnish, 1954.

According to Hyatt and Smith, the Pronoritidae contains Pronorites, Parapronorites, Medlicottia, (with its subgenera Episageceras, Propinacoceras, and Artinskia ), Sicanites, Uddenites, Sundaites, Daraelites, Albanites, and Cordillerites.

Ruzhencev, 1949 (in Glesister and Furnish 1961) included in the Medlicottiidae following genera: Akmilleria, Aktubinskia, Arctioceras, Artinskia, Daixites, Eurmedlicottia, Medlicottia, Neogastroceras, Sicanites, Synartinskia, Propinacoceras, Prouddenites, and Uddenites.