Maryland State Criminal Records: Criminal Records Guide

Find the correct Maryland records service

Where Can You Search Maryland Criminal Records Online?

Maryland criminal court records, police arrest reports and fingerprint-supported criminal-history reports are maintained by different offices. Use the source that matches the document you need.

Official statewide public court lookup

How to Search MD State Criminal Records by Name or Case Number

Maryland’s Judiciary Case Search & Record Portal is the principal public online service for Maryland court records.

The Maryland Judiciary announced that its redesigned integrated Case Search & Record Portal would launch on March 14, 2026, combining the previous Case Search and Judiciary Record Search interfaces.

The public retains access to the same categories of publicly available case information. Attorneys and authorized parties may have enhanced access under separate rules.

Step-by-step: Maryland criminal case lookup

1. Open the official case-search portal

   Use the Maryland Judiciary website and review the public-access disclaimer. Select I Agree to proceed.

2. Choose a search method

   Select Case Number Search when you know the full case number, Party Name Search when you have the defendant’s name, or Advanced Search for additional available filters.

3. Enter the case number or party name

   Use the complete case number when known. For a name search, enter the surname and given name accurately. Case Search’s published guidance defaults to exact-name matching.

4. Apply criminal-case filters

   Where the interface offers filters, narrow the search by the relevant court, case type, jurisdiction or other supported information.

5. Complete CAPTCHA when required

   Maryland uses human-verification technology to protect court-system access and discourage automated harvesting of case information.

6. Review possible matches

   Compare the case number, defendant name, court location, filing information and any other publicly available details before selecting the correct case.

7. Read the docket and disposition

   Look for the charge, scheduled hearings, plea information, judgment, sentence or other available case activity.

8. Contact the court for official verification

   If the docket is incomplete or you need certified documents, contact the District or Circuit Court Clerk where the case was filed.

How to search Maryland court cases with only part of a name

Maryland’s published Case Search guidance describes a percent-sign wildcard for partial names.

For example, entering John% in the last-name search field can match names beginning with those characters.

The percent sign is placed at the end of the portion you know, not at the beginning or in the middle of a word.

The redesigned portal may display search fields differently from older screenshots. Follow its currently displayed search instructions where they differ.

Can you search Maryland criminal cases without an account?

Basic publicly available case information is provided through the Judiciary’s public Case Search service.

An enhanced account or additional authorization may be required for records or documents that are available to attorneys or parties but not to ordinary public users.

Do not assume a publicly searchable case docket includes the underlying court filings.

Find the actual filing court

Maryland District Court vs. Circuit Court Criminal Records

Maryland has two principal trial-court levels. Understanding which one handles the criminal case is essential when searching for court records or requesting certified copies.

Can a Maryland criminal case move from District Court to Circuit Court?

Yes. A defendant may be entitled to elect a jury trial in certain District Court criminal matters. When the defendant properly demands a jury trial, the case proceeds to Circuit Court according to the applicable rules.

Felony charges may also involve different stages or court records.

Therefore, if the District Court docket does not show the final trial or sentence, check whether a related Circuit Court case exists.

How Maryland appellate records work

Maryland has two appellate courts:

• Appellate Court of Maryland: The state’s intermediate appellate court.
• Supreme Court of Maryland: The state’s highest appellate court.

These courts were renamed effective December 14, 2022. Older records may refer to the Court of Special Appeals or Court of Appeals, respectively.

Eligible appellate case information is included within Maryland Judiciary Case Search. A published appellate opinion does not replace the original trial-court judgment.

Critical Maryland public-access rules

Why Dismissed and Acquitted Maryland Criminal Cases May Not Appear Online

One of the most important limitations of MD state criminal records searches is that some cases are deliberately excluded from public internet search results by law.

Maryland’s Judiciary explains that certain criminal charges may still be available for inspection at the courthouse even though their existence is no longer displayed in Case Search.

Charges that may be omitted from Case Search

Maryland’s 2025 Expungement Reform Act

Maryland’s Judiciary notices explain that the Expungement Reform Act of 2025 requires removal of qualifying stet charges from the online docket after three years.

It also requires removal from Case Search of qualifying cannabis-possession convictions subsequently pardoned by the Governor.

These public-display rules do not mean that every relevant case record has been physically destroyed or that the person has automatically received every form of expungement relief.

Read Maryland Judiciary Case Search Notices

Maryland county and Baltimore City searches

Maryland Criminal Court Records by County and City

All 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City participate in the Maryland court system, but each jurisdiction maintains its original court case files through the appropriate Clerk.

Use the statewide Case Search first, then identify the actual filing courthouse for copies, archived documents or hearing verification.

Other Maryland counties

For Frederick, Harford, Carroll, Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester and other counties, use the statewide courts directory.

It lists all 24 Maryland court jurisdictions, with direct links to District Court and Circuit Court locations.

Court schedules and criminal case events

How to Check Maryland Criminal Court Dates and Dockets

The first place to look for a pending criminal court date is the Case Search & Record Portal.

An eligible case record may show the next hearing date, the assigned court and previous docket activity.

1. Find the criminal case

   Use the case number or party name in Maryland Judiciary Case Search.

2. Review the court information

   Identify the case’s District Court or Circuit Court jurisdiction.

3. Check the available hearing entries

   Review the listed hearing date, type of event and court assignment.

4. Look for a local daily docket

   Some Maryland court locations publish their own criminal daily dockets or calendar information.

5. Confirm any required appearance

   Contact the assigned court or your attorney if the date has changed or the online information is unclear.

For Maryland courts that publish daily dockets separately, the statewide courts directory is the best starting point for finding the relevant court’s scheduling page.

Obtain official criminal court documents

How to Request Certified Maryland Criminal Court Records

If you need an official criminal conviction, dismissal, judgment or sentencing document, request it from the Clerk of the court where the case originated.

Maryland Judiciary Case Search provides a summary of the case, not the full official record.

1. Find the exact case number

   Search the Maryland Judiciary portal and write down the complete case identifier.

2. Identify the court

   Confirm whether the relevant document belongs to the District Court or Circuit Court and which Maryland jurisdiction handled it.

3. Specify the document needed

   Ask for the criminal judgment, final disposition, sentencing order, docket entry or another particular filing.

4. Contact the Clerk

   Ask whether the record is available electronically, in the courthouse, through an online copy-request procedure or from an archive.

5. Choose certified or regular copies

   If the record will be used for an official purpose, verify whether the receiving organization requires a certified copy.

6. Confirm the fee

   Check the applicable copying, certification and delivery charges before placing the order.

7. Review the completed record

   Verify the court, defendant, charge, case number and final disposition shown in the document.

Maryland Circuit Court copying and certification fees

Maryland’s published Circuit Court fee schedule, effective September 2, 2026, lists the following standard charges:

For example, a certified five-page Circuit Court judgment would have a base cost of $7.50: $2.50 in per-page copying charges plus $5 for certification, before any additional applicable expenses.

Do not automatically apply the Circuit Court fee schedule to every District Court or agency request; confirm the relevant current schedule.

Official fingerprint-based criminal history

Maryland CJIS Criminal Background Checks: How They Work

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services operates the Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository.

CJIS maintains fingerprint-supported criminal identification and criminal-history information.

The Judiciary specifically directs users to CJIS when an official criminal background check is needed.

How to request an authorized Maryland background check

1. Determine the purpose of the check

   Identify whether it is for employment, professional licensing, volunteering, authorized criminal justice use or another permitted purpose.

2. Ask the requesting organization for authorization details

   Employment and licensing applicants generally need the organization’s authorization number. Requests involving a government agency may also require an agency identifier.

3. Choose the appropriate fingerprint service

   Use an approved Maryland Livescan provider or the procedure specified for your applicant category.

4. Prepare valid government photo identification

   Bring the documents and pre-registration information required by the fingerprinting provider.

5. Submit your fingerprints

   Fingerprint information is transmitted to CJIS for processing under the applicable authorization.

6. Pay the required fees

   Confirm CJIS processing charges, fingerprint service fees and any applicable FBI component.

7. Follow the agency’s result procedure

   Results are generally provided according to the authorized request and are not necessarily released directly to any member of the public.

Can you obtain someone else’s complete CJIS criminal history?

Not through an unrestricted public search.

CJIS criminal-history information is subject to authorization and disclosure rules. Employment and licensing agencies may conduct checks when they have the legal authority and appropriate applicant information.

Individuals seeking personal access to their own criminal-history information should contact CJIS for the applicable personal-review procedure.

CJIS Central Repository contact details

October 2026 background-check fees

Maryland Criminal History Search and Fingerprinting Costs

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services publishes distinct CJIS processing and fingerprint-service charges.

Its October 2026 guidance also identifies a federal fee increase: the FBI fingerprint-based report component rose from $12 to $15 effective October 1, 2026.

The CJIS Central Repository does not accept cash or money orders for its ordinary counter transactions. Follow the payment methods shown on the current official page.

Police incident reports and arrest information

How to Request Maryland Arrest Records and Police Reports

A Maryland criminal court docket is different from the original police arrest report.

If you need a police incident report, arrest narrative or another law-enforcement document, first identify the agency that created or maintains it.

Possible custodians include:

• Baltimore Police Department
• Baltimore County Police Department
• Montgomery County Police Department
• Prince George’s County Police Department
• Anne Arundel County Police Department
• Maryland State Police
• County Sheriff’s Offices and other local law-enforcement agencies

Maryland Public Information Act requests

Maryland’s Public Information Act provides a procedure for requesting qualifying government records.

However, criminal investigation records may be subject to disclosure restrictions, redaction or withholding under applicable law.

1. Identify the police agency

   Use the agency named on the arrest paperwork or incident report.

2. Locate its official records-request instructions

   Look for Records Division, Public Information Act, police report request or similar terminology.

3. Provide the incident details

   Include the date, location, report number and the type of document needed, where available.

4. Explain any applicable authorization

   If requesting a restricted document for yourself or as an authorized representative, follow the agency’s identification and consent requirements.

5. Review the response

   The agency may provide responsive records, redact certain details, request clarification or identify a lawful disclosure restriction.

Maryland corrections and custody records

Maryland Inmate Locator and Prison Records Search

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services operates a public Incarcerated Individual Locator.

It provides custody-location information for qualifying individuals committed to the Commissioner of Correction and housed in facilities covered by the service.

How to search Maryland correctional custody

1. Open the official DPSCS locator.
2. Enter the person’s first and last name.
3. Submit the search.
4. Compare available identifying information before relying on a match.
5. Contact the appropriate detention or correctional facility for current verification when necessary.

Who may not appear in the locator?

DPSCS states that its locator does not display every person in its custody.

For example, some short-sentenced individuals held at Division of Pretrial and Detention Services facilities may be excluded.

People no longer in custody generally do not appear in the current locator.

Individuals held in county detention facilities may require a separate local sheriff or jail search.

Maryland Sex Offender Registry

Maryland also maintains a statewide public sex offender registry through DPSCS.

The registry is a specialized service for individuals subject to registration requirements, not a complete criminal-history database.

Maryland criminal record clearing and privacy

Maryland Expungement and Shielding of Criminal Records

Maryland law provides several methods for restricting access to qualifying criminal records, including expungement, shielding and sealing.

These are not identical legal processes.

Common Maryland expungement forms and charges

The Maryland Judiciary lists the following approved forms and filing categories.

Maryland automatic expungement

Under the Judiciary’s published expungement guidance, when all charges in a qualifying case ended in acquittal, not guilty, dismissal or nolle prosequi on or after October 1, 2021, the court generally expunges the case automatically after three years.

Eligibility, exceptions and the exact disposition matter. A person who qualifies may be able to request expungement earlier using the appropriate petition.

Second Chance Act shielding

Maryland allows petitions to shield specified convictions, subject to statutory restrictions.

The Judiciary’s shielding guidance includes a three-year waiting period after completing the applicable sentence, supervision or parole.

There are additional limitations for pending criminal cases, certain domestic-related offenses and related charges.

Use the court’s current October 2026 forms rather than older downloadable versions when preparing a new filing.

Federal cases are a separate jurisdiction

Federal Criminal Court Records in Maryland

Federal prosecutions in Maryland are generally filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

The federal court has principal locations in Baltimore and Greenbelt.

Use PACER to search federal criminal case dockets and publicly accessible filed documents.

Fix common criminal record search problems

Why Can’t I Find Maryland Criminal Records Online?

A missing result may reflect a search mistake, a legal public-access restriction or an incomplete electronic history.

How far back do Maryland criminal court records go?

Maryland Case Search provides electronic records from District and Circuit Court case-management systems, but the starting date is not identical across jurisdictions.

For example, the Judiciary’s historical coverage information lists Montgomery County criminal Circuit Court data beginning in 1979 and Prince George’s County criminal Circuit Court data beginning in 1982.

Other counties may have substantially later electronic coverage.

An older case missing from the online service may still have an official file maintained by the relevant court or archive.

See Maryland Judiciary Case Search Historical Coverage

Understand what criminal records mean

How to Interpret Maryland Arrests, Charges and Convictions Correctly

Maryland criminal case records contain several different legal events. A person should not be described as convicted merely because an arrest or criminal charge appears in a docket.

For employment, housing, credit or other regulated eligibility screening, follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act and applicable Maryland laws rather than treating a public court search as an authorized consumer report.